Undergraduate Syllabus Policies/Statements
Additional policies and/or statements may be included in a course syllabus.
Academic Integrity & Avoiding Plagiarism at TWU
One of the core values of Trinity Western University is the integration of academic excellence with high standards of personal, moral, and spiritual integrity. The University considers it a serious offence when an individual attempts to gain unearned academic credit. It is the student’s responsibility to be informed about what constitutes academic misconduct. For details on this, and on identifying and avoiding plagiarism go to the University Homepage > Academics > Academic Calendar (Section: Academic Policies)
- https://prezi.com/od62fxnkbmxh/plagiarism-how-to-get-it-out-of-your-life/ (Prezi presentation)
- http://bit.ly/1p00KX3 (Google Slide presentation offering more comprehensive information)
Campus Closure & Class Cancellation
In the event of extreme weather conditions or other emergency situations refer to the Campus Notification page.
University Standard Grading System
Academic Calendar (See Section: Grading Practices)
The University assigns students letter grades at the end of each course. Instructors should follow the standard University percentage equivalent for letter grades (see below). Instructors may use other equivalencies, but in such cases they must show the scale used in the syllabus, and also announce the scale they use, orally, early in the course.
While instructors may choose to supplement or replace the standards below with other criteria more directly relevant to their particular disciplines, the following chart provides sample grade interpretation guidelines:
| LETTER GRADE | QUALITY CHARACTERITICS |
| A | Outstanding, excellent work; exceptional performance with strong evidence of original thinking, good organization, meticulous concern for documented evidence, and obvious capacity to analyze, synthesize, evaluate, discern, justify, and elaborate; frequent evidence of both verbal eloquence and perceptive insight in written expression; excellent problem-solving ability in scientific or mathematical contexts with virtually no computational errors; demonstrated masterful grasp of subject matter and its implications. Gives evidence of an extensive and detailed knowledge base. Note: The A+ grade is reserved for very rare students of exceptional intellectual prowess and accomplishment, especially in lower level courses. |
| B | Good, competent work; laudable performance with evidence of some original thinking, careful organization; satisfactory critical and analytical capacity; reasonably error-free expository written expression, with clear, focused thesis and well-supported, documented, relevant arguments; good problem-solving ability, with few computational or conceptual errors in scientific subjects; reasonably good grasp of subject matter but an occasional lack of depth of discernment; evidence of reasonable familiarity with course subject matter, both concepts and key issues. Exhibits a serious, responsible engagement with the course content. |
| C | Satisfactory grasp of basic elements of the course but frequent lapses in detailed understanding. Satisfies the minimum requirements of the course |
| D | Minimally acceptable work; relatively weak performance with little evidence of original thinking or ability to analyze or synthesize course material; nominal or weak problem-solving ability in scientific subjects; written expression frequently exhibits difficulty in articulating a central thesis or sustaining a coherent argument; ideas are trite or juvenile, without discernible development. Shows inadequate grasp of some basic elements of the course. |
| F | Inadequate work; poor performance that indicates a lack of understanding or misunderstanding of essential subject matter; seems easily distracted by the irrelevant; written expression is poorly organized, often incoherent, and rife with mechanical and diction errors. Shows little evidence of even basic competency in the course content or skills. |
The University-wide system of percentage equivalents is shown in the table below. Faculty members may deviate from this scale; however, if they do so, they must indicate, in their course syllabus, the percentage equivalency system they use.
| Letter Grade | Percentage | Grade Point |
| A+ | 90-100 | 4.3 |
| A | 85-89 | 4.0 |
| A- | 80-84 | 3.7 |
| B+ | 77-79 | 3.3 |
| B | 73-76 | 3.0 |
| B- | 70-72 | 2.7 |
| C+ | 67-69 | 2.3 |
| C | 63-66 | 2.0 |
| C- | 60-62 | 1.7 |
| D+ | 57-59 | 1.3 |
| D | 53-56 | 1.0 |
| D- | 50-52 | 0.7 |
| F | Below 50 | 0 |
Academic Freedom
With our charter, mission, and identity as a Christian university, Trinity Western University is committed to academic freedom, affirming and supporting it as defined and described in the statements of Universities Canada and the Tri-Council Research Granting Agencies provided in full at Academic Freedom at TWU.
Students should familiarize themselves with both the academic freedom statement and policy found at the Academic Freedom website. In this course, the academic freedom of both the course instructor and students is to be respected. Trinity Western University welcomes a diversity of academic perspectives, both in class discussion and submitted course work, provided they are thoughtfully and respectfully presented. Hate speech will not be tolerated.
Accessibility
The Centre for Accessible Learning oversees learning support plans for students with a disability at TWU. Students whose disability affects their academic progress are invited to register with the Centre for Accessible Learning for guidance in accessing learning supports and to determine their eligibility for academic accommodations. Academic accommodations are specific, recommended provisions that enable students with disabilities to have an equitable opportunity to meet course and program learning outcomes, and are guided by the TWU Accessible Learning Policy. All academic accommodation requests are overseen by the Centre, rather than by individual professors. For more information or to contact a team member, please visit the Centre for Accessible Learning page.
Hospitality in the Classroom
TWU is committed to an ethic of inclusion centred on the principles of Christian hospitality, reciprocity and reconciliation. We seek to cultivate generous learning spaces that are based on respect for differences and are open to diverse views, opinions, and identities that are thoughtfully expressed in a collegial manner. We welcome and value all voices, including those from under-represented groups or those who have been marginalized.