Academic regulations

Associate Dean's office

Faculty Academic Regulations and Policies

IMPORTANT NOTE

The information on these pages is intended to provide students with a "user friendly" guide to the Faculty's policies, practices and regulations. In most cases, the policy and practice is described in general terms and the links to formal regulations or policy statements are then provided. Students are advised that if there are any discrepancies between the information on these pages and the formal text of the regulations, the latter will govern.

Surfing the website is not a substitute for human interaction! Students who have questions about academic regulations, policies or practices should not hesitate to contact the Associate Dean, the Manager, or the Associate Dean's Assistant for further information or clarifications about the matters described in this section of the website.

Where to look for answers to the following questions:

What happens if I am unable to write an exam or complete an academic requirement due to illness or personal crisis? If you experience serious health, family, or personal problems that render you unable to write an examination on the regularly scheduled date or to complete an assignment by the required deadline, you may seek special permission to defer the exam to a later date or to have an extended time to hand in the assignment. Contact the Associate Dean's office immediately (lawada@uvic.ca) and see information about exam accommodation - Exams.
What should I do if I'm having trouble academically? What happens if I fail a course or have a low GPA? There are procedures in place concerning students in academic difficulty. Go to Standing and Supplemental Exams.
Is it possible to change my status in the program from full-time to part-time? If you can satisfy the Faculty that you are unable to continue as a full-time student, you may be able to continue part-time. Go to Part-Time Status.
What happens if I want to temporarily withdraw from my law school studies? You may be able to temporarily "stop out" of law school. Go to Temporary Interruption of Studies.
How are courses in the Faculty graded? Go to Grading System.
What are the Faculty's policies regarding the posting of grades and student rankings? Go to Grading System.
What happens if I strongly disagree with a grade I received for a course? You may, if you have a sufficient basis to do so, make a request to the Associate Dean's office to have the grade reviewed. Go to Review of an Assigned Grade.
Can I take courses in different faculties of the University for credit towards my law degree? You may, with permission, take up to 3 credits in other departments and schools at the University of Victoria. Go to Enrollment in Non-Law Courses.
Is it possible to attend another Canadian law school and receive credit towards my UVic J.D.? Students may seek permission to study at another Canadian law school for up to two terms. Go to Letters of Permission.
Is it possible to study abroad for credit towards my UVic J.D.? The Faculty has exchange agreements with a number of Canadian and international universities. See the Exchange Term Information for Outgoing Students webpage for details.

Attendance

Standing and Eligibility for Supplemental Exams

Exams

Grading System

Academic Integrity: Plagiarism and Cheating

Part-Time Status

Temporary Interruption of Studies (Stop-Out)

Enrolment in Non-Law Courses

Letters of Permission

Student Conduct and Competence in Clinical Programs

ATTENDANCE

Students at the Faculty of Law are expected to attend regularly all classes of the courses in which they are enrolled and to avoid absences unless they have a good reason such as illness or family affliction. In some cases, regular attendance and participation may form part of the evaluation for a particular course, for example seminar courses. Attendance is also particularly important in all Pass/Fail courses.

If you find yourself in a position where you are regularly missing classes because of health or family considerations, or because part-time work is necessary for financial or family reasons, you should consult the Associate Dean about the possibility of part-time status.

Students who need to be absent for a lengthy period of time should advise the Associate Dean and their instructors and should make every effort to keep up with their readings and course work.

The University's policy regarding attendance applies to students registered in the Faculty of Law.

STANDING AND ELIGIBILITY FOR SUPPLEMENTAL EXAMS

Standing in First, Second or Third Year:
"Standing" in a year refers to the successful completion of one of the three academic years of the J.D. degree program (i.e. first year, second year, third year). Standing is granted at the end of first, second or third year, to students who pass all the courses in which they are registered for that year without any F grades or DEF grades and who achieve an overall GPA of at least 3.00 for the year. (Note that Pass/Fail courses are not included in calculating the GPA.)

