Academic Commitments
Students should expect to have academic commitments Monday through Saturday but not on Sunday or statutory holidays. Students who require accommodations to meet a religious obligation or to celebrate an important religious holiday should make their requests as soon as possible after the start of term to their Faculty/Program office.
Student Academic Responsibility
In its commitment to helping students achieve their academic goals, McMaster University makes available numerous tools and resources, including the Undergraduate Calendar, degree audits and academic advisors. However, students must assume certain responsibilities. They include:
- meeting admission requirements for a program
- applying to that program by the stated deadline
- selecting courses that meet the program requirements
- completing courses in an order that meets prerequisite requirements
- becoming familiar with and respecting University Sessional dates (see Sessional Dates section of this Calendar), the general academic regulations (see General Academic Regulations section of this Calendar) and the Faculty/Program/School specific regulations as found in the appropriate section of this Calendar
Experience has shown that students who do not follow these guidelines may experience academic consequences such as cancellation of registration in courses, completion of courses that are not counted towards their degree, or delayed graduation.
In addition to the responsibilities listed above, students are expected to:
- become familiar with and respect the Senate Policy Statements (see Senate Policy Statements section of this Calendar)
- pay, within the prescribed deadline, undergraduate fees
- be aware that changes to course load and program may affect eligibility for government financial aid (e.g. OSAP and out-of-province student loan programs), University financial aid (e.g. bursaries and work programs) and scholarships
- consult with the Centre for Student Development in a timely manner to make the necessary accommodations for special needs.
Student Communication Responsibility
It is the student's responsibility to:
- maintain current contact information with the University, including address, phone numbers, and emergency contact information.
- use the university provided e-mail address or maintain a valid forwarding e-mail address.
- regularly check the official University communications channels. Official University communications are considered received if sent by postal mail, by fax, or by e-mail to the student's designated primary e-mail account via their @mcmaster.ca alias.
- accept that forwarded e-mails may be lost and that e-mail is considered received if sent via the student's @mcmaster.ca alias.
Academic Regulations
The regulations which follow are the general regulations of the University. You should read both these general regulations and your Faculty regulations which may be more specific. They appear in the Faculty sections of this Calendar.
Since the Academic Regulations are continually reviewed, we reserve the right to change the regulations in this section of the Calendar. This University also reserves the right to cancel the academic privileges of a student at any time should the student's scholastic record or conduct warrant so doing.
In the event there is a conflict between the program regulations and the general regulations in this chapter, the program regulations take precedence.
Faculties are authorized to use discretion in special situations by taking into account past practice, the spirit of the regulations, and extraordinary circumstances. Students who believe their situations warrant special consideration should consult the appropriate Office of the Associate Dean.
The Academic Regulations listed below are effective as of September 1993. These regulations apply to all undergraduate students admitted or readmitted to the University from September 1993 onward.
