• A grade of <50% will be counted as "one failure" regardless of the unit value of the course.
  
  
• Students with grades of less than 50% will be dealt with on an individual basis using the faculty actions in the Academic Policies Document as a guide. The actual grade awarded will be decided by the individual instructor, or using the University grade of 49%, along with a grade comment of INF (Incomplete Failure).
  
  
• All admission deficiencies must be removed before a student will be allowed to register in second year [BSc (Nut)]. Students cannot progress to the next year of the program without completing all the necessary requirements for that academic year unless special approval is granted by the Undergraduate Academic Affairs Committee. For students in the BSc (Nutr) program, the cutoff date is June 30.
  
  
• A student must complete all Term 1 prerequisite courses in order to take Term 2 courses. Failure to do so will require the student to drop Term 2 courses.
  
  
• If a student fails a single course in Term 1, as long as the grade is between 40 and 49%, they will be granted a special supplemental exam in order to permit moving on to Term 2 (see Supplemental Exams).
  
  
• PharmD Program – If a student fails two or more classes in Term 1, the student will not be permitted to continue to Term 2. If the weighted average is 60% or greater for Term 1, they will be permitted to return the following year. They will be required to repeat all failed courses and any course where <60% was achieved. The Undergraduate Academic Affairs Committee may also advise a repeat of specific courses (e.g. Skills course which is pass/fail).
  
  
• A student who re-enters the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition after being "Required to Discontinue" will not retain credit for any course taken during the year in which the student was required to discontinue unless a grade of at least 60% had been obtained in that course. The Undergraduate Academic Affairs Committee may also advise a repeat of specific courses (e.g. Skills course which is pass/fail)
  
  
• A student wishing to graduate must complete the courses for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nutrition or Doctor of Pharmacy within a period of seven years after first registration in the respective programs in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition. In exceptional circumstances permission may be granted to continue study beyond the seven-year limit. The student must meet the degree requirements in place when the extension is granted.
  
  
• Students who wish to take an equivalent course through another institution for credit towards the Pharmacy or Nutrition program must submit their request through the Associate Dean Academic or designate. The course(s) must be completed by April 30 in the year of the student's program (i.e. a required course offered in year 2 must be completed by April 30).

Policy on Absences and Missed Assignments

Students are expected to attend all mandatory course components, laboratory sessions and all scheduled examinations and complete course assignments by the deadlines specified. Mandatory course components should be specified by the instructor in the course syllabus.

If due to illness, or other legitimate reason, a student is unable to attend a mandatory course component, laboratory, examination or submit a course assignment by the stated deadline, the student must notify the instructor prior to the event or deadline or within 48 hours after the exam/deadline. A Declaration of Absence form must be completed and submitted to the instructor. Medical documentation is not required.

Individual arrangements must be made with the instructor regarding the missed mandatory course component, laboratory, midterm exam or assignment and documented on the Declaration of Absence form. In the case of a mandatory course component, an alternate activity may be assigned, if appropriate. This is not always possible, and instructors are not required to set make-up assessments/experiences such as laboratories or examinations. If arrangements cannot be made, the student will be awarded a "0" for the missed mandatory course component, laboratory, examination, or assignment (in the case of late assignments, there may be a different kind of penalty assessed).  In the case of laboratories, the marks assigned for the missed laboratory may be reassigned to the overall laboratory mark or an alternate laboratory-related assignment may be required. For missed midterm examinations, a makeup examination will not be provided unless it is considered a “module” exam (i.e. the final exam is not a comprehensive exam and material from the “module” will not otherwise be assessed). The marks assigned for the missed examination may be reassigned to the final examination or other course components as determined by the instructor. The reallocation of marks must be documented on the Declaration of Absence form.

A report of absence will be kept in the student's record. Repeated absences of mandatory course components or failure to notify the instructor will be recorded as a failing grade with a grade of 49% and "INF" (Incomplete - failure) on the grade report for the course. The above process will provide a way to detect abuses of the regulations. However, more importantly, it will alert instructors to patterns of concerns and potential timely intervention, assistance or referral for the student concerned. The information contained on the forms is also very important should there be a subsequent faculty action and appeal by the student. 