Students in Academic Difficulty and Supplemental Exams:
A student in any given year of the program who has a GPA of less than 2.00 for the year, or who has more than two F grades, is not eligible to write Supplemental Exams and has failed the year. If such a student wishes to continue in the J.D. degree program, they must apply to the Faculty Council for special permission to repeat the year. Such permission is not always granted and is a matter of discretion. Students in this position should consult the Associate Dean about such applications.

A student who does not achieve standing in a year but has a GPA of at least 2.00 is eligible to write up to two Supplemental Exams in order to achieve standing. Where such eligibility exists, a student must write a Supplemental Exam in any course in which the student received an F grade and may otherwise write a Supplemental Exam in any course in which the grade achieved was less than C+. (That is, Supplemental Exams cannot be written in any course in which the student's grade was C+ or higher.)

Students who are required to write Supplemental Exams must successfully complete them, and achieve standing in the year, before they will be allowed to proceed to the next year of the J.D. program. Students who do not achieve standing after writing Supplemental Exams have failed the year and, if they wish to continue in the program, they must apply to the Faculty for special permission to repeat the year. Such permission is not always granted and is a matter of discretion. Students in this position should consult the Associate Dean about such applications.

See Supplemental Examinations.

Part-time students:
In addition to the above requirements, in order to achieve standing, part-time students in second or third year must pass all of the courses in which they are enrolled in a session (i.e. the period from September to April) and must achieve a GPA of at least 3.00 in those courses. If a student does not meet that standard but has obtained a GPA of 2.00 for the session, they are entitled to write one Supplementary Exam to attempt to achieve standing.

Standing in the J.D. Program:
Students will achieve standing in the J.D. program if they are granted standing in all three years, complete all compulsory courses, and successfully fulfill the major research paper requirement.

See Program Requirements.

EXAMS

The following information should answer most of your questions regarding examination procedures and regulations. If you have further questions, please contact the Associate Dean's Office at 250-721-8152.

Codenames:
Students at the Faculty of Law are required to use codenames on their examinations for the purpose of anonymous grading. Near the beginning of each term, students will be instructed to pick up their codenames for the term at the Main Office. Both "mid-term" and "final" codenames are issued. On final examinations, students must identify themselves by their final examination codename only.

Don't know or forgot your codename? Please see the Main Office receptionist to obtain it prior to the beginning of the exam period. Do not leave this until the last minute before your exams begin! Codenames will only be given in person, not by telephone or email.

Please note that it is against Faculty regulations for a student to "break the code". In other words, students must not attempt, directly or indirectly, to identify themselves on an examination.

Typing Exams/Use of Laptops:
Section update pending.

Exam Accommodation:
The Faculty of Law has a practice of granting exam accommodation to individual students in order to alleviate significant disadvantages or difficulties in exam writing arising from physical disabilities, learning disabilities, medical conditions or other special needs. For example, use of special reading equipment, word processors, or, in some cases, extra time, may be granted where appropriate.

The Faculty makes every effort to keep student information regarding exam accommodation confidential. No notation is made on the student's transcript indicating that exam accommodation was requested.

Exam accommodation can be granted only by Associate Dean Raven or her designate, in consultation with the professor concerned. Appropriate documentation is required to support requests. If you wish to request exam accommodation, you should make an appointment to see the Associate Dean as soon as possible and well before the start of the exam period.

Students who have permanent disabilities should also seek the assistance of the University's Resource Centre for Students with a Disability (RCSD).

Viewing Examinations after the Release of Grades:
Once final grades have been released at the end of a term, students may view their examinations according to the following procedures:

Students may not take the exam away from the Faculty of Law.
Students may look at one examination at a time, for a maximum of 30 minutes in a supervised area. Contact the Main Office to make arrangements.
Students may review the exam with the professor. A student wishing to do so should make an appointment with the professor and the professor will have the exam available at the meeting. The student may look at the exam before meeting with the professor.
A student may have a copy of his or her examination answers for a fee of $10.00 per examination, paid in advance by cash or cheque. Students should be aware that instructors are not required to place written comments on final exams and to provide their marking guides. Requests should be made to the Main Office and the copy will normally be available within 24 hours. Students officially appealing a grade will pay a grade appeal fee of $25 per examination and will not be charged this photocopy fee.
Students who wish to view their exams should make every effort to do so in person. However, where this is not possible (e.g. because the student is away from Victoria at the time), arrangements can be made through the Main Office to have copies of examinations forwarded by mail. Contact the Law School at lawaoa@uvic.ca or by telephoning 250-721-6162 for further information about this option.

