DATE:
December 21, 2006
PARTIES:
The Student Appellant v. UTM
Hearing Date(s):
December 11, 2006
Committee Members:
Assistant Dean Kate Hilton, Chair
Mr. Terry Buckland
Professor William Gough
Dr. Joel Kirsh
Professor Lorne Sossin
Judicial Affairs Officer:
Dr. Anthony Gray
In Attendance:
(the “Student”)
Professor Gordon Anderson, UTM
Request to graduate with a cumulative GPA of less than 1.50. The Student had completed all other degree requirements. The Student claimed that his cumulative GPA had been calculated incorrectly. The Student claimed that the grades from his transfer credits from courses taken at York University should have been transferred to the University of Toronto. The Committee considered the grades submitted by the Student and the University's policy of refusing to transfer grades from other institutions. The Committee found that even with transfer credit grades, the Student’s cumulative GPA would still have been below that required to graduate; that the University’s policy of refusing to transfer grades from other institutions was a sound one, since there may be significant differences between programs; that the Student was aware of the policy at the time of his transfer to UTM; and that the Student’s transfer credits had appeared on his transcript each semester with no grades attached, and that the annual GPA and cumulative GPA calculations did not include his grades from York University. Appeal dismissed. The Committee observed that, given the serious impact that a failing grade has on a student’s GPA, borderline grades should attract review from a Faculty’s administration. The Committee registered concern about fairness to students who are experiencing serious academic difficulty.