Procedures in Considering Student Requests

When a Declaration of Absence form is submitted to an instructor for a missed/late assignment or absence from a mandatory course component, the instructor indicates their recommended decision and submits the form to the Associate Dean Academic for approval. Instructors should complete the appropriate form for each occurrence.

There may be cases where a student is hesitant to indicate details of the reason for the request. In such cases, the student should indicate “serious personal difficulties” or “serious health difficulties” on the form that goes into the student’s file. On a separate form or letter, the student will provide details of the difficulties, and this would be placed in a confidential file in the office, where access would be limited to the Dean and the Associate Dean Academic. The Associate Dean Academic will take action as they feel is appropriate (e.g. further discussion with instructor, contacting the student, referring the student to Student Services for assistance).

In cases where a mandatory course component is missed or late, and the instructor is not informed by the student, the instructor should complete the Declaration of Absence form and Informal Discussion Form (see Procedures for Concerns with Pharmacy and Nutrition Student Professionalism Behaviour). The Declaration of Absence form will be kept in the student’s file. The Informal Discussion Form is submitted to the Associate Dean Academic. The instructor may also wish to keep supplementary notes of their own regarding the matter.

Guidelines for Instructors in Evaluating Special Requests

Illness. Students who are ill before or become ill during a midterm exam are strongly advised not to write or finish writing the exam. Students who are absent due to illness or incapacitating distress must complete a Declaration of Absence form and submit to the instructor. Absence from the program of greater than one week must be discussed with the Associate Dean Academic (who will consult with course instructors) to determine the impact of the absence on the student’s academic program. If possible, all such absences should be brought to the attention of the Associate Dean Academic well in advance.

Personal Circumstances. Credence should be given to the pressures students encounter in their personal lives, as the ability to function academically can be affected by personal circumstances (e.g., the illness of the child or spouse of the student, breakup of a relationship). In these cases, and also for compassionate reasons (below), it may not always be to the student’s advantage to avoid writing a midterm exam, or completing other aspects of the program, and this can be discussed with the student.

Compassionate Grounds. This is a valid consideration and does not necessarily depend on the relationship to the student. One student can overcome the trauma of the death of a relative or friend while another may be stressed considerably by the illness of another student. In the case of a death, the College will require the student to provide a funeral program.

Sports Teams. Absences and special writings of exams are permitted for students who are on USask teams, or the equivalent of University teams (e.g. provincial team). The student must submit a Student Permission to Travel for University Business form to the instructor; the instructor may also request confirmation from a coach.

Canadian Armed Forces. Students who are reservists in the Canadian Armed Forces and are required to attend training courses or military exercises, or deploy for full-time service either domestically or internationally, may be granted special accommodation with regard to attendance, availability of study materials, and assessment requirements (including mid-term and final examinations).

Vacation or Social Events. These are not considered adequate reasons for missing mandatory course components, laboratories, re-scheduled midterm exams, or having an assignment deadline extended. 

Professional Development Activities. In the case of professional development activities (e.g. PDW Conference), special requests are warranted and considered as long as they are reasonable (i.e. do not extend substantially from the conference dates). Students must submit a Student Permission to Travel for University Business form to the instructor.

Unusual Circumstances. Examples include the student oversleeping or breakdown of a vehicle. This may be considered valid once, but if these occurs more frequently, the instructor should not give special consideration to the student.

Students are encouraged to consult the USask Academic Courses Policy on Class Delivery, Examinations, and Assessment of Student Learning for full details.

Students who are ill before or become ill during a final exam are strongly advised not to write or finish writing the exam. A student who is absent from a final examination through no fault of their own for medical or other valid reasons must submit a Request for Deferred or Special Deferred Examination form to the College within three days of the missed examination. The College may also require supporting documentary evidence for the missed exam, including a Declaration of Secrecy.

A student who has sat for a given final examination and submitted the exam for marking will not be granted a deferred final examination.

The College will approve regular deferred exams in the case of illness with a medical certificate, serious personal distress with a medical certificate, compassionate grounds (with documentation such as a funeral program), member of a provincial or national sports team (University teams would not schedule events during the exam period) and certain other special circumstances (such as a student oversleeping or being involved in an accident). In cases where a student oversleeps, the student should not go to the exam but rather contact the College Office. Sometimes it is possible for the student to write the exam later that day, whereas other times a deferred exam is authorized. Regular deferred exams are schedule through the USask Exams Office.