Confidentiality of Examination Questions and Examination Reviews:
All exam questions are considered strictly confidential unless and until they have been placed on reserve in the Law Library. (Among other things, this confidentiality is necessary because it is possible that some students may be writing the exam at a later date, outside the main exam period.)

In order to maintain exam confidentiality, students who wish to view their exams may do so at the Faculty according to the viewing policy. However, they are not permitted to make or retain a copy of the exam questions.

On an exceptional basis, students who are away from the Faculty and who wish to view their exams, may receive a copy of the exam questions, along with copies of their exam booklets, provided that they sign a solemn undertaking that they will not photocopy or disclose the contents of the exam questions to others, and that they will return the copy of the exam questions that was provided to them after the review is completed. Any breach of this undertaking would constitute a serious academic offence.

Once the Associate Dean's office receives a request from a student to review his or her exam along with the exam questions, the student will be provided with a copy of the undertaking to sign and return to the Faculty of Law.

Special or Deferred Examinations:
Special or Deferred Examinations may provide students who experience personal difficulties during the term, or during the exam period, with an opportunity to write exams on a date other than the regularly scheduled date.

Students whose ability to write or to complete an examination is seriously affected by illness, family affliction or other special circumstances, should contact the Associate Dean as soon as possible to discuss the situation. In particular, students should note that a request for a Special or Deferred Examination must be made in writing to the Associate Dean no later than five days after the date on which the original exam was to be written or was written. A physician's report or other supporting documentation will be required, as appropriate to the situation. In some cases, a relatively shorter-term deferral of an exam can be arranged. Otherwise, Special Examinations are normally written in the summer months.

Similar arrangements are possible for academic requirements other than exams. However, when illness, family affliction, or other extenuating circumstances may interfere with meeting a deadline for an assignment during the term, and an extension is required, students should normally consult first with their instructor. The Associate Dean need not be consulted in such cases unless either the student or the instructor chooses to do so or unless an extension beyond the end of the term is required.

For more details about Special Examinations, please see the Faculty's regulations below.

Special Examinations:

Regulations:

(a) Subject to subsections (b) and (c), the Faculty may authorize a student to write Special Examinations in order to achieve standing, where the Faculty determines that a student's ability to write or to complete an examination or other academic requirement has been affected by illness, family affliction or other special circumstances.

(b) A request for a Special Examination under subsection (a) must be made in writing to the Associate Dean within five days after the date on which the original examination was written or was to be written, or within five days after the date on which the other academic requirement was due, and the student must provide a physician's report or other substantiating document as soon as possible.

(c) For the purposes of providing evidence to the Faculty as to the nature of the illness and the effect of that illness upon the student's ability to complete an examination or other academic requirement, the physician's medical report should be made on the form approved by the Faculty of Law for that purposes wherever possible. Where the form provided by the Faculty of Law is not used, the medical report should contain the kinds of information sought on that form.

(d) Where a student has written an examination, a request for a Special Examination under (b) shall be confirmed or withdrawn within 10 days after marks have been released by the Dean's Office. Where the request is not confirmed within that 10-day period, it will be deemed to have been withdrawn.

(e) Special Examinations for the year are normally written in August.

(f) Students will be advised in writing with respect to procedures to be followed in such cases.

(g) The mark obtained on the Special Examination or other academic requirement written pursuant to this regulation will replace only the mark the student had or would have had on that component of the course.

Supplemental Examinations:
Supplemental Exams provide eligible students who have failed to achieve standing in any given year of the program (i.e. first year, second year, or third year) with a second opportunity to meet the standing requirements. Specifically, full-time students who have failed to achieve standing at the end of the year, but who have a GPA of at least 2.00 for that year, will be permitted to write a maximum of two Supplemental Exams in order to achieve standing. (Somewhat different rules may apply to part-time students in the upper years of the program and the Associate Dean should be consulted in that instance.)

