À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ

The following web page provides a list of commonly asked questions from students about course selection, course enrollment, course sequences, average requirements to remain in your program, and steps to take if you are struggling in a course.

If you have questions about other topics, refer to our primary Frequently Asked Questions page.

Can I take more than 5 courses in a term?

Yes, it is possible. A sixth course must be approved by the undergraduate advisor in order for students to add it on Quest. We will evaluate whether we think a student can handle the workload without a negative impact on the obligation to meet the average requirements. We may also approve a sixth course if it is absolutely necessary to complete a degree requirement (and there is no other alternative course of action). We do not approve sixth course requests for first-year students.
Ìý

Can I take courses in the spring term following first year (1B)?

Students may elect to take courses during their scheduled Spring break (the term between 1B and 2A), but their tuition will be assessed under the enhanced AFM rate as they are considered a 2A student. Students are not permitted to take advanced AFM courses at this time and are still expected to take a 5-course load in subsequent terms.
Ìý

Do I have to take the courses I was preregistered in?

Yes, AFM students must complete courses preregistered by the scheduling office. If students have been preregistered in a course, it means they are expected to take the course in that particular term to ensure proper sequencing.
Ìý

Can I change the section of a course I was preregistered in?

There may be some flexibility to move between sections after initial registration (during enrollment appointment) but students should investigate this beforehand. For example, are all AFM students in a single section? Are the sections taught by different instructors? Are the requirements different? Is there any coordination between sections?

Convenience of schedule should not be a student's only consideration in making a section switch. We encourage students to remain in the section that they are preregistered in although we recognize there may occasionally be good reasons to consider a switch to another section. Do not worry about back-to-back classes; 10 minutes is enough time to move between buildings on the main campus.
Ìý

Do all of my courses require the approval of an AFM advisor?

Students are not required to have their courses approved directly by an AFM undergraduate advisor. However, students are certainly free to contact a SAF advisor about course selection questions they may have.
Ìý

How much freedom do I have to choose my remaining courses?

Course sequence sheets are provided on the (AFM) degree requirementsÌýwebpageÌýand students are strongly encouraged to take the courses as listed in each term. If students diverge from this sequence, they do so at their own risk. Starting with the 2021-2022 Undergraduate Calendar, AFM students are, under normal circumstances, required to take the first two years of courses in the order stipulated in the AFM degree description.
Ìý

In addition, students may need to identify certain courses to be taken towards degree requirements that do not appear on the sequence sheets.

In addition to course sequence sheets, degree checklist forms are also available on the (AFM) degree requirementsÌýwebpage.ÌýStudents may find this helpful in planning their study schedule. Remember, students are ultimately responsible for understanding their degree requirements and meeting those requirements for graduation. The tools we provide are simply aids for assistance.

Can I take a course sooner to "fast track" my degree or specialization requirements?

It is not recommended to "fast track" your degree or specialization-required courses, or to take courses out of a the advised sequence. The AFM program and sequence of courses have been thoughtfully designed based on our students' previous course and work experience, as well as carefully scheduled to reduce exam conflicts within a cohort. Should a student choose to take courses out of sequence, they do so at their own risk and will need to ensure they have met all prerequisites for a course.

Depending on the term in which this occurs, it is also possible that a student could be unilaterally removed from the enrolled course, even if they are not able to add a replacement (e.g., the date for adding courses has passed). To find out more about prerequisites for AFM courses, please consult the most updatedÌýundergraduate calendar for AFM.

Where can I get tutorial assistance for a course?

There are a variety of resources available to our students. The School has a tutorial pool available for first-year-required courses which runs Monday through Thursday. The Living Learning Community also provides a weekly tutorial which is open to all AFM students. Students may also find resources in other faculties (e.g., the Math Faculty may provide a tutorial pool for math courses). Finally, students can tap into their own contacts and student organizations (e.g. AFSA) to canvas/advertise for volunteer and/or paid assistance. More supports are available at the entry level of the program as students are making major adjustments at that time.
Ìý

How do I challenge a grade I have received?

While a course is in progress, a student's best option is to approach the instructor (or TA as appropriate) and seek a resolution. If the student does not reach a satisfactory resolution with the course instructor during or after the course, there are formal appeal options using available university procedures (Policy 70). Continued disagreement with a grade assessment that has been re-assessed and otherwise appears to have followed the grading criteria identified will rarely be a successful basis for a Policy 70 appeal. A student will typically need to identify some fundamental failure in process or assessment. Students can contact an undergraduate advisor and receive further advice on how to proceed.
Ìý

I have experienced a personal emergency/situation which is impacting my ability to meet course obligations. What should I do?

Students experiencing an emergency should first identify if the impact of the situation is limited (e.g., it will only impact a single assignment/test in a particular course(s)). If it is a very limited situation (e.g., getting sick before a test/exam), students can deal directly with the instructor or course administrator as appropriate.

We encourage students to reach out to a SAF Advisor if the situation will involve an extended impact on their studies. We can provide advice on how to proceed and assist as necessary. An extended impact could be a situation where a student will be unable to attend multiple classes or complete multiple assignments/tests across courses. An example of this might be a personal emergency that requires students to leave campus for a couple of weeks and, during that time, would be completely unable to attend courses or address course completion matters. Personal emergency circumstances can be quite unique and time-sensitive; it is not uncommon for SAF advisors to work with the AFM Program Director in determining how best to proceed.
Ìý

What are my next steps if I fail a course?

