This page serves to supplement the notices posted by the University of Toronto, Office of the Vice-Provost, Students and the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.
Please find frequently asked questions (FAQs) that are specific to undergraduate students taking courses with U of T Engineering below. This page will be continually updated as more information is available. If your questions are not answered below, please email us directly at registr@ecf.utoronto.ca.
Student Services / St. George Campus
All University buildings will be closed as of 11:59 p.m., March 17, 2020, to the general public.
Following U of T’s guidance directing employees to work from home and research to wind down by the end of this week, student T-card and fob access to U of T Engineering buildings will be disabled as of 5:00 p.m. on Friday, 20 March, 2020. This means the spaces will be inaccessible to all students.
Libraries at the University of Toronto will be closed as of 11:59 p.m., March 17, 2020. The Robarts Library at the St. George campus and the libraries at UTM and UTSC will be open to members of the U of T community with limited staff and very limited services to support technology needs for those students who need to access resources required to complete their courses. All digital services remain operational and accessibility services will also be available.
U of T Engineering’s Registrar’s Office has moved their services exclusively to email (registr@ecf.utoronto.ca).
There may some disruptions to other University services or changes to operating times. We recommend that you check directly with each service and continue to monitor the University of Toronto’s website for updates.
U of T will continue to provide residences for those students who cannot return home at this point. The University is working on ways to support students who will not be able to return home when the term ends.
More information for students living in residences will be available on the Office of the Vice-Provost Students website.
Travel
We understand that many U of T Engineering undergraduates are faced with difficult decisions regarding whether to return home, given the increasing challenges with international travel. U of T Engineering undergraduate students are not required to return to the St. George campus for the Winter 2020 Term.
More information to follow regarding completion of term work and exams. Students registered with Accessibility Services should continue to contact that office in order to receive accommodations and supports.
Exams
U of T Engineering undergraduates will not be required to return to St. George campus for the Winter 2020 Term, including the final exam period.
The Faculty’s primary aim is to support our students to complete this term by providing you with the best possible learning and assessment experience that we can at this point. To do this, we are asking instructors to develop alternatives to final exams, now called final assessments, that let students best reflect their learning in each course, using guidelines that include:
- In the development of these plans, the Faculty expects that all course instructors will consult with students in their courses in appropriate ways.
- Instructors will then put the proposed option to a student vote. With the approval by a simple majority of those who vote, the course can move forward with the proposed plan.
- For consistency, the Faculty suggests that courses use one or a combination of the following approaches for the final assessment:
- Take-home exam,
- Final report, essay, project, lab and/or
- Quercus online quizzes
- In designing their plans, instructors will consider solutions that support Academic Accommodations and Academic Integrity
For information on Arts & Science exams/final assessments for any electives you might be taking, please visit Arts & Science’s recently updated FAQs and review the Exams section for details.
The Faculty has asked instructors to not implement assessments that are severely time-limited. Meaning that rather than holding a 2.5-hour final assessment, instructors could provide students with a 24-hour period to complete an assessment.
If a time-limited assignment is being used, your instructor will work with Accommodated Testing Services staff to provide you with the required additional time.
If an instructor is not able to create an assessment that meets a student’s specific accommodation needs, an alternate type of assessment may need to be offered; such an assessment may be developed in partnership with the student’s Accessibility Advisor.
Reminder: Students requiring academic accommodations must still register with Accommodated Testing Services to receive accommodations for their final assessments.
If you registered your final exams with Accommodated Testing Services (ATS) prior to the March 23rd deadline, ATS will work with your instructors to facilitate your accommodations.
If you recently registered with Accessibility Services or did not request your final exam accommodations by March 23rd, please email your instructor directly with your Letter of Accommodation to request your accommodations, if applicable. If you would prefer Accessibility Services speak to your instructor on your behalf about your exam accommodations, please book an appointment with your Accessibility Advisor (accessibility.services@utoronto.ca or 416-978-8060) as soon as possible.
