Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do I contact Academic Advising?
Academic Advising is located in ENG 1027. Appointments are held in the morning between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. daily and drop-in hours occur from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Advising is closed on Wednesday afternoons except during peak periods (first 2 weeks of each semester). To book an appointment, check out the Meet the Team page.
You can also email Advising at firstyear.engineering@ontariotechu.ca if you are in the first year or engineering.advising@ontariotechu.ca if you are in second year or higher.
All official communication from Academic Advising will be sent to your OntarioTech.net email account. Academic Advising will also post important messages and reminders through Blackboard. You are responsible for checking your email regularly throughout the academic year for important information.
Where can I find important dates?
All important dates can be found in the Ontario Tech Academic Calendar, which includes registration dates, deadlines for tuition fee installments, deadlines to add/drop or switch courses, exam periods, etc. This information is also available on Blackboard.
Student Services
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What resources are available to me as a student?
There are many resources available to assist you as you go through your undergraduate degree. Below is information regarding some of the most commonly used services available at Ontario Tech.
Check out your Student Life Portal to sign up for different events and workshops. -
Student Learning Centre
The Student Learning Centre helps you strengthen your academic skills and build a foundation for future success. They offer a variety of programs and services to assist you in your undergraduate and graduate studies. At the center, you can:
- Learn study strategies to improve your tests and assignments.
- Work with a writing specialist or peer tutor to develop your writing
- Work with a math specialist, physics/engineering specialist, or peer tutor to tackle new concepts in science and engineering.
- Improve your writing, speaking and listening skills as a student for whom English is an additional language.
- Attend a workshop to strengthen academic skills.
- Keep up with your coursework, learn study skills and prepare for tests and exams in the peer-assisted study sessions (PASS).
- Access tip sheets, and nool online resources.
- Attend Smart Start to ease the transition into university.
For more information, check out their website Student Learning Centre
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Student Mental Health
Student Mental Health is a resource on campus that all students can access. Some of the services they offer are:
- Professional, short-term individual counselling and therapy
- Off-campus/community referrals to students who prefer or require long-term counselling/therapy
- Wellness activities and initiatives
- Support groups
- Mental health consultations for students, staff, faculty, and parents related to student mental health
For more information or to make an appointment visit the Student Mental Health website.
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Student Accessibility Services
Student Accessibility Services works with students with disabilities to ensure they have equal opportunities for academic success. We operate under the Ontario Human Rights Code and will help you arrange academic accommodations to support your studies. You can:
- Register as a new student by completing our intake package and emailing your completed package to studentaccessibility@ontariotechu.ca. You will be contacted to schedule an appointment once we receive and review your intake package.
- Get a head start on your university career by attending the summer transition program.
- Work with a counsellor, advisor or peer coach to identify and develop appropriate success strategies.
- Get help in using assistive technologies and devices.
- Arrange to have your course material in an alternate or accessible format.
- Arrange to write your tests and exams in a separate location with your accommodations.
- Utilize the volunteer note-taking program as part of your accommodation plan.
- Explore the Student Life Portal for upcoming workshops and events, which are designed to promote your academic success.
For more information or to make an appointment visit the Student Accessibility Services website.
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Student Financial Aid
Student Financial Aid and Awards are dedicated to helping you achieve financial success while pursuing your post-secondary education. You may need a combination of financial resources to cover all the expenses of your post-secondary education.
Services available include:
- Financial aid counseling
- Financial literacy workshops
- OSAP and other government financial aid programs
- University Works on-campus employment program
You can drop in to see a Financial Aid Advisor between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm (excluding Wednesday from 8:30 am to 11:30 am). Find out more about Student Awards and Financial Aid.
Registration
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How do I register for classes?
Watch this quick video to understand how to register for courses.
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When do I register for courses?
Registration opens during the spring/summer semester each year. You will be notified of your registration dates by email from the Registrar’s Office. You are highly encouraged to register for classes as soon as your registration window opens.
Be sure to register for both Fall and Winter semester courses.
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What are liberal studies electives?
Liberal studies electives are included in each Engineering program to ensure adequate coverage of subject matter that deals with issues, methodologies and thought processes of humanities and social sciences. Such material is required in the education of an engineer. Liberal studies electives can include, but are not limited to, courses dealing with cultural analysis; historical analysis; literature and the arts; knowledge, cognition, and moral reasoning; and social and behavioural analysis.
You can find an approved list of liberal electives on the FEAS website.
Please note: Foreign language and business courses may not be used as liberal studies electives.
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What if I have registration issues?
