Faculty of Native Studies Regulations

Return to: Faculty of Native Studies  

Admission and Transfer

For general University admission and transfer requirements, see Programs of Study  and General Undergraduate Admission Requirements . For specific information about admission to the Faculty of Native Studies, see Faculty of Native Studies Admission Requirements .

Registration and Changes of Registration

Deadlines are strictly observed. See Undergraduate Application Procedures . For further information, see Registration .

1. Student Responsibility: Students are responsible for the completeness and accuracy of their registration and for ensuring their programs are in accordance with degree specifications. Read the Calendar carefully, and if you are in doubt about the regulations pertaining to your program, please consult the Faculty office.
2. Failure to “drop” a course: Students who do not formally withdraw from a course but who are absent from the final examination without excuse (see Final Examinations ) are given a mark of zero (0) on the final examination. The final grade in the course is then determined by combining the appropriately weighted term grade and the assigned zero in the final examination, the mathematical result rounded to the closest whole number. Students who register in a course but do not attend and do not formally withdraw receive a grade of F.
   
   Also refer to Final Examinations  and Academic Standing.
3. Course Load Requirement: Normally, students in the Faculty of Native Studies take a full course load, i.e., 30 units of course weight, during the Fall/Winter. In exceptional circumstances, and following completion of the first 30 units of course weight, acceleration to the maximum of 36 units per Fall/Winter may be permitted. In the BA in Native Studies program, students are permitted to take less than a full course load.
4. Letter of Permission: Following initial admission, students are expected to complete all remaining program requirements at the University of Alberta. For academically justifiable reasons such as planned participation in an Exchange or language Bursary program, or to partake in an international or cultural experience, it is possible to receive a Letter of Permission to take courses at another institution. To apply for a Letter of Permission students must:
   1. Be eligible to register in a degree program in the Faculty of Native Studies; and
   2. Have successfully completed a minimum of 24 units of course weight at the University of Alberta; and
   3. Present “Satisfactory” academic standing (i.e., a FGPA of 2.0 or greater).

Approval will not be granted for requests where the student has already received the maximum allowable transfer courses (60 units of course weight). The Faculty is not obligated to grant transfer credit unless a Letter of Permission was obtained in advance of studying elsewhere. Qualified students should contact the Academic Advisor at nsadvisor@ualberta.ca, to apply for a Letter of Permission. Students who wish to apply for Exchange programs must obtain the appropriate forms from the appropriate office (usually the Education Abroad Program).

Classification and Selection of Courses

1. Course Definitions
   1. Course Designation: Each course is designated by its computer abbreviation and a number.
   2. Units of Course Weight: A unit of course weight indicates the instructional credit assigned to a course. Units of course weight are used to measure the portion of the degree requirements and are also used in calculating a student’s Grade Point Average (GPA).
   3. Two-term course: A two-term course is a course with a course weight of 6 units of course weight that normally extends over two consecutive University terms.
   4. Term Course: A course with a weighting factor of less than six that normally extends over one University term.
   5. Senior Courses: Those courses numbered 200-599.
   6. Normal Course Load: A normal full academic course load is 30 units of course weight during Fall/Winter.
   7. Options: Courses taken from other Faculties approved for use by the Faculty in partial fulfillment of the Faculty’s graduation requirements.
   8. Courses Extra to the Degree: Courses successfully completed while registered in a program in the Faculty of Native Studies which are not used for degree credit are known as courses extra to degree. Such courses are, however, included in the assessment of academic standing. Students should inform the Faculty which courses they wish declared extra to degree.
2. Junior English: 6 units of English at the 100-level, or 3 units of 100-level ENGL and 3 units of Writing Studies (WRS). No more than 6 units of junior English, or equivalent, may be taken for credit. Students normally should take English in their first year.
3. Native Studies Course Requirement: Students in the first two years (i.e., less than 60 units of course weight completed) of the BA in NS and of the Combined degrees in Education and in the BSc (ENCS) must take and complete at least one NS course in each Fall and Winter Term. The Faculty will cancel course registration in the add/delete period [see Refunds and Withdrawals (3) ] if there is no registration in a NS course.
4. Restricted Enrolment Courses: The Faculty of Native Studies strives to accommodate all students wanting to enrol in a given course when it is appropriate to the student’s program. However, classes in some courses must, for academic reasons, be restricted in size. Such courses will be labelled “restricted enrolment” in the timetable. If such a course is found to be oversubscribed, students whose programs do not require that course, or who do not have the prerequisite, may be required to delete it from their registration.
5. Junior Courses: In all programs, normally no more than 48 units of course weight at the 100-level may be taken for degree credit. In no case will this limit be extended to permit a student to make up a matriculation deficiency for degree credit or to include a “free” option at the junior level.