A COVID-19 update for students using Accommodated Testing Services is posted online.
Additionally, Accessibility Services (AS) has created a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for students registered with them to answer questions you may have regarding your accommodations.
Exam Conflicts: An adapted version of the regular policy regarding exam schedule conflicts will apply for the 2020 Winter Term: Two exams scheduled to start and finish during any six-hour window or three exams scheduled to start and finish during any 24-hour period will be considered a conflict. If you have a final assessment conflict, please contact the your Academic Advisor by April 1, 2020.
Religious accommodations: The Faculty remains committed to accommodating students who have direct religious conflicts with planned final assessments. If a direct conflict exists between the time that a final assessment must be completed and a student’s religious commitment, the student should contact the Registrar’s Office (registr@ecf.utoronto.ca) by April 1, 2020. In cases where there is a reasonable, conflict-free time frame to complete the requirements of the final assessment (e.g., approximately three hours), special accommodations will not be required.
The University is temporarily suspending the need for a doctor’s note or medical certificate for any absence from academic participation in the University.
Please use the Absence Declaration tool in ACORN (found in the Profile and Settings menu) to formally declare an absence from academic participation, including final assessments. Record each day of your absence as soon as it begins, up until the day before you return to academic activities.
Final assessment absence: In addition to using the Absence Declaration tool in ACORN, you must submit a Final Exam Petition.
Course Enrolment
If you have questions or concerns regarding dropping a course, please contact your Academic Advisor.
Students who dropped an S course after March 8, 2020, may request their academic advisors to add them back in again. However, if the student has missed graded work between March 8 and the time of reinstatement, the student will not automatically receive accommodation for those missed assessments, and must file a Term Work Petition if they wish to request accommodation.
The University is actively working with the Ontario Ministry of Education in relation to these matters. We hope to have more information to share with you soon.
The Faculty’s policy regarding not allowing students to drop a course if there is an outstanding academic offense (GWR) remains in place for the 2020 Winter Term. Once the academic offence case is resolved, then, depending on the outcome, it may be possible to drop the course at that time.
2020 Winter Term Grades & Credit / No Credit (CR/NCR)
For the 2020 Winter Term only, U of T Engineering undergraduates will have the option of choosing how their grades are recorded on their transcripts, which could include percent (%) grades as normal or they can opt for the Credit or No Credit (CR/NCR) option after seeing their final grades.
- These choices can be made by individual students and indicated in ACORN — they will generally not be applied on a course-wide basis.
- For the 2020 Winter Term only, there will be no limit on the total number of courses to which students can choose to apply the CR/NCR option.
- The CR/NCR option will be available for both core and non-core courses (this includes engineering courses and courses taken in other divisions like the Faculty of Arts & Science).
- The period in which students may use the CR/NCR option is May 8 – 15, 2020. If this option is not exercised within these dates, it will result in the permanent recording of the numerical grade. A small number of courses do not have final grades yet. If you do not have a course grade by May 15, 2020, the deadline to use the CR/NCR option for that particular course will be extended provided you email your request to your Academic Advisor within two weeks of receiving the grade.
- Extra Credit courses are not counted towards your engineering degree requirements. Opting for CR/NCR in an Extra Credit course does not change this restriction.
The Faculty came to this decision after extensive consultation with your Chairs and Directors, the Vice-Deans Undergraduate and First-Year, as well as the Exam Committee, which included representation from the Engineering Society.
If you have questions or concerns regarding whether or not to use the CR/NCR option, please consult your Academic Advisor.
Courses (S or Y) completed in the 2020 Winter Term with a final status of Credit (“CR”) can be used to satisfy degree program requirements provided the courses are not designated as Extra (EXT). This provision will hold for these courses until students complete their degrees.
Please note that if a student selects the Credit (CR) option for an Extra (EXT) course, the course cannot be used to satisfy degree program requirements (in general, Extra courses cannot be used to satisfy degree requirements); however, the course can be used to satisfy minor or certificate program requirements, if applicable.
