Academic Calendar Winter/Summer 2016

Registration Information

ufv.ca/admissions/registration
reginfo@ufv.ca

Students are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of their registrations, and for meeting the stated prerequisites and corequisites of a given course or program.

Registration is primarily through the internet, with in-person and telephone assistance available. Students using the web should check carefully that each transaction is completed, and review their registration record.

The information that follows pertains to registration for credit programs. Registration information for programs and courses offered by Continuing Education can be found at ufv.ca/ce or in the Continuing Education brochure, published in late August and December each year.

Different regulations and processes may apply for graduate studies. Graduate students should refer to the General Regulations for Graduate Studies.

Choosing your courses

The Office of the Registrar publishes a Registration Timetable of course offerings prior to each registration period.

You should plan your courses carefully prior to your registration time.

If you need help, make an appointment with an Advisor.

Registration times

Registration times are assigned according to UFV's Order of Registration policy (see Registration order, below).

The Office of the Registrar schedules registration times just prior to the start of each registration period.

Students obtain their registration times through myUFV at http://my.ufv.ca.

Continuing students who are not attending the current semester will be scheduled for a registration time provided they have completed credit courses within the last two years, and are eligible to continue in their programs. See re-admission policy and program information in this calendar to determine whether you require an application for re-admission.

Registration order (policy under review)

UFV's Order of Registration policy (95) governs the assignment of registration times. Under current policy, students are placed in registration groups depending on their programs. The groups register in the following order: first, students in bachelor degree programs; second, students in certificate, diploma, ssociate degree, or Engineering Transfer programs; third, students in general programs (includes Qualifying Studies, General Studies, visiting students, English as a Second Language, University Foundation program, and Upgrading and University Preparation).

Within each registration group, continuing students in good standing register first, and are ordered based on number of UFV credits multiplied by the GPA. New students and re-admitted students register after continuing students in the same program group, and are ordered according to the date their complete application was post-marked or submitted. Continuing students in the third registration group who have both a cumulative GPA less than 2.0 and less than 2.0 in their last term at UFV will register after all other students. This may apply to other programs in the future.

Course prerequisites and co-requisites

A prerequisite is a requirement such as a course, course credits, or other academic skills, knowledge, or achievements that must be completed prior to taking a particular course.

A co-requisite is a course which must be taken concurrently with another course. In some cases a requirement may be taken as either a pre- or co-requisite.

Prerequisites and co-requisites for each course are included in the course description. The minimum grade required is a C- unless another grade is stated. A P grade does not, unless stated otherwise, meet a prerequisite or co-requisite requirement. Students are expected to consult the current UFV calendar to ensure they meet prerequisites before registering. Students who do not have the stated prerequisite or co-requisite courses may not register in a course having these requirements without written permission of the instructor.

Prerequisites and co-requisites are usually enforced during registration. In some circumstances, such as when a prerequisite is in-progress or the prerequisite cannot be checked during registration, the student is permitted to register provisionally. A student who has been registered provisionally is expected to show that they have met the prerequisite or co-requisite and may be de-registered from the course if they do not.

Any British Columbia secondary school course that is used to satisfy program entrance requirements or course prerequisites must be completed for full value (four credits).

Course wait lists

See the How to Register for up-to-date information.

If a class is full students may put their names on the wait list. If students are registered in a course they may not also be on a wait list for another section of the same course. There may be limits placed on the number of waitlisted courses permitted for each student.

Until just prior to classes beginning, the Office of the Registrar will contact students by e-mail if space becomes available. They will be given a deadline to register. If they do not meet the deadline, they will be removed from the wait list.

Once classes begin, students must have instructor's permission to register for any course. Students seeking a seat must go to the first class to seek permission. For online courses, students should contact the instructor by the first day of the semester. Instructors will use the wait lists to fill vacancies for the first class only.

Reserved seats

UFV may reserve seats for students to enable them to enrol in a particular sequence of courses. Reserved seats are removed periodically throughout registration, and usually not later than 10 days before classes begin.

Repeating a course

Students may not register in a course more than twice without permission of the appropriate dean or designate.

When a course is repeated, the GPA at UFV includes only the higher grade, but all attempts appear on the transcript.

Some programs limit the number of courses which can be repeated. Transferred courses are considered in the number of attempts.

Attendance

Students are responsible for meeting attendance requirements specified by instructors. At the first meeting of the course, instructors will specify attendance requirements and the consequences of failing to meet them.

It is the student's responsibility to provide instructors with appropriate supporting documentation if extenuating circumstances prevent completion of an attendance requirement for a given course.

Students are also required to attend the first regular meeting of the classes in which they are registered. Students who fail to attend the first regular meeting of a class in which they are registered, and who do not notify the instructor in advance, may be withdrawn from a course, at the discretion of the instructor.

Late entry

Once classes start, if a course is full students may register only with the formal permission of the instructor. During the first week of class, if there is space in a course, students may register online or with the Office of the Registrar. A late registration fee of $20 per course (subject to change) applies to registrations after the second week of classes for courses that run the full semester length. Late entry will not be permitted after 30% of the course is completed, except with the permission of the instructor and the appropriate department head or director. See the current Registration dates for specific dates.

Graduate students should refer to the General Regulations for Graduate Studies section of the calendar.