If you are having trouble registering you can stop by the Academic Advising office (ENG 1027) or you can send us an email.
First Year Inquiries: firstyear.engineering@ontariotechu.ca
Second, Third and Fourth Year Inquiries: engineering.advising@ontariotechu.ca
If you email us, be sure to include:
- Your name and student number
- The course code (eg. MECE 2230) and CRNs
- The change you are attempting to make
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I am repeating a course and passed the lab portion, do I have to repeat the labs?
Lab carry forwards are not permitted for any courses in second year and above.
If you are retaking a first year science course, visit the Faculty of Science Academic Advising website to understand their lab carry forward policy.
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I didn’t pass a course and it is a pre-requisite for another course, can I fill out a pre-requisite waiver form?
No, the Faculty does not approve pre-requisite waivers for any engineering courses.
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How do I drop a course?
You can drop a course on your MyCampus account. Log in to MyCampus and enter the Add/Drop screen. Select which course you wish to drop and select ‘Web Drop’. Submit your changes. You should always double check your student schedule to make sure a course is dropped.
If you have any issues, come to see an Advisor.
Grading
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What happens if I retake a course?
You can retake any course, but please note that while your latest attempt will go towards your GPA calculation; both attempts will appear on your academic transcript. For example if you received a B in ENGR 3360 and would like to retake it to improve your GPA, and then received a C the second time, your academic transcript would show both grades. However, only the C would go towards your GPA calculation.
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What is Academic Standing?
Academic standing is calculated and recorded on academic transcripts at the end of each semester for every full-time student. Academic standing is determined by the semester and cumulative grade point averages and the student's academic standing in the previous semester. The minimum cumulative grade point average required for graduation is 2.00.
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What if I am on probation?
If your Academic Standing is probation, you must make an appointment with an Academic Advisor. Together, we will go over course planning and available supports to assist you in getting back on track.
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What if I am suspended or dismissed?
If you are suspended or dismissed, you have ten working days after the release of your Academic Standing to submit a Review of Academic Standing.
In your Review of Academic Standing, you should include the extenuating circumstances beyond your control that has affected your academic performance. Be as thorough and specific as possible to explain why your academic standing, which is based on your grades, should receive special consideration and the actions you took to deal with the extenuating circumstances during the term. Please be specific as to the dates when you did such things as contact the instructor or your academic advisor, submit a medical certificate, receive or request some form of consideration, etc. You should also include the actions you wish to have taken from this review (e.g. return to probationary standing, etc.).
You must complete:
- Review of Academic Standing form
- Letter of Support: Write a 1-page letter, to describe your extenuating circumstances, what you did or did not do to help you through these circumstances and strategies to ensure academic success.
Missed Work
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What do I do if I miss course work?
- Course Work (Assignments, Labs, ect.)
If you miss coursework including assignments and labs due to illness, you must complete an Ontario Tech Medical Statement and submit it directly to your instructor. Your instructor will decide how to allocate missed marks.
If you miss coursework due to other circumstances (such as a funeral service), you must complete an Ontario Tech Academic Consideration and submit it directly to your instructor.
- Midterm
For midterms, an Ontario Tech Medical Statement must be filled out by a physician within 24 hours of the missed midterm examination, which indicates the nature of your illness. The completed Medical Statement must be submitted to the FEAS Academic Advising Office within three working days to be considered. If the Medical Statement adheres to the guidelines, it is the instructor’s discretion on how to allocate the missed marks.
If a midterm was missed due to extenuating circumstances, the Academic Consideration form should be completed and submitted to the FEAS Advising Office within three working days.
- Final Exam
For a missed final exam, you must complete the online Application for Deferred Final Exam within three working days of the missed final. If the final exam was missed due to illness, an Ontario Tech Medical Statement should be completed and attached to the online application. The Medical Statement, which outlines the nature of your illness, must be filled out by a physician within 24 hours of the missed final examination.
If a final exam was missed due to extenuating circumstances, the Academic Consideration form should be completed and attached to the online form within three working days of the missed final.
If your application is approved, your final exam will be rescheduled during the deferred exam period.
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What do I do if a scheduled midterm or final exam falls on the same day as a religious observance?
The Academic Consideration form must be filled out and submitted to the Academic Advising office.
For midterm examinations, the forms must be submitted no later than 15 working days prior to the date of the midterm examination.
For final examinations, the form must be submitted along with the online Application for Deferred Final Exams, no later than 15 working days prior to the first day of the final examination period. You can find the start of the final examination period and other important dates in the academic calendar.