Open Acadia - Student Handbook

Text Books

All textbooks for Open Acadia distance education courses are available from the Acadia University Campus Store. Textbook orders can be placed online at Acadia’s Campus Store online:

Acadia University Campus Store Telephone Number: 902-585-1202

Time Limits

Time Limits for Online Courses

How long can I take to complete my online open entry course?

Please Note: Some graduate courses in Education are offered on a term basis; students must complete these courses as per the Instructor's schedule.

Most online open entry courses have a downloadable recommended schedule that has been provided by the Instructor. Students are encouraged to use this schedule as a course planning tool. You may progress through the course at your own pace, but rushing through a course may not be in your best interest, and your instructor's schedule will also be a factor. If you intend to complete a course in less than 3 months, you should contact your Instructor and discuss your expected timeline. Written approval from your Instructor is required.

Students returning to Acadia to continue Fall Semester full-time studies are expected to complete their open-entry distance courses before the start of classes in September. If you are unable to complete your course(s), you should obtain the permission of your Director or Department Head to carry the course in the Fall Semester with your regular courses. Any open-entry distance course carried into the Fall will generally be considered part of your regular course load, and is subject to the overload regulations (for example, if your GPA was less than 2.5 in the previous academic year, you may not take more than 15 credit hours per semester).

Extensions

For more information or to apply for an online open entry course extension, please visit the Extension Request page.

 

Grading

Assignments

Assignments should be submitted as outlined by your Instructor. Please make sure that you retain a copy of all assignments in the unfortunate event that the original becomes lost. Remember to include your name and student number on each assignment.

Generally, no more than two assignments should be submitted at one time, unless otherwise indicated in the course material. Instructors need time to grade assignments and exams, and though they make every effort to accommodate student schedules, they may not be able to mark assignments on short notice. This could delay your final exam and the completion of your course. All course assignments must be completed to the satisfaction of the course instructor before approval to write the final examination is given by the Instructor.

Examinations

You must pass your final exam to pass your course unless otherwise specified by your instructor.

For more information on scheduling and writing examinations, please visit the Scheduling a Proctored Exam page.

Grades

Grades are only released by the Registrar's Office, and are not released by phone or e-mail. Your grade will generally be made available through Acadia Central within 14 days of the completion of your course. If you applied as a letter of permission student, your grade will be sent to the Registrar's Office of your University.

What is Acadia's grading system?

`
Letter Grade GPA Value Numeric Range
A+ 4.33 90.00-100.00
A   4.00 85.00-89.99
A-  3.67 80.00-84.99
B+ 3.33 77.00-79.99
B   3.00 73.00-76.99
B-  2.67 70.00-72.99
C+ 2.33 67.00-69.99
C   2.00 63.00-66.99
C-  1.67 60.00-62.99
D+ 1.33 57.00-59.99
D   1.00 53.00-56.99
D-  0.67 50.00-52.99
F   0.00 0.00-49.99
W   Withdrawal n/a

Re-read Procedures

For more information on Acadia's exam/midterm re-read policies, please refer to the Re-Read Procedures section of the Examination and Grades page.

Procedures for Complaints in Academic Matters

A complainant should first attempt to resolve the matter with the instructor. If it cannot be so resolved, the complaint, preferably in writing, must be presented to the appropriate head of department or director of the school who will conduct an investigation and attempt a resolution. If the matter cannot be settled by the head/director, it shall be referred to the appropriate dean of faculty. Any complainant may at any time have the assistance of the Vice-President Academic of the Acadia Students' Union.

For departmental contact information, please start here.

Extensions

To apply for an online, open-entry course extension, please visit the Extension Request page.

Extensions are at the discretion of your instructor and may be granted for a period to a maximum extension of 6 months. Generally, unless exceptional circumstances apply, a maximum of ONE extension can be granted for a given online course. If you apply for an extension, you should provide a detailed explanation outlining why you believe that you will not be able to complete the course in the allotted time, along with how you plan to complete the course if the extension is approved.

Exceptional circumstances will be considered, but the extension might not be granted by the instructor if:

  • you have not been submitting coursework regularly
  • you do not provide sufficient information about why you require an extension
  • you do not submit the request at least one month prior to your original completion date

Extension Request Fee: $150.00

Please note: if you have a balance owing on your Student Account, that may prevent you from requesting an extension.

Withdrawals

We hope that you are satisfied with your online course, but if you must withdraw, please follow the procedures on the Withdrawal Form page.

By doing so, you acknowledge the following withdrawal deadlines, refund amounts, and grade results.

Grade Implications for Withdrawals from Online Courses

  • Withdrawing within 30 days - the course will be removed from your transcript.
  • Withdrawing between 1 to 5 months - there will be a "W" for the course on your transcript.
  • Withdrawing after 5 months - there will be an "F" for the course on your transcript. If you do not complete the course and do not officially withdraw within 5 months, you will receive an "F".

Refund Policy on Withdrawals from Online Courses

Students withdrawing from an online course must inform Acadia in writing, and any applicable refunds will be based on the following:

  • If the withdrawal is within 10 days (and no course work has been submitted), there will be a full refund, less $100.
  • If the withdrawal is between 11 days and 30 days, there will be a full refund, less $275 (or less $550 for a 6 credit hour course).
  • There are no refunds after 30 days.

Library

Online students are offered special library services relevant to their courses. These include loan of library books, as well as access to the library catalogue, print and electronic journals, article indexes and reference databases, inter-library loans, and research assistance. To learn more about accessing the Library as an online student, please visit the Distance Education page.

Vaughan Memorial Library – Acadia University
902-585-1249
disted-library@acadiau.ca

 

Accessibility

Acadia University is dedicated to improving access to campus life for all students with disabilities. While we attempt to ensure that all courses are accessible, we recognize that there are barriers that need to be addressed on an individual basis. Students who require accommodations to complete coursework or otherwise fully participate in class should contact Accessible Learning Services directly as soon as possible.

Please visit the Accessible Learning Services website or email them at accessible.learning@acadiau.ca) for more information.

Writing Centre

The Writing Centre offers free help to all students wishing to improve their writing skills. You can sign up online today:

To book a one-on-one appointment with a writing tutor go to:
writingcentre.acadiau.ca/writing-tutorials.html

To see which helpful presentations and workshops you might want to attend go to: writingcentre.acadiau.ca/workshops-and-presentations.html