Supplemental Exams may not be written in courses in which the student has a C+ or better. Supplemental Exams are usually written in July on-campus. However, they may be written at another time, depending on the relevant circumstances, provided that doing so suits the student and the instructor and the necessary administrative arrangements can be made.

If necessary, students may sometimes arrange to write Supplemental Exams off-campus. The approval of the Associate Dean is needed and arrangements will be made through the Faculty's Administrative Officer.

Fees:
The University requires that administration fees be charged for Supplemental Exams. The fees are $50 for each exam written at the Faculty and $60 for each exam written off campus.

Preparation:
As soon as possible after learning of their eligibility to write a supplemental exam, and as part of their preparation for it, students should make arrangements to review their original examination script with the instructor. Students should also note that the availability of instructors for this purpose during the summer months is limited.

Transcript:
The student's original grade in a course in which a supplemental exam is written, along with the student's original GPA for the year, will remain on the official transcript. Grades obtained in Supplemental Exams are listed separately on the transcript, along with a revised GPA that is calculated by substituting the grades on the Supplemental Exams for the grades originally obtained.

Please see the following regulations for more detailed information.

GRADING SYSTEM

The Faculty of Law uses the following grading system:

Letter Grade

Numerical % Equivalent

Grade Point

Passing Grades

A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D, *COM

90+, 85-89, 80-84, 75-79, 70-74, 65-69, 60-64, 55-59, 50-54, N/A

9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, N/A

Complete (Pass)

Failing Grades

F, *N

49 or less, N/A

0 0

Did not complete course requirements by end of term or session; no Supplemental Exam

Temporary Grades

*DEF, *INP

N/A, N/A

Special Exam granted, In Progress

*COM	Used only for courses designated by the Senate as Pass/Fail only. Check course listings.
*N	In exceptional circumstances, the Faculty may authorize the removal of an N grade and the replacement of it by another grade.
*DEF	Used only for courses in which a Special Exam has been granted.
*INP	Used only for first year courses in the Nunavut program or Co-op Work Terms.

Students receive only a letter grade for a course. The letter grade for each course and GPA are noted on students' transcripts.

Students at UVic Law are not ranked, as it is the Faculty's philosophy that ranking students from 1 to 100 suggests degrees of distinctions that are not necessarily meaningful.

Class averages for each course are posted at the Faculty after the release of final grades.

Statement of Grades: Neither the University nor the Faculty routinely provides a Statement of Grades to students. Students must either request an official transcript from the University's Records Office (requests can be made by email to trans@uvic.ca) or they can view their grades on WebView (Student Records Online).

Determination of GPA:
To determine a student's GPA for the year, a weighted grade point average is calculated. It is based only on graded courses and does not include any COM (Pass/Fail) courses. It takes into account the number of units of credit given to each course and the grade point value of the grade the student obtained.

Steps for calculating GPA:

Multiply the grade point value for the grade by the unit value of the course. This is the weighted grade point value for the course. For example, the weighted grade point value of a B in a 1.5 unit course is 5 x 1.5 = 7.5.
Step 1 is done for each course and then all of the grade point values are added together to get an aggregate weighted grade point value.
Divide the aggregate weighted grade point value by the total number of graded units in which the student was enrolled. The result is the GPA for the year.

Example of GPA calculation in first year:

Course	Grade	Grd Pt	Units	Wtd Grd Pt Value
Law 100 Constit. Law	B	5	3	15
Law 102 Crim Law	B-	4	2	8
Law 104 LLP	B+	6	1.5	9
Law 108A Contracts	B	5	2	10
Law 108B Property	A-	7	2	14
Law 108C Torts	B+	6	2	12
Law 110 LRW	A-	7	1.5	10.5

Aggregate Weighted Grade Point Value	= 78.5
Total Graded Units	= 14 units
GPA = 78.5 / 14 = 5.61

Review of an Assigned Grade (Grade Appeal):
Grades in the Faculty of Law are not official and final until they have been reviewed and approved by the Associate Dean. Any information received about grades prior to the Associate Dean's approval must be considered unofficial and not final.

