| Policy Sponsor: | Office of the Registrar |
| Name of Parent Policy: | Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Policy |
| Policy Contact: | Registrar |
| Procedure Contact: | Registrar |
| Effective Date of Procedures: | January 1, 2012 |
| Review Date: | January 1, 2013 |
Purpose |
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The challenge for credit process allows students to demonstrate that they have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university level course. |
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Definitions |
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Approved Invigilator |
An individual who has been authorized by an AU representative in the Examination Services Unit to supervise an undergraduate course exam. |
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| Challenge for Credit Process | A university process whereby students have the opportunity to demonstrate that they have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or skills that would normally be found in a university level course. |
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| Faculty Member | The person responsible for the normal delivery of the course in question (professor, course coordinator). |
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| Full Cost | The full cost of learning resources is defined as AU’s full purchase cost, plus shipping, plus a 20 per cent handling fee. |
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| Learning Resources | All resources (paper, electronic, and human) that are made available by AU to learners who have registered in an AU course. |
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Procedures |
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1. |
Eligibility of Challenge for Credit |
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1.1 |
Students must confirm whether the course they wish to challenge is available to challenge. The course syllabus will indicate whether or not a course is available for challenge and will list the evaluation criteria for the challenge. |
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1.2 |
Students cannot challenge a course with a prerequisite unless credit has been achieved in the prerequisite or equivalent course or unless the prerequisite has been waived by the appropriate faculty member or designate. Waiving of a prerequisite does not imply that credit will be awarded for the prerequisite. |
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1.3 |
Students may not request to challenge any AU course: | |||
a. |
for which they have already received transfer credit as a direct AU course designation; | |||
b. |
for which they have received a “Do Not Register” designation; | |||
c. |
for which an exemption has been granted; | |||
d. |
which they have already successfully completed at AU; | |||
e. |
for which they have received credit through Undergraduate Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR); | |||
f. |
for which they have received a failing grade; or | |||
g. |
which is at the preparatory (100) level. | |||
1.4 |
Courses that are closed to registration are also considered closed for challenge for credit. | |||
1.5 |
Students will request approval to challenge a course from the appropriate faculty member or designate, in writing, by email or by letter. Faculty contact information may be found online. |
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1.6 |
Faculty will email approval to (challenge_approvals@athabascau.ca) with a copy to the student. This email will contain the full student name and identification number, and the course(s) and revision(s) the student is approved to challenge. |
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1.7 |
Students will complete and submit an Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Course Registration Form to the Office of the Registrar in one of the following ways: | |||
a. |
By scanning and submitting it by email to enrol@athabascau.ca. | |||
b. |
By submitting it by fax to 1-780-675-6174. | |||
c. |
By submitting it by mail to: Athabasca University |
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1.8 |
A completed Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Course Registration form, full payment, and email notification of approval from the appropriate faculty member, or designate, must be received by the tenth (10th) day of the month prior to the intended first of month course contract start date. |
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1.9 |
The Office of the Registrar will notify the appropriate Course Assistant of the challenge registration. The Course Assistant will provide any related challenge information to the student. |
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1.10 |
For challenge for credit courses that require the completion of an examination, students must request the examination within the guidelines for making examination requests as stated in the Undergraduate Exam Request and Completion Policy and its associated procedures. No supplemental exams are permitted in challenge courses. |
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2. |
Challenge for Credit Timelines |
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2.1 |
Challenge for credit course contracts will begin on the first day of the month and extend for a three-month period. Students must complete all assessment protocols within the three-month contract period. |
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3. |
Evaluation of Learning Using the Challenge for Credit Process |
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3.1 |
In each AU course, the faculty member or designate responsible for the course will develop a clear statement of the knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills or outcomes expected of students who successfully complete the course challenge. |
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3.2 |
Students who enter into the challenge process will be evaluated as to whether the stated subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skill objectives have been achieved. | |||
3.3 |
After registration, students may purchase the associated learning resources, limited to textbook and readings as follows: | |||
a. |