If a student fails a degree-required course (a grade less than 50%), they must retake the course (or an equivalent approved by SAF) as they have yet to earn an academic credit for it. A failed course may be repeated only once. When a course is repeated, the two marks are not averaged together. Rather, both marks are entered with all other marks in calculating the student's cumulative overall average. If a student has failed an elective course, the student will need to make up the missed credit, but may have the flexibility to choose a different course of equal credit weight to take.

A student repeating a course (or completing a different course in lieu of a prior failure) is then required to pick up 41 course attempts for the degree.

Assuming that all other degree progress requirements are acceptable, a failed course does not prevent a student from proceeding in AFM. However, due to the structured nature of AFM, students are encouraged to contact a SAF advisor to determine how to best address the course failure. In extreme situations, it is possible for a course failure to delay graduation due to the structured nature of the program.
Ìý

If I was unable to earn my AFM 273 credit in 2A, how will my future semesters change?

Students progressing through the AFM program will complete a series of courses that are direct prerequisites for each other, and are also prerequisites for several other core courses and specialization-based electives. These courses, indicated below, are important to complete in their intended semester.

If a student is, for any reason, unable to complete AFM 273 in 2A, their progression will not be derailed significantly. Students that are concerned about their future semesters may refer to one of the alternate pathways below for visualizing their future terms.

How do I maintain good standing in the Faculty of Arts and AFM?

To be in satisfactory standing in Honours BAFM, a student must maintain:

• a minimum cumulative Arts Faculty average of 65%,
• a minimum cumulative major average of 70% in the courses specified for the AFM degree requirements, (i.e. the core courses listed under Item 2 Degree Requirements in the AFM academic plan description in the Undergraduate Calendar, and any other AFM course code elective).

See degree requirements in the undergraduate calendar. If one or more of these courses do not need to be taken (e.g. AP transfer credits) the average is based on the remaining credits.

Note: Failure to meet the minimum standing for the plan may result in a "Must Change Academic Plan" decision.
Ìý

When is an academic standing decision made?

Once all marks are submitted to the Registrar's Office (RO), SAFÌýwill receive a report from the RegistrarÌýon student standing. This report displays a student'sÌýgrades and their average for the previous term. We typically receive the grades just before, up to a week plus into the next term (e.g., Fall term grades get provided in mid-January).
Ìý

How is an academic standing decision made?

We will reviewÌýstudents'Ìýgrades and, where required,Ìýmake decisions on whether a student will be eligible to continue in the program and be promoted to the next level. The SAF standings decision committee will look at a variety of factors, such as how close a student was to the minimum average, what stage of the program they are in/their rank (i.e. 1B, 2A, 3B, etc), what course(s) brought down their average, as well as other relevant considerations. If, at the discretion of the committee, it is determined that there is a high probability that the student will be able to return their academic average to 70% in the following term or improve their grades in the next term, they may be granted a "Conditional Standing" term.
Ìý

What happens if I am above the average?

If a student meets the 70% cumulative major average or higher, they will not be contacted by the AFM administrative team, and will proceed forward in their program automatically.ÌýIf they do not want to do so, the student must arrange to discuss alternatives with the appropriate advisor.
Ìý

What happens if I do not meet the minimum average?

If a student falls below the 70 percent cumulative major average requirement, their circumstances will be reviewed on an individual basis. As much as is feasible, we want to allow first-year students to remain in their program until the end of the winter term, recognizing that the first year is an adjustment year. However, SAF students are also Arts faculty students, and failing to meet minimum Arts student requirements (which are lower than SAF program requirements) can result in removal before the entirety of their first year is completed.

Realistically, a student who finds themselves in the above circumstance, will often have struggled over multiple terms, exhibiting ongoing weakness in fundamental course subject areas. Given this, as well as the fact SAF programs have enhanced tuition beyond the first year, it is often unreasonable to move students along on a "Conditional Standing" basis. Removal without a "Conditional Standing" is a possibility.
Ìý

What should I do if I am struggling during the semester?

If a student believes that they are in jeopardy of being removed from the program, their first priority should be to consider their options. It is imperative that a student not wait until the final term results confirm they have dropped below the minimum average requirement. While important at any time, it is imperative for a student who may be immediately returning to À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ for a subsequent academic term.

A student should NOT assume they will be granted a "Conditional Standing" term and wait until they are contacted by a SAF advisor. Students must plan ahead and should consider their options for alternative plans of study and/or what other steps may be appropriate before a standing decision is communicated.

Often, a necessary action to consider is whether the student should make aÌýpetitionÌýdue to extenuating circumstances. A student may need to make a difficult decision to proactively withdraw from a term beforeÌýthey have dropped below the minimum required average, and develop an actionable plan to improve academically as they move forward. Completing a term when the student knows they are not progressing well and hoping to maintain the minimum required cumulative average, is not an advisable strategy. If it ends with a removal, there is a minimal window of time to make alternative academic plans.
Ìý

Advice when considering a transfer

If contemplating a program transfer, students should research the programs that appeal to them and carefully determine the courses needed to complete a transfer. If students have questions, they should contact the advisor of their respective academic program.