The College will only authorize special deferred exams (i.e. written at a time other than the regular deferred exam period) in the following circumstances:

• A continuing illness or other valid consideration prevents the student from writing during the regular deferred
  
  
• The exam must be written in time to permit the student to be eligible to meet Convocation deadlines or to begin an experiential learning or practicum
  
  
• It is a course in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, and the instructor and the student agree to a mutually agreeable time (on occasion this may happen for a course from another college, but only with the agreement of the course instructor). 

Students are responsible for any costs associated with writing deferred exams.

Since the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition does not offer courses at Spring or Summer Session and since the timetable does not permit students to carry failed courses in the subsequent year of the program, the College will normally consider granting a supplemental examination to students registered in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition.

Supplemental exams will only be granted if the student:

• achieves a weighted average of at least 60% in the year
• achieves a final grade between 40% and 49%
• has failed no more than two courses (regardless of the unit value of the course).

Students eligible for supplemental privileges will be notified after the faculty council meeting.

The College may grant, under extenuating circumstances, a SPECIAL supplemental examination to a student who submits satisfactory evidence of his or her inability to be present at the regular supplemental period or to begin an experiential learning or practicum placement.

A student who receives an overall final grade between 40% and 49% in a Term 1 course, which is also a prerequisite to a Term 2 course, will be granted a special supplemental examination prior to the start of Term 2 if no other failures of Term 1 courses have occurred. If the student is unable to write the special supplemental at the allotted day and time, he or she will be allowed to write the special supplemental during the first week of classes in Term 2.

If the student passes the supplemental exam or special supplemental exam, a final grade of 50% will be entered on the student’s record.

Students are responsible for any costs associated with writing supplemental exams.

To be included on the Dean's Honour Roll, a student must have a Sessional Weighted Average of 80% or greater and must have completed a minimum of 30 credit units in the Regular Session.

PHAR 185 and PHAR 285 placements are academic courses. Failure in a placement is considered failure of an academic course and is subject to the academic policies of the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition.  Students must successfully complete all courses (including EL courses) before moving on to the next year in the program.  

If a student fails PHAR 185 or PHAR 285 they will be required to repeat the course (the entire 4 week rotation) and permission to repeat the course will be granted automatically unless:

• The preceptor identified that the student is putting the patient, the preceptor and/or the site, at risk of harm
• A major or critical incident has been identified (refer to College of Pharmacy and Nutrition Procedures for concerns with Pharmacy and Nutrition Student Professional Behaviour) or the student breaches the regulations on Student Academic Misconduct or Standard of Student Conduct in Non-Academic Matters. As students are licensed by the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals (SCPP), SCPP will be notified when the behaviour would be subject to disciplinary and/or legal action if engaged in by a licensed pharmacist (e.g. breach of patient confidentiality, theft of narcotics).

A student who is not successful on a rotation must develop a learning plan to address the area(s) of deficiency identified in the failed rotation before proceeding to the repeated rotation or in the first week of the rotation. The student may be required to complete remediation prior to repeating the course. Decisions regarding appropriate remediation are made based on the evaluation provided by the preceptor and determined by the Experiential Learning Office in consultation with the Associate Dean Academic.

Note: The College of Pharmacy and Nutrition does not share evaluations and learning plans from previous rotations with new sites/preceptors. We strongly encourage the student to do; this will assist both student and preceptor to focus on competencies that were not successfully achieved.

The repeat placement will occur at a different practice site, with a different preceptor. PHAR 185 and PHAR 285 course offerings are subject to preceptor and site availability. Every attempt will be made to schedule a repeat placement during the spring/summer term. If this is not possible, the student may repeat as availability allows. Note, this will delay progression in the program (by one year).

If a student fails the second attempt at a PHAR 185 or PHAR 285 placement, the student case will be reviewed by the Undergraduate Academic Affairs Committee (UAAC). The student may be granted a third attempt.  If the student is unsuccessful in the third attempt, the student will be required to discontinue.