by contacting AU’s Materials Management Unit at 1-800-788-9041, extension 6366, or via email at cmat@athabascau.ca. All materials will be charged at full cost (see definitions section) or; |
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b. |
by accessing the list of materials from the course syllabus and sourcing the materials via a book store, online book retailer, or other means. | |||
| Note: Students will not be provided access to the online course site, the student manual, or course study guide in a Challenge for Credit registration. |
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3.4 |
The student’s knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills, etc. may be evaluated using any one or combination of the following: | |||
a. |
completion of assignments, projects, reports, etc.; | |||
b. |
a written examination; | |||
c. |
an oral or practical assessment; and/or, | |||
d. |
any other means considered appropriate by the faculty member and approved by the relevant Chair. | |||
3.5 |
Assessment instruments designed for challenge for credit processes may be, where appropriate: | |||
a. |
constructed solely for the purposes of challenge for credit; | |||
b. |
appropriately course-wide in content; and | |||
c. |
not normally dependent on a specific set of textbooks, with the exception of primary sources or other classically regarded sources that are deemed irreplaceable by the faculty member. |
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3.6 |
The method of evaluating the student’s knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills using the challenge for credit process will be included in the course syllabus. | |||
3.7 |
Where the challenge for credit process involves an invigilated examination(s), such examination(s) will be written under the normal conditions for student examinations as outlined in the AU Calendar and Undergraduate Exam Request and Completion Policy. No supplemental exams are permitted in challenge courses. |
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3.8 |
Procedures for lost exams will be guided by the Undergraduate Lost Exam Policy (072) and its associated procedures. |
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4. |
Approval of Non-Challenge Status for a Course |
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4.1 |
The VPA, or designate, will have final approval for a course to receive non-challenge status. The Dean of the faculty and the Office of the Registrar (registrar@athabascau.ca) shall receive a copy of the approval. |
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5. |
Grading and Transcripts |
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5.1 |
Challenge for credit courses shall be graded in a manner deemed appropriate at the time of course creation by the faculty member responsible for the course, with either a pass/fail or a letter grade. |
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5.2 |
The minimum passing grade on challenge for credit processes is “D” unless the course, as outlined in the course syllabus, requires a course grade higher than “D” for successful completion of the course. |
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5.3 |
The course grade acquired through completion of the challenge for credit process will be included in the student’s GPA calculation for the purposes of satisfying continuation or graduation requirements, scholarships and awards (with the exception of AU course awards), except for challenge courses graded using pass/fail grades. |
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5.4 |
Challenges shall be recorded on the transcript as the specific AU course designation with an indicator identifying that the credit was awarded through the challenge for credit process. |
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6. |
Appeals |
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6.1 |
The decision of the faculty member, or designate, to grant or withhold permission to challenge a course for credit is final. | |||
6.2 |
The administrative process for an appeal to the Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Policy and/or the Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Procedures is as follows:
First Level Appeal of PolicyAll first level appeals to the policy must be made to the Office of the Registrar’s Student Appeals Officer, or designate, by using the Office of the Registrar’s online appeals portal. If the Student Appeals Officer has received an appeal in error, it will be redirected accordingly. Second Level Appeal of PolicyAll second level appeals must be made in writing, preferably by email, to the Coordinator, Enrolment Services and Academic Records, or designate, in the Office of the Registrar with “Second Level Appeal” clearly noted in the subject line of the email. Second level appeals will not be accepted if a response has not yet been provided to a first level appeal. The Coordinator, Enrolment Services and Academic Records, or designate, has final decision making authority on all appeals to this policy. If the Coordinator, Enrolment Services and Academic Records has received an appeal in error, it will be redirected accordingly. |
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6.3 |
An appeal of a mark or grade must be made in accordance with the Student Appeals Policy and its established procedures. | |||
Applicable Legislation and Regulations |
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N/A |
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Related References, Policies, Procedures and Forms |
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Undergraduate Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) Policy |
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Undergraduate Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) Procedures |
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Undergraduate Course Withdrawal and Refund Policy - Individualized Study (148) |
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Undergraduate Course Withdrawal and Refund Policy - Individualized Study (148) |
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History |
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| Athabasca University Academic Council, June 15, 2011, Motion # 230-3 |
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Office of the University Secretariat, December 5, 2011
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