Following the official release of grades in any given term, students who have specific grounds to believe that their grade for a course should be higher than that assigned by their instructor, may apply to the Associate Dean to have it formally reviewed in accordance with the Faculty's regulations concerning grade reviews. However, any student considering a request for a formal grade review should make every effort to discuss the exam with his or her instructor prior to commencing formal grade review procedures. These informal discussions usually resolve any questions a student may have about his or her grade.

There is in principle no limit on the number of final grades that may be the subject of a request for review by a student in an academic year. However, students are asked to keep in mind that the more "formal" grade review procedures are meant to deal with very special situations where a student has reason to believe that he or she is entitled to a higher grade in a particular subject. Accordingly, formal grade appeals are rare.

Students should also be aware that, as a result of a formal grade review, their grade could be raised, remain the same, or be lowered as the result of an appeal. The latter means that there is some degree of risk in undertaking an appeal.

NOTE: That part of a final grade that is based on an oral exam and/or class participation cannot be appealed. Students should keep all of their written work returned to them by the instructor during the term in order to make it available where the grade to be reviewed includes such work.

Grade Review Procedures:

Regulations:

The following regulations apply to students in the Faculty of Law.

(a) A request for a review of a final grade must normally reach the Associate Dean's office within 21 days of the release of grades by the Dean's Office, and

(b) Where a final grade is based wholly or in part on any written materials other than an examination paper, such materials shall, for the purpose of these procedures, be treated as if they are examination papers.

The following Regulations are supplementary to the General University Regulations, which are contained in the University Calendar under the heading of Academic Regulations.

An arbitrary limit has not been placed on the number of final grades that may be the subject of a request for review by a student in an academic year. However, prospective applicants are reminded that the review procedures are meant to deal with very special situations in which a student has reason to believe that he or she is entitled to a higher grade in a particular subject. The system should not be abused, for example, by requests for review aimed at raising a number of grades in an academic year.

It is understood that there can be no appeal against that part of a final grade that is based on oral examination and/or class participation.

Each applicant must state clearly why he or she believes that the grade awarded should be raised.

All marked final examination scripts and tally sheets shall be retained by the Faculty for a period of three months after the expiry of the review period.

Upon request, a student will be provided, at his or her expense, with a copy of the examination script involved in an actual or prospective appeal. Students should retain all written work returned to them by the instructor during the term and make such work available where the grade to be reviewed has involved such term work.

Review Steps:

Where a request for a grade review has been received according to the foregoing procedures, and there has been no informal grade review, the Dean or, at the Dean's option, the Chair of the Examination Committee, shall appoint two instructors to re-read the examination script in question. If at all possible, one of the instructors will be the original marker. Each marker will be provided with a statement of objectives of the course; as much information as to the examination or paper as is practicable; and with examination scripts written by students in the same class. The second instructor shall also be informed of the grades awarded in the class in question, including the grade assigned to the examination to be reviewed. There shall be no other discussion or consultation on the particular grade awarded or the examination script. Both instructors will independently re-read and mark the script, and will then compare the grades assigned by them to the script on this reading.

Where there has been an informal grade review, only one instructor shall be appointed to review the grade awarded by the original marker.
Where, after reading the examination script and comparing it with the other scripts in the same class, both instructors agree on the grade awarded on the re-read, this grade shall be the grade awarded to the examination script whether it be above, below or identical to the grade originally awarded.
Where, after reviewing the examination script and comparing it with other scripts in the same class, the instructors disagree on the grade awarded on the re-read, they should discuss the reasons for their disagreement. If, as a result of this discussion, they come to an agreement on the grade, then that grade shall be the grade allotted to the examination script whether it be above, below or identical to the grade originally awarded. If the disagreement is not resolved, the matter shall be referred immediately by the instructors, with full details, to the Dean, or at the Dean's option, to the Chair of the Examination Committee, who, after consultation with the instructors and any other person he or she considers necessary, shall assign a final grade to the examination script.