Students may appeal the course grade. Given the nature of the courses, the initial appeal will be reviewed by the UAAC, and not through the regular informal consultation process (see USask Student Appeals of Evaluation, Grading and Academic Standing). If a student wishes to appeal, the student must submit a formal letter of appeal to the Associate Dean Academic within 15 working days of the receipt of the grade in the course. The letter of appeal should explain the reasons why the appeal should be considered, and provide supporting documentation where possible (e.g., documentation from physician, counsellor). See College of Pharmacy and Nutrition academic polices for further information regarding appeals.

If an appeal is granted, the student may seek a review under a formal re-assessment (re-read). For PHAR 185 and PHAR 285 courses, a re-reread often involves a placement at a new site with a new preceptor for 4 weeks to allow adequate time for demonstration of competency and determination and assessment.

Students are responsible for all financial costs associated with remediation and repeat rotations.

Failed Course

If a student fails an EL course, commonly referred to as a rotation, (PHAR 481, PHAR 482, PHAR 483 or PHAR 484), the matter will go to the Undergraduate Academic Affairs Committee (UAAC) for review.  UAAC will determine what, if any, remediation is required prior to attempting the course again (same rotation) or other EL courses. A student who is not successful on a rotation may be required to complete supplemental activities and/or additional rotation time, or repeat a rotation, as determined by the UAAC.

Repeat rotations are subject to availability of appropriate preceptors and sites. This may result in a delay in program progression, convocation, or delay in completing PEBC examinations. The College is not responsible for any deposit paid for the examination.

The fee to complete an 8-week supplemental rotation is calculated by the Office of the Registrar based on the course being equivalent of 8 credit units.

A student will have only two attempts at the same rotation and then will be required to discontinue. A student who fails three rotations (any of PHAR 481, PHAR 482, PHAR 483 or PHAR 484) will be required to discontinue. 

If a student fails a rotation they may be permitted to continue in subsequently scheduled rotations, provided the reason for failure was not due to one of the following reasons:

• The preceptor identifies that the student is putting the patient, the preceptor and/or the site, at risk of harm.
  
  
• A major or critical incident has been identified (refer to College of Pharmacy and Nutrition Procedures for concerns with Pharmacy and Nutrition Student Professional Behaviour) or the student breaches the regulations on Student Academic Misconduct or Standard of Student Conduct in Non-Academic Matters. As students are licensed by the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals (SCPP), SCPP will be notified when the behaviour would be subject to disciplinary and/or legal action if engaged in by a licensed pharmacist (e.g. breach of patient confidentiality, theft of narcotics).

The student must develop a learning plan to address the area(s) of deficiency identified in the failed rotation before proceeding to or in the first week of the subsequently scheduled rotation.

Note: The College of Pharmacy and Nutrition does not share evaluations and learning plans from previous rotations with new sites/preceptors. We strongly encourage the student to do; this will assist both student and preceptor to focus on competencies that were not successfully achieved.

If a student fails two rotations in a row they will be suspended from the program until review by UAAC.

In the case where a student has started the second rotation, if after review of the first failure by UAAC the Committee believes that remediation would benefit the student prior to completion of the second rotation, the student may be removed from the rotation without academic penalty.

Removal from Rotation

A student should generally remain in a rotation until completion unless a serious concern is identified. Serious concerns may include but are not limited to the following situations:

• The preceptor identifies that the student is putting the patient, the preceptor and/or the site, at risk of harm.
  
  
• The preceptor identifies concerns during the rotation that the student may be compromising patient care (e.g. if a student’s ability to provide, or assume responsibility, for their patients’ care is deemed well below expectations).
  
  
• A major or critical incident has been identified (refer to College of Pharmacy and Nutrition Procedures for concerns with Pharmacy and Nutrition Student Professional Behaviour) or the student breaches the regulations on Student Academic Misconduct or Standard of Student Conduct in Non-Academic Matters. As students are licensed by the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals (SCPP), SCPP will be notified when the behaviour would be subject to disciplinary and/or legal action if engaged in by a licensed pharmacist (e.g. breach of patient confidentiality, theft of narcotics).
  
  
• Extraordinary demands are being placed on the preceptor

Notification must be provided to the Experiential Learning Office before any action is taken. 

Withdrawal from Rotation

A student may request a withdrawal from the rotation without academic penalty for health or personal reasons. The request must be submitted in writing, with appropriate documentation, to the EL Associate Director or the Associate Dean Academic. Appropriate documentation will be required prior to the student resuming rotations.