Dear Students,

I wish to stress the importance of appropriate academic integrity and student behaviour in the online environment and, to inform you about some important updates concerning the system for grading, requests for authorized absences and the English Exit Examination.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Dawson College is committed to academic integrity.  This applies to all learning environments including in an online format.  The rules in the Institutional Student Evaluation Policy (ISEP) against cheating and plagiarism still apply.

STUDENT BEHAVIOUR

Students are reminded that all College policies about student conduct continue to apply in the online environment, including the Student Code of Conduct, the Policy on Sexual Violence and the Dawson IT User Policy.

These policies will be strictly enforced.

GRADING SYSTEM

ISEP (article IV, M) states that Dawson College uses numerical grades to formally evaluate student achievement. Dawson will continue using numerical grades for most courses this semester, but it may use a Pass/Fail system (Equivalence) in exceptional circumstances, when it is impossible to assess the level of attainment of competencies. It is the College’s responsibility to grant equivalences.

In cases where teachers are not able to assess whether students have at least met the competency(ies), remedial activities will be required upon resumption of normal activities, unless the College is directed otherwise by the Ministry of Education.

AUTHORIZED ABSENCES

Students who, for personal reasons (health, family responsibilities, inadequate learning environment, etc.), are not able to continue with some of or all their courses may request an Incomplete. The IN notation on an academic transcript does not negatively affect the R-score (Cote-R). However, an authorized absence in one or more courses may affect your ability to advance in your program. If you require guidance, please send an email to authorizedabsence@dawsoncollege.qc.ca. An advisor will communicate with you as soon as possible.

To request an Incomplete (IN), you should send an email to authorizedabsence@dawsoncollege.qc.ca. Your request must include the following:

1. Full name
2. Student number
3. Phone number
4. Course(s) for which an IN is being requested. If the request is for all courses, then you must indicate that you want to abandon all courses. If the request is for only some courses, then you must list the courses you wish to abandon.
5. Brief description of the reason for requesting an authorized absence (no medical note required).

ENGLISH EXIT EXAMINATION

In the event that college campuses have not re-opened by May 1, the obligation to pass the English Exit Examination to obtain a DEC. is lifted for all graduating students of the 2019-2020 school year (fall 2019, winter and summer 2020) for whom that is the only missing requirement to obtain a DEC. The requirement to pass the English Exit Exam remains obligatory in all other situations.

Diane Gauvin,
Academic Dean