Graduate programs and other external institutions will continue to require that you meet their minimum standards in specified courses for their current requirements. Since the CR/NCR option will be part of your permanent record, and underlying numerical grades will not appear on your transcript, you should exercise caution when choosing the CR/NCR option if you think there is any chance you will want to pursue a professional designation or graduate school in the future.
Note also that should external institutions and stakeholders (e.g., graduate programs, recruiters) require numerical or letter grades, these will NOT be available on your official transcript for courses for which you have selected the CR/NCR option.
The underlying numeric final mark assigned by your instructor will be used by the Scholarships & Awards Committee to select scholarship recipients for both in-course and graduating scholarships. This underlying mark will not appear on your official transcript.
If a student has received credit for all courses required to complete their program, they will be able to graduate in June 2020. This semester only, the Faculty will waive the requirement of a weighted Session Average of 60% in their final session (4W), which means a student who chooses CR for all courses will be able to graduate.
2019 - 2020 Coursework
You can contact your Academic Advisor if you have concerns about the delivery of course materials.
You can contact your Academic Advisor if you have any concerns about changes made to assessments or expectations in your course.
The University’s goal is for course expectations to change as little as possible, even though the method of teaching has changed. If changes to course expectations are necessary, your instructor will provide you with more details. Instructors are still expected to follow approved guidelines and policies relating to teaching and grading.
We recommend you start by contacting your instructor to see what individual accommodations can be considered for your course. If you still have questions, please contact registr@ecf.utoronto.ca.
The “dial-in” option for BB Collaborate is based on a US-based phone number and users (including students) will incur long-distance charges in US dollars. Joining via the browser is strongly recommended.
Academic Standing and Promotion Rules
Academic Standing and Promotion Regulations have been modified for the 2020 Winter term, as detailed in Faculty Council Report No. 3661 and summarized here (PDF).
Graduation
Please contact registr@ecf.utoronto.ca so we can assist you with getting your graduation letter.
The decision not to hold the June Convocation ceremonies in-person was made as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the directives from the federal and provincial governments regarding social distancing. It is clear that it would have been impossible to hold such large gatherings in person. This is a special time of year for the University community and this decision saddens us. Graduates will still receive their degrees, and parchments will be sent to them by mail.
The University of Toronto will host a virtual ceremony to celebrate our graduates on Tuesday, June 2, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. (EDT). The Chancellor, who is the Chair of Convocation, will confer all degrees in absentia, and diploma parchments will be couriered to graduates on a rolling basis following the virtual ceremony.
When the situation normalizes and it is possible to gather safely, U of T Engineering will host its own in-person graduation ceremonies to celebrate this important milestone. These will not happen before September 1, 2020, and will take place over the course of 2020-21 as scheduling and space permits.
Our in-person graduation ceremonies will have many of the core elements of the traditional Convocation ceremony — from the academic procession of all the graduates, to congratulatory remarks, a convocation speaker, and individual presentation of the graduates.
The University has also posted answers to some frequently asked questions around Convocation.
Summer 2020
The Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering will move 2020 Summer Term courses to remote delivery. Additional details on the Summer Term courses will be provided as those details are confirmed.
Visit the 2020 Summer Registration and Enrolment Guide for information on what courses are available and important dates.
For ease of reference, here is an overview of changes to U of T Engineering’s academic regulations for the 2020 Summer Session.
Term-Work Petitions
For the 2020 Summer Session, the University is temporarily suspending the need for doctor’s notes or medical certificates for any absence from academic participation in the University. If you miss 2020 Summer Session term work due to illness, please document your absence using the Absence Declaration Tool on ACORN and complete a term-work petition. Detailed information is posted in the Term-Work Petition FAQ section.
Closely-Supervised Work
For the 2020 Summer Session, the Faculty is waiving its regular requirement that 50% of a course grade be comprised of closely-supervised work.