If possible, every effort will be made to complete the review process within 21 days after the receipt of the application for review in the Associate Dean's office.

Where a final grade is based wholly or in part on any written materials other than an examination script, such materials shall be treated as if they are an examination script for the purposes of these procedures.

Mathematical errors shall be rectified without recourse to the review procedures.

These regulations are in addition to the General University Regulations, which can be found in the on-line University Calendar under Academic Regulations.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING

Students at the Faculty of Law are expected to observe high ethical standards not only as students but also as potential members of the legal profession. The Faculty trusts its students to act with propriety and integrity in their relationships with each other and with the Faculty, in both academic and non-academic endeavours.

It is a serious offence to engage in plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty or to assist others in doing so. The University's regulations and policies regarding plagiarism and cheating apply to the Faculty of Law. They provide both a detailed explanation of what constitutes plagiarism as well as reference to other prohibited forms of academic dishonesty and cheating, and the possible penalties that may be imposed for such infractions. Students are expected to familiarize themselves with these regulations. Click here to read the University regulations.

Students writing research papers who have any uncertainties regarding the scope of the rules against plagiarism, and the appropriate way in which to use and reference source materials, should consult their individual instructors.

Plagiarism and multiple submissions: It is important to note that "multiple submissions" of your own work is an academic offence unless you have obtained the prior permission of the instructor. This means that students are not permitted to submit the same work for academic credit in more than one course, regardless of whether or not that course is at UVic or at another academic institution.

Plagiarism and submission of prior work products: Similarly, although not specifically covered by the University's plagiarism regulations, it would also raise ethical issues to attempt to submit for academic credit, all or part of a memo, report, or other work product that undertaken or completed outside the academic context, such as for employment purposes, without prior discussion and authorization from your instructor. Accordingly, if you wish to make use of prior research and writing completed outside an academic context, you must discuss this with your instructor before doing so. The instructor can then determine the extent to which it would be appropriate for you to rely on, and build upon, such work.

Penalties: Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty may lead to disciplinary proceedings and, depending on the circumstances, may result in the imposition of academic penalties ranging from a reprimand, loss of credit for a course, an "F" grade, or temporary or permanent suspension from the Faculty or the University.

PART-TIME STATUS

Due to certain circumstances, a student may wish to change his or her status in the J.D. program from full-time to part-time. The following policies deal with changes in enrollment status:

Full-time to part-time

A full-time student who has achieved standing in first year may apply to continue his or her studies as a part-time student. The Faculty may allow a limited number of these students to enroll as part-time students upon being satisfied that a student is unable to continue as a full-time student because of health or physical disability, or family or financial hardship.

Part-time to full-time

Once a part-time student has achieved standing in first year, he or she may request to become a full-time student.

Remaining part-time

After achieving standing in first year, part-time students must demonstrate to the Faculty at the beginning of each academic session that they continue to be unable to attend on a full-time basis because of health or physical disability, or exceptional family or financial hardships.

TEMPORARY INTERRUPTION OF STUDIES

After the successful completion of first year, students may, with the permission of the Associate Dean, "stop out", or temporarily withdraw, from the J.D. program. The stop-out may be for a single period not exceeding two academic years, or on more than one occasion not exceeding a cumulative total of two years.

When a student stops out part way through an academic year or session, the regulations which are normally applicable to an academic year, including regulations for achieving standing in a year, will be applied to a program consisting of the term completed prior to stopping out and the next term the student completes after re-enrollment.

When a student stops out after the completion of an academic year and the student re-enrolls in the second term of Winter Session (January), regulations which are normally applicable to an academic year, including regulations for achieving standing in a year, will be applied to a program consisting of the next two academic terms completed by the student.

NOTE: Students cannot receive partial credit for a full-year course which has not been fully completed.

