Know Your Rights
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As a student at McGill, you should Know Your Rights! This refers to a campaign started by the SSMU, educating students on how to traverse what you deserve academically, as outlined by McGill. Sometimes profs may violate one of your rights without knowing, and unfortunately McGill places the onus on the students to address violations; make sure to inform yourself!
Contents
Assessments
According to the University Student Assessment Policy:
- "Assessment" entails any student activity in a Course for which a grade is granted (2.1.1)
- Evaluations should be fair, reasonable & reflect the content of a Course (3.1.1)
Scheduling
Students registering for courses during the Add/Drop period shall not be penalized for missed Assessments which were due during the course change period, including for class attendance. [1] For full-year courses, only the September Add/Drop period applies.
Labs, tutorials, conferences, and other assessments scheduled outside of lecture time should be scheduled by the end of the Add-Drop period (3.2.4).
Typically, midterms or assessments worth more than 10% held outside of regular class time should not be scheduled during the last 14 calendar days of a Course.
This does not include:
- Regular Assessments worth less than 10% of your grade (e.g. quizzes, reading responses);
- An oral examination in a language class;
- Most paper assignments (7.1.2).
Course Syllabi
Changes
Contrary to popular belief, there are no regulations regarding changes to course syllabi at McGill. In fact, the University retains the power to change evaluation schemes in the event of any “extraordinary circumstances” outside of their control.[2]
Content
Course outlines must include:
- access information for the instructor (office hours, location & phone number)
- topics to be addressed in the course
- required texts, recommended texts & any additional materials
- number, nature and forms of assessment
- weighting of each assessment
- any course pre-requisites
- the University’s academic integrity policy
- the right to submit written work in English or French
- penalties for late submitted assignment
Distribution
Instructors are required to distribute a course syllabus during the first week of class[3]
However, if you feel that changes have been made to a syllabus or evaluation scheme arbitrarily or without sufficient notice to the class, find out who to contact
Relevant Policies
- Charter of Students' Rights
- Outlines the protections that you are guaranteed as a student of the University, such as:
- Rights around assessment and learning environments
- Grievances and access to personal information
- Policy Concerning the Rights of Students with Disabilities
- Lays out the procedures for accommodating students with disabilities, such as:
- Application
- Admission
- Financial aid
- Support services
- Academic modifications
- Barrier-free learning environments
- Contact the Office for Students with Disabilities for more information
- Policy for the Accommodation of Religious Holy Days
- The University’s policy on accommodating students who are unable to meet certain academic obligations due to religious observances
- Regulation on Conflict of Interest
- Identifies potential conflicts of interest and how to address them in the University setting
- Conflicts may exist whenever a member of the University community is in a position to influence activities in ways that could lead to personal gain or an improper advantage for themselves or others
- May be referenced in the context of inappropriate relationships/abuses of power between professors and students
- Outlines the procedures for filing a formal grievance with the University
- Students wishing to file a grievance should consult Student Advocacy at the Legal Information Clinic at McGill
- The Office of the Ombudsperson offers confidential and informal dispute resolution services
- Can be accessed for issues around academic rights, supervision, interpersonal conflicts, and more
- They cannot initiate formal grievance procedures or take action against the university
- ↑ University Student Assessment Policy Article 3.1.5
- ↑ University Student Assessment Policy: Article 3.2.3
- ↑ University Student Assessment Policy: Article 3.2.1