Academic Record

Students should be aware that their academic record (i.e., transcript) is continuing in nature and that all matters relating to courses, grades, academic standing, probation, etc., appear permanently on the academic record.

Credit by Special Assessment

See Credit by Special Assessment , for further important information.

Credit by Special Assessment permits students to receive degree credit in specified courses without actually registering in and taking courses if the student can demonstrate an acceptable mastery of the course content.

Please consult Credit by Special Assessment  in the Faculty of Arts for specific information regarding the following:

1. Basis of Application,
2. Limits,
3. Deadline for Completion,
4. Grading,
5. Transfer of Credit by Special Assessment, and
6. Fees.

Academic Standing

The Faculty’s general academic standing regulations apply to all students and are listed here. Additional promotion and graduation requirements for individual degree programs are noted in the specific program sections.

Academic standing is assessed based on a student’s GPA. [Rules for computing the GPA are listed in Grade Point Average (GPA) .] Students are expected to maintain a 2.0 minimum GPA.

Initial assessment and subsequent reassessment are conducted after Fall/Winter if a minimum of 12 units of course weight have been completed and after Spring/Summer if a minimum of 12 units of course weight have been completed. If at the time of either review students have completed less than 12 units of course weight since the last assessment, the review is deferred and the academic standing assigned at the last review remains in effect until the next review.

Academic standing is assessed at the end of a student’s program even if less than 12 units of course weight have been taken since the last review.

1. Application of Academic Standings
   1. First-Class Standing: First-class standing in a given year is awarded to any undergraduate student who obtains a GPA of not less than 3.5 while enrolled in a full, normal academic course load in that year. For the sole purposes of determining first-class standing, a full, normal academic course load for the Faculty shall be at least 24 units of course weight successfully completed during the Fall/Winter.
   2. Satisfactory Standing (GPA 2.0 and above): Students with a minimum GPA of 2.0 or better after each academic assessment are in satisfactory standing and may continue their studies in the Faculty of Native Studies.
   3. Marginal Standing (GPA 1.7 to 1.9 inclusive): Students receiving the first assessment of marginal standing are permitted to continue under academic warning until the next assignment of academic standing to raise the GPA to 2.0 or higher, if their specific degree requirements and the general requirements of the University of Alberta are also met. If the GPA drops below 2.0 at the next assessment, the student will be required to withdraw for at least one academic year before readmission will be considered. Normally students who are required to withdraw must complete 24 units of course weight transferable to the University with a GPA of 2.0 at another postsecondary institution or 18 units of course weight with a minimum GPA of 2.7, after which they may apply for readmission.
   4. Unsatisfactory Standing - Required to Withdraw (GPA 1.6 and below): If a student’s average obtained in any review period on a minimum 12 units of course weight falls below a 1.7, the student will be assigned unsatisfactory standing and will normally be required to withdraw (RTW). An RTW may be appealed unless the student has had conditions placed upon the admission or readmission. Failure to meet the conditions will result in an RTW that is not appealable.
      
      Students who are required to withdraw at the end of Fall/Winter cannot register for the following Spring/Summer. Students who register for the Summer Term of Spring/Summer prior to notification being sent of the requirement to withdraw will have their registration cancelled without penalty. Those students who have already registered in Spring Term of Spring/Summer prior to notification being sent of the requirement to withdraw will be permitted to continue until the end of Spring Term.
      
      Note: Year 1 and 2 students who have achieved a GPA of between 1.3 and 1.6 may be eligible for admission to the Fresh Start program. Students must be recommended by the Faculty for participation in the Fresh Start program. Further detailed information can be found in First- and Second-Year Students with GPAs of 1.3 to 1.6—Admission to Fresh Start Program  and Academic Warning, Academic Probation, Required to Withdraw  .
2. Readmission After a Requirement to Withdraw: A student who is required to withdraw (RTW) from the Faculty of Native Studies and whose appeal has been unsuccessful may be considered for readmission to the Faculty of Native Studies:
   1. By taking 18 units of transferable credit with an AGPA of at least 2.7 or 24 units of transferable credit with a minimum AGPA of 2.0 at another postsecondary institution or at the University of Alberta;
   2. By remaining out of the university for at least one calendar year following the RTW and documenting that academic success is now a reasonable expectation.
      
