Last Updated: April 6, 2020
We are working hard to ensure that every Forestry student who feels like they have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 will have a chance to be heard and provided with the tools and opportunities not to be penalized by the current circumstances.
- How does Credit/D/Fail standings work?
Credit/D/Fail is a grading option that would replace a percentage grade with either a Cr, D or F standing on your academic record (transcript).
- “Credit” is assigned when the grade is 55% or higher. Degree credit is earned.
- “D” is assigned when the grade is 50-54.9%. Degree credit is earned.
- “F” is assigned for grades below 50%. Degree credit is not earned.
Please note that for the 2019 Winter Session TERM 2 should a student only present “Cr” or “D” standings, both the Cr and the D will suffice for “Good Academic Standing” and will allow a student to continue in their program with the Faculty of Forestry.
- Can I select to Cr/D/F for required courses by my degree program (i.e. BSCN, BSCW, BSF both FOPR and FORM, BSFS and BUF)?
Yes, for only Term 2 of the 2019 Winter Session (January 2020 – April 2020) any of the degree programs awarded by the Faculty of Forestry will accept any courses (including core/required courses) to fulfill any and all of your degree’s requirements regardless of whether you are at the end of your degree and will use those courses to complete your degree or if you are at the beginning or middle will simply use those requirements to advance to the next year.
- How will Cr/D/F impact my grades/ sessional average?
Your sessional average will be calculated using all of your percentage-graded courses from both Term 1 and Term 2 of the 2019W session (September 2019 – April 2020). Courses selected as Cr/D/F or W will not affect your sessional average. In order to be considered for Dean’s Honour Roll, students will have to achieve 82% or higher on their best 24 percentage-graded credits with no failed courses for the session (i.e. 19W).
- How will Cr/D/F potentially affect my graduation average?
Your graduating average is calculated on all your 300 and 400 level credits, regardless of the academic year or session in which they were completed. Your degree standing is based on your graduating average and is determined according to the sliding scale below so a Cr/D/F course will not affect it unless it were a “fail” of a 300/400 level course in which case we would approach you to take the “W” instead.
| Honours Standing | > 81.5% |
| First Class Standing | 79.5% to 81.4% |
| Second Class Standing | 64.5% to 79.4% |
| Pass Standing | 50.0% to 64.4% |
| Fail Standing | < 50% |
- How will Cr/D/F impact my eligibility for awards, scholarships and loans?
For next year’s awards and scholarship (based on this year’s academic performance), the Faculty of Forestry is currently seeking solutions that are fair and equitable. It will not leave any students in a situation where they would not receive scholarship funding if ordinarily, they would have.
Taking a Cr/D/F standing should not result in any student having to return loans or awards. If you have any questions, please contact your Enrolment Specialist Advisor and Student Services, should you need to make/build a case for yourself.
- How might withdrawing from a course impact your standing/graduation status?
For some students, the best decision might be to withdraw from some or from all of your courses.
Those are the main things that students considering Withdrawals should consider:
- Student transcripts will have a “W” standing;
- There will not be a tuition refund;
- Students will not receive course credit;
- Were those credits needed to either advance in the degree or graduate?
- Will a “W” standing affect any loans, scholarships and/or awards?
Please before making such a potentially impactful decision, make sure you talk this through with one of the Forestry Advisors.
- How might a W impact an international student’s status in Canada and how might it impact their ability to work?
Canadian immigration is making some exceptions so that a drop to part/time status won’t interfere with your ability to work. Learn more here:
- How can I make sure I have the right technology to be able to take my exams online?
If you are lacking the right equipment to be able to take exams online, please get in touch with Student Services ASAP, and we will try to make sure that you have the right equipment to be able to take your exams.
- Why there are so many different ways students are being tested?
It is up to each professor to set up his/her rules for exams, so no standard instructions have been given. Having said that, we believe all Faculty members do understand these are very unique circumstances we all find ourselves in and there is an incredible level of anxiety that everyone is experiencing. They have been asked to exercise flexibility and to take these considerations into account.
- What has the Faculty of Forestry learned from all of this?
It may be a little too soon for lessons learned, but perhaps we can say that next time Vancouver experiences extreme weather patterns, we might be able to implement classes remotely since we are a commuter campus.