Program Policies

Academic Standing and Advancement Policy

To be in good standing and to register unconditionally, students must meet the requirements of the College Academic Standing and Advancement Policy, as well as the Program requirements.

College Policy

Academic Standing

To be in good standing and to register unconditionally:

Students must have passed more than 50% of their courses for the year (not including summer school).
Students admitted in January must pass more than 50% of their courses in that semester.
Students must also meet the standards of their particular program. If that policy is more stringent than the College policy, the program policy (DEC or AEC) takes precedence.

Students who do not fulfill the above conditions may register only with the permission of the College Academic Standing Appeals Committee.

Program Policy

Professional Theatre students are evaluated twice per semester; at mid-term and at semester-end. On both occasions the students’ work is evaluated and their records reviewed by the faculty. The results of the evaluation are passed on to the students in the week following the faculty evaluation meeting. There are two mechanisms for this: in the case of mid-semester evaluation, each student is required to set up an appointment with his/her faculty advisor to be informed of his/her standing in the department; and, in the case of semester-end evaluation, each student is first interviewed by the Chairperson, informed of his/her standing, and then required to see each faculty member who has taught the student during that semester in order to receive a more detailed evaluation, set up future goals and projects, and determine precise corrective measures to be undertaken.

For specific details of Professional Theatre policies, students must consult the Professional Theatre handbook made available to every student accepted into the program.

Academic Standing

In addition to Professional Theatre courses, students must take General Education courses. (See General Education Grid).

All students begin in GOOD STANDING. In order to maintain that status and move on to the second year (semester three), a first year student must have passed BOTH English courses, ONE French, and any TWO of the remaining three general education courses: i.e. Physical education, the second French and the Complementary. A student entering second year could therefore be carrying ONE additional general education course along with the courses designated on the grid for second year. In order to advance to the third year, a second year student must have passed ALL English and French courses, TWO Physical Education courses, and TWO Humanities. A student going into the third year could therefore be carrying one Physical Education and one Complementary.

Students may have to attend summer school in order to fulfill general education requirements and keep themselves in good standing.

Advancement

To advance from one semester to another within an academic year, students must pass all Professional Theatre (56l) courses.
Advancement from one year to the next is limited to students in Good Standing (see above).

PROBATION

If a student is found to be lacking in professional discipline or commitment to the program, or is having difficulties in any course in the program, that student may be placed on probation. If the student has improved sufficiently in all problem areas, the probation will be removed. Failure to accomplish this may be cause for extending the probation for a second semester or, together with failing grades, cause for removal from the program.

Probation will consist of the following stages: PROBATION 1, PROBATION 2 AND PROBATION 3. A student can be placed at any level. A student who has been unable to address problems at the level of PROBATION 2 is in danger of failure and removal from the program.

PROBATION 1

Purpose: – to caution the student that there are problems with class work, conduct and/or attitude; – to give the student the opportunity to solve the problems and improve his/her situation.

Consequences: Work and behaviour are monitored more closely.

PROBATION 2
Purpose: – to inform the student that he/she is in poor standing in the program because of a lack of significant improvement in class work, behaviour and/or attitude; – to give the student the opportunity to solve the problems and improve his/her situation.

Consequences: Work and behaviour are monitored more closely. The student may be assigned roles in studios or majors instead of being allowed the privilege to audition. The student is in danger of failure and removal from the program.

PROBATION 3
Purpose: – To warn the student that he/she is in very poor standing in the program because of a continued lack of significant improvement in classwork, behaviour and/or attitude, and that she/he is in danger of removal from the program; – to give the student a last opportunity to solve the problem and improve her/his situation.

Consequences: Work and behaviour are being monitored very closely. The student is assigned roles in studios and majors without the opportunity to audition. The possibility exists of no casting in studios or majors. If problems are not addressed no further extension of warning is possible – the student can anticipate failure and removal from the program.

PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

Appropriate conduct must be displayed in all activities associated with the Professional Theatre program: in classrooms, on campus, at the theatre, and in relations with fellow students, staff and teaching faculty. Any student who, in the judgement of the department, displays conduct that is unacceptable to the profession, will be advised immediately. In certain exceptional cases, a student may be deemed “unsuitable” to the program and, in conjunction with the college, be removed from the program – even if that student is in good standing academically. The decision to remove a student based on unsuitability must be supported by two-thirds of the entire faculty and be documented in at least one letter of warning advising the student of the problem in a previous semester. Removal based on unsuitability must also have the approval of the Dean of Technical Programs and comply with the Institutional Student Evaluation Policy (ISEP).

For specific details of additional Professional Theatre policies, including Conduct, students must consult the Professional Theatre handbook made available to every student accepted into the program.

APPEALS

Students have the right to request an appeal for failing grades and removal from the program. (See the Institutional Student Evaluation Policy).