      Readmission of nonmatriculated applicants after a failure in half, or more than half, of the 24 units of course weight in first year is considered only after matriculation requirements have been completed.
      
      See Transfer from a Postsecondary Institutions (5)  for admission, readmission requirements after a requirement to withdraw.
3. Probation: Students who have been required to withdraw and who have successfully appealed that decision will normally be placed on Probation (see also Academic Warning, Academic Probation, Required to Withdraw ).
   1. Probationary students must complete a minimum of 12 units of course weight during either Fall/Winter terms or Spring/Summer terms with a GPA of 2.0 or higher to clear their probation. If students do not complete the minimum of 12 units of course weight to clear probation during the Fall/Winter or Spring/Summer terms then their academic assessment of their probationary status will be deferred until a minimum of 12 units are taken.
   2. Probationary students may take more than one set of Fall/Winter Terms or Spring/Summer Terms to complete probation (See Note).
   3. Probationary students may not take any more than 12 units of course weight in each of Fall and Winter Terms.
   4. Probationary students may also be subject to other requirements as specified by the Associate Dean (Academic).

Note: It is in the student’s best interest to clear probation as soon as possible, as probationary student status is noted on the transcript. Probationary students who fail to attain the GPA and other requirements for probation as specified by the Associate Dean will fail Probation and will be required to withdraw from the Faculty of Native Studies without appeal.

4. Courses Extra to the Degree: Courses successfully completed while registered in a program which are not being used for degree credit are known as courses extra to the degree. Such courses are, however, included in the assessment of academic standing. Students who register for more than the maximum number of courses for graduation should designate the additional courses as extra. In order to exclude courses in excess of the minimum requirement from the contract for graduation, students must designate such courses as “extras” at the time of registration for their final year. This can be done by contacting the Academic Advisor at nsadvisor@ualberta.ca.

Reexamination

See Reexaminations .

Graduation

1. Application: Students wanting to receive a Faculty of Native Studies degree at an upcoming Convocation must apply for graduation on Bear Tracks in accordance with the deadlines specified in Academic Schedule . Also see Graduation .

BA in Native Studies Degree Program

Academic Performance for Graduation: Students must present credit (with a minimum University of Alberta grade of D or equivalent) in 120 units of course weight, which satisfy program requirements; present a graduation average of at least 2.0; present an average of at least 2.0 on all courses applied to the major; and present Satisfactory Academic Standing. The graduation average is the quotient of (a) the total number of grade points earned by the student in courses credited to the degree, and (b) the total weight of those courses. The major graduation average is the quotient of courses used to satisfy the Native Studies major requirement specifically (see above). When a student has attempted, as part of the program, courses at an institution for which the grades are not precisely equivalent to those of the University of Alberta, the degree is awarded at the discretion of the Faculty of Native Studies. Courses with final grades less than C- are not transferable from other postsecondary institutions.

Degrees with Distinction: BA in Native Studies degrees With Distinction are awarded when students achieve a GPA of 3.5 or higher over the last 60 units of course weight taken at the University of Alberta if the student has satisfactorily completed these 60 units over five consecutive terms, excluding Spring/Summer.

Appeals

A student wishing to appeal an academic decision within this Faculty must first attempt to resolve the issue with the instructor concerned (if applicable) and, if this is not satisfactory, with the Associate Dean (Academic). If there is still no satisfactory resolution of the issue, the student may then appeal to the Faculty of Native Studies Appeals Committee (FNSAC) by submitting an appeal in writing to the Chair of the Appeals Committee. Further details of the Faculty’s appeals procedures, including appeal deadlines are available from the Faculty of Native Studies. Certain decisions of this Faculty of Native Studies Appeals Committee may be appealed to the Academic Appeal Committee of General Faculties Council. For further information, contact the secretary of General Faculties Council. See Appeals and Grievances .

Academic Offences

Students in the Faculty of Native Studies are expected to live up to the highest level of academic integrity. A breach of the Code of Student Behavior, for example, plagiarism or cheating, may result in sanctions. See Code of Student Behaviour .