Students considering stopping out should make note of the following requirements and considerations:

Contact the Associate Dean as soon as possible. Students who wish to stop out must notify the Associate Dean as soon as possible and formally request permission. Although the regulations do not specify the grounds on which permission is to be granted or denied, the student's reasons for wishing to stop out should be stated in the application for permission. In practice, permission to stop out is usually granted as long as the application is made in a timely fashion and the student is in good academic standing. If you wish to stop out, it is important to notify the Associate Dean as soon as possible because the Faculty needs to maintain enrollment levels and absent students are therefore replaced through the admission of transfer or visiting students. Co-op students must also discuss their plans to stop out with the Co-op Coordinator.
Keep the law school advised of your plans. Students who have been granted permission to stop out must keep the Associate Dean advised of any possible changes in plan. For example, if you initially intend to stop out for one year but later wish to extend the stop-out, you must contact the Associate Dean for authorization to do so. Co-op students must also keep the Co-op Coordinator advised in this regard.
De-register from courses you won't be taking. As soon as your plans to stop out are firm, you must de-register from any courses in which you may have registered that will be held during your absence. Fairness to other students demands that you do not unnecessarily hold on to places in courses.
Re-registration is your responsibility. It is your responsibility to keep in touch with the administrative staff regarding the timing of the course registration process for your return to the program. You will need to ensure all your fees have been paid or you will not be able to access WebReg. Under current practices, information about course registration, timetables, etc., for the Winter Session (Fall and Spring terms) is usually posted on the web site in January or February. If you wish to return to your studies in the Summer Session, unless you are a Co-op student, you will need to participate in the lottery process for access to the Summer term. This lottery, along with the Summer Session registration process, typically occurs in November. These policies and timeframes are subject to change and you are responsible for keeping yourself informed in this regard.
Effect of stopping out on scholarships. Stopping out may affect your eligibility to receive scholarship funding because University regulations generally require that a student be returning to the Faculty in the next session. This regulation applies only to scholarships, not to course prizes, and exemptions may sometimes be granted. If you think this regulation may affect your situation, consult the Associate Dean.

ENROLMENT IN NON-LAW COURSES

Second or third year students may, with permission, take courses in other departments and schools in the University for up to 3 credit units towards their J.D. degree. Normally, enrolment in more than one non-law course per term will not be permitted. Examples of courses that have been approved in the past are law-related courses in History, Political Science, Philosophy, English, Environmental Sciences, or Public Administration. Language courses are rarely approved. Students wanting to take a non-law course must get the prior approval of the Associate Dean and the instructor of the course in question.

Students may not take non-law Summer Session courses for credit unless they are enrolled full-time in the Law academic Summer Session. The same Faculty regulations regarding approval and credit unit limit will apply.

Criteria that will be considered by the Associate Dean in determining whether approval will be granted include:

the connection between the proposed course and the student's program of study in the Faculty of Law;
the student's pre-law academic background;
the student's post-J.D. career objectives; and
the appropriateness of the level of the proposed course, usually after consultation with the Dean or Chairperson of the relevant Faculty or Department.

Students wishing to take a non-law course should note the following:

Timetable Conflicts: Students will not be given permission to register in a course outside the Faculty that conflicts on the timetable with another course that the student is taking during the term.
Duplication of Other Courses: Students must not seek permission to take a course that substantially duplicates another course that the student has already completed. Doing so will result in loss of credit for the course.
Academic difficulty: There is a potential risk involved in taking non-law courses as not all faculties have a Supplemental Exam policy and, in the unlikely event that a law student receives a low or failing grade on a non-law course, there may be no remedy.
Disqualification from exchange terms: Normally, students cannot take part in an exchange term and take UVic courses outside the Faculty. As a result, taking a non-law course may disqualify you from doing an exchange term or will at least negatively affect your application, unless you can persuade the Exchange Term Committee to make an exception.