Final Assessments / Exams
Any final assessment that takes place after the end of the regular 2020 Summer Session will be considered the “final exam”; a final exam can count for anywhere from 0% to 80% of the final course grade.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity continues to be a critical aspect of the work we do together as a Faculty and community, both as instructors and students. As such, it is important to remember that we all have an important role to play in upholding the ideals of professionalism that are embedded within the Faculty and University.
Financial Matters
As classes have moved to remote delivery methods at this time, no changes have been made to any of the normal tuition refund policies. If changes are made, more information will be provided to all students by email. As always, we recommend that you contact your academic advisor for advice before reducing your course load.
No. According to the Ministry, there will be no academic penalties for students who fully or partially withdrew (i.e., reduced their course load below OSAP’s minimum course load requirements for funding for full-time studies) because they were ill, self-isolating, quarantined, caring for an immediate family member or withdrew due to mental health issues resulting from COVID-19.
Enrolment Services is assuming all full or partial withdrawals that took place on or after February 19, 2020, are COVID-19 related. Affected OSAP files will not be reassessed, nor will there be any academic penalties.
OSAP recipients who fully or partially withdrew between January 25–February 18, 2020, because of COVID-19 can request a review of their OSAP files. A student should prepare, sign and date a personal statement that outlines the COVID-19-related the circumstances (including dates), which resulted in their full or partial withdrawal from studies. If there’s an existing 2020 Summer OSAP application, the student should upload the documents to the OSAP website. If the student absolutely cannot upload documents to the OSAP website, then they should email the documents to Enrolment Services at osap.staff@utoronto.ca.
The ministry has not yet communicated decisions about the 2020–2021 OSAP need assessment.
Yes. U of T's COVID-19 Emergency Undergraduate Grant application for eligible expenses related to the 2020 Summer Session is available online. This grant is open to part- and full-time undergraduates (domestic & international) registered for the 2020 Summer Session.
The University of Toronto is working to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including providing emergency financial support and work-study opportunities for students. The University has created a new Funding Opportunity Directory that provides information and links to information on the University's financial supports and government programs.
Accessibility
Accessibility Services remains open to assist students. Please continue to consult your Accessibility Advisor as required. Special updates for students registered at Accessibility Services can be found at: https://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/as/covid-19-updates.
We recommend you start by contacting your instructor to see what individual accommodations can be considered for your course. If this is not a realistic option, or if you still have questions or concerns, please consult your Accessibility Advisor to discuss next steps. Special updates for students registered at Accessibility Services can be found at: https://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/as/covid-19-updates.
Health
The University of Toronto’s COVID-19 update website has answers to questions about how to protect yourself, based on information from public health officials.
Contact your academic advisor for advice on academic matters, including course enrolment. If you are feeling distressed, please use the resources available to you, including 24/7 counselling services, on the U of T directory of health and community contacts. In an emergency, call 911.
Term-Work Petitions
Applicable for the 2020 Winter Term and 2020 Summer Session.
If you are unable to complete course work due to illness (e.g. cold, flu etc.) or self-isolation relating to COVID-19, please use the Absence Declaration Tool on ACORN and complete a term-work petition as described on the Term-Work Petitions page. The Absence Declaration Tool on ACORN can be used in place of standard documentation at this time. The University is temporarily suspending the need for doctor’s notes or medical certificates for any absence from academic participation in the University.
If you miss term-work for reasons unrelated to COVID-19 or other illness, you must submit a term-work petition as you normally would through the Engineering Portal.
Please submit a Term Work Petition and provide documentation relating to your travel; the Faculty will make every reasonable effort to ensure that students are not disadvantaged in scenarios like this.
Petitions & Appeals
The U of T Engineering Petitions and Appeals teams will continue to process petitions, however, there might be a slight delay. If you have any concerns about the status of your petition, please contact your academic advisor.