Course withdrawal

Students may withdraw from a course at any time before approximately 60% of the course duration through myUFV at my.ufv.ca, or through the Office of the Registrar. Withdrawals are not normally permitted by telephone. See UFV's Course Withdrawal policy (81). Graduate students should also refer to the General Regulations for Graduate Studies section of the calendar.

Withdrawal prior to 30% of the course duration will not be recorded on the official transcript. Withdrawal after 30% of the course duration will be recorded as a “W” (withdrawal) grade on the transcript. A “W” grade does not affect the student’s grade point average. A student who stops attending but does not officially withdraw from a course is given a grade of NC (no credit), which is calculated as 0 in the grade point average.

A student may be permitted to withdraw after 60% of the course duration if the student can show that there were extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control, such as a serious illness, which made it impossible for the student to complete a course. To pursue a late withdrawal, students must complete a late withdrawal form, available at ufv.ca/admissions or from the Office of the Registrar. A rationale and supporting documentation must be provided. Undergraduate students submit the request to the Office of the Registrar and it is forwarded to a Late Withdrawal committee established by the Office of the Registrar. Approval requires the majority decision of the committee. A withdrawal, if granted, will be recorded on the official transcript. Graduate studies students should refer to the General Regulations for Graduate Studies for more information.

Registration dates and deadlines with respect to fees and course withdrawal are published in the Registration Timetable. See the Office of the Registrar web page for details. 

Audit

Students can register or change their registration to audit status anytime between the start of registration and the last day to add courses without department head permission, which is when 30% of the course is complete. (See exact date in Important Registration Dates for the semester.) After that date, audit requests are not accepted.

It is the instructor’s discretion to accept or refuse a request for audit, as it is not automatic. If approved, the instructor or designate should enter permission to audit via Faculty Services. Students will need to contact the Office of the Registrar to register as an auditing student. Full fees are required to audit a course.

Students who are not granted permission to audit may choose to continue, or may withdraw prior to completion of 60% of the course.

An audit grade is not included in the calculation for the grade point average, but it is reported on the official transcript. A course being audited cannot be used as a co- or prerequisite for another course.

It is recommended that the student and instructor agree (preferably in writing) to the expectations for a successful auditing of the course. If the student does not meet the expectations set, the instructor will advise the Registrar so an appropriate notation may appear on the transcript.

Please refer to UFV's Course Audit policy (108) for more information.

Course challenge

Some UFV courses may be challenged for credit. This means that a student who can demonstrate mastery of course learning outcomes may be granted course credit through an examination or other assessment(s) without taking the course. Course outlines indicate whether prior learning assessments are available for particular courses.

Course challenge is available only to UFV students who are currently enrolled in credit courses or are eligible to register without being re-admitted, and to applicants who have been admitted to a UFV program.

A student may challenge a course only once. Course challenges are not permitted for courses previously taken at UFV or transferable courses taken at other post-secondary institutions.

Students require permission of the department head or director before they may register for a course challenge. Tuition fees for course challenges will be 75% of the regular tuition. All other registration fees apply.

Credits obtained through a course challenge do not count towards UFV program residency requirements, and grades for challenged courses are not counted in the UFV grade point average.

For additional information on Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR), see UFV's PLAR policy (94).

Credits

UFV measures the workload of a student by assigning units of credit to a course or program. A typical university studies or career course is three credits (three or four hours/week of instruction for 15 weeks) or four credits (five to seven hours/week of instruction for 15 weeks). In vocational programs, one credit is generally defined as the equivalent of one week of full-time study. In Continuing Education courses, credits (when they are applicable) may be determined on the basis of one credit for every 30 hours of instruction.

Courseload - university courses

A full courseload is normally five courses per semester. Students are encouraged to enrol in not more than five courses per semester and may not enrol in more than twenty credits without permission of a dean. Some university-level programs, such as Engineering Transfer, require an overload.

Definition of a full-time student

UFV defines a full-time student as one who is enrolled in 60% or more of the full or standard course load; or has a documented permanent disability, which affects his/her ability to participate in full-time studies and is enrolled in 40% or more of a standard course load. A part-time student is a student enrolled in courses but who does not meet full-time requirements. A standard course load is 15 credits per term or 30 hours per week if credits are not assigned.

Please note that UFV’s definition applies internally; however, external organizations and programs (e.g. scholarship and bursary programs, student loans, income tax credits, etc.) may have different requirements that must be met. Students should always check eligibility requirements as stated by the organization. See below for information about student loan eligibility and income tax education credits.

Students who are applying for a student loan should consult the Financial Aid and Awards office for more information about the minimum course load required to qualify. A permanent disability is defined according to the StudentAid BC General Information. Students should consult the Disability Services Centre for more information.

For Canadian income tax purposes, eligibility for the full-time education credit requires a minimum of 10 hours per week of class time at the post-secondary level (courses numbered 100 and above) and there are additional restrictions. For further information please see the Admissions website.

For more information

Contact Student Services for an educational advising appointment (Abbotsford: 604-854-4528; Chilliwack: 604-795-2808; Mission 604-557-7603).

The Office of the Registrar will assist you with any questions regarding your application (604-854-4501, or toll-free: 1-888-823-8734).

Contact your department directly by calling your nearest UFV centre.

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