How to Apply: If you wish to take a course outside the Faculty, you must contact the Associate Dean and provide the following information:

the name of the course and instructor and the timetable for the course
the course description and the method(s) of evaluation that will be followed (a written copy of the description will be required)
the reasons why you wish to take the course with reference to the criteria set out above on which permission to enroll may be granted
whether the course is similar to another course you have already completed

Registration Procedure: If permission is granted, you must obtain the appropriate form from the Associate Dean's office and have it signed by the Associate Dean, the instructor of the course in question, and the appropriate officer in the Department or Faculty in which the course is offered. Finally, you must take the form to the appropriate department or to Record Services, University Centre Building. Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that you have all the requisite signatures and that the form is received in the appropriate office.

LETTERS OF PERMISSION

Attending Other Canadian Law Schools
Students who wish to attend another Canadian law school for one academic term or year as a visiting student (other than under the exchange agreements with the University of British Columbia or Laval University) require a letter of permission from the Associate Dean. They must also apply to the other law school for admission as a visiting student. The standards for admission and application deadlines vary from school to school. (Note that some schools may not allow single term visits, i.e. they may require a visitor to enroll for a full academic year.)

If admitted, a visiting student pays the tuition and fees set by the host school and is subject to its academic rules and regulations for the duration of the visit. However, courses successfully completed during an approved visiting term or year will be credited to the student's J.D. degree at the University of Victoria. The credit will appear as a notation on the student's transcript (individuals courses and grades are not listed).

Visiting students must normally engage in a full-time program of courses during their visit. That is, unless they are part-time students, they must enroll in courses during the visiting term that are worth, in total, the equivalent of at least 7.0 credit units at UVic for a one-term visit or 14.5 credit units for a full year (two-term) visit. The specific course program selected by the student must be approved by the Associate Dean as a pre-condition of credit being granted.

Typically, students would not visit away under a letter of permission until their third year of studies. Normally, it is also expected that students will complete all upper year mandatory courses (Civil Procedure and Evidence) as well as the major paper requirement at UVic prior to the visiting term.

Students who are interested in the possibility of a visiting term or year should discuss the matter with the Associate Dean as soon as possible and also inquire at the other law school about the relevant application procedures and deadlines.

- Attending Foreign Law Schools
The most appropriate vehicle for attending a foreign law school is under one of the existing exchange agreements. Visits to other foreign law schools are difficult to arrange and are extremely rare. A letter of permission from the Associate Dean is required as well as the approval of the Exchange Term Committee. Students who wish to explore this possibility should contact the Associate Dean.

STUDENT CONDUCT AND COMPETENCE IN CLINICAL PROGRAMS

Students at the Faculty of Law have the opportunity to take part in clinical term programs which can provide students with a unique and rewarding experience in the area of law practice. It is important that students understand that their conduct and competence during a clinical term will have an effect on the members of the public who are their clients, their fellow students and instructors in the program, and members of the local legal profession. For this reason, the Faculty has specific regulations regarding student conduct that may adversely affected those involved in or connected to the program.

There are three clinical programs available to students during the course of their J.D. program:

Law 349 Business Law Clinic
Law 350A Law Centre Clinical Program
Law 353 Environmental Law Centre Clinic

For more information regarding these programs, see Clinical Term Programs.

Students enrolled in a clinical program should familiarize themselves with the following regulations.

Student Conduct and Competence in Clinical Programs

Regulations:

For the purposes of these regulations, clinical programs include:

Law 349: Business Law Clinic; Law 350A: Law Centre Clinical Program; and Law 353: Environmental Law Centre Clinic.

Where, during the course of a term, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the conduct or lack of competence of a student enrolled in a clinical program has adversely affected or may adversely affect:

clients of the program
personnel, including students, associated with the program
the program's relationship with the judiciary, members of the bar or other persons involved with or affected by the activities of the program

The Director of that program may restrict the activities of the student as he or she deems advisable, and the Dean, upon the request of the Director, may require the student to withdraw temporarily from the program pending the receipt of a report on the conduct or lack of competence of the student.

After giving the student an opportunity to be heard, the Faculty may re-instate a student who has been obliged to withdraw temporarily from a program or require the student to withdraw permanently from the program if the Faculty is satisfied that the student's conduct or lack of competence may affect members of any of the groups identified above.

Where the Faculty requires a student to withdraw from a clinical program, a grade of N will be entered on the student's academic record and transcript.