General Regulations: Undergraduate Co-op

1. Students must register for each work term by completing the Work Term Registration form, which is provided by the Co-op Coordinator and which is normally completed when the student accepts an offer of employment for the work term and must be completed prior to start date. Students must be registered for the entire duration of the work term employment and, once registered, are not permitted to withdraw from the work placement without penalty of failure, unless specific written permission has been granted by the department/Director. Where permission is granted, an entry of WNF (Withdrawn No Fault) will be entered on the transcript. Students must contact the appropriate Coordinator for recommendation on procedure.
2. Undergraduate students must successfully complete the Academic Writing Requirement prior to undertaking their first work term; BEng or BSeng students in the Faculty of Engineering should refer to “Work Term Prerequisites”. This regulation does not apply to students enrolled in the Faculty of Law.
3. Each work term is evaluated on the basis of the student’s performance of assigned work term tasks and a final work term submission as defined by the individual department. The work term period and evaluation (grading: COM, F/X, or N/X) are recorded on the student’s official academic record. A failing grade (F/X or N/X) will be assigned if a student fails to complete satisfactorily the requirements for the work term. The requirements for a passing grade (COM) in a work term normally include the completion of all of the following:
   • the co-op program’s satisfactory assessment of the work term,
   • the employer’s satisfactory evaluation of the student,
   • the satisfactory completion of the final work term submission (such as report, performance review, log book, journal) as submitted according to the deadlines defined by the individual department.
   Students who are assigned a grade of F/X or N/X for a work term that carries 4.5 units will have a 0 grade point assigned for that work term; however, the grade is excluded from the calculations of all grade point averages (see "Minimum Sessional Grade Point Average and Academic Standing”).
4. A failed work term will normally result in the student being required to withdraw from the Co-op Program, subject to review by the department.
5. A Co-op Program fee, which is nonrefundable, is due in the first month of each work term and is subject to the Fees regulations.
6. In the undergraduate programs, students are required to complete satisfactorily the number of work terms specified by the academic program; normally at least four work terms are required, and in the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business, the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Social Sciences, the School of Health Information Science and the BSc Major in Kinesiology there will be no less than three. After admission to the program, students are required to register for all Co-op work terms.
7. Work terms are normally of four months duration and alternate with academic terms. For continuous co-op work experience of eight months or longer with the same employer, credit for more than one work term will only be granted if the requirements for an equivalent number of individual work terms are met. For example, the student must register for a second work term, pay additional fee assessments, complete a second work term report and receive a second performance evaluation. Normally the second work term should also incorporate an increase in the student’s responsibilities at the work place. For programs requiring a minimum of four work terms, normally at least three of the required work experiences must be separated from each other by at least one academic term.
8. Work term reports are normally due during the first month following each work term, at a time established by the department, for evaluation as part of the assessment of the work term.
9. In the event of a work stoppage (e.g., strike, lay-off) within the first nine weeks of a work term, an attempt will be made to arrange an alternative work placement, to enable the student to complete the work term. If the work stoppage occurs after nine weeks, the work term will be accepted for credit providing all other work term requirements are met.
10. The transferability of work terms from other institutions which offer Co-op programs is determined by individual Co-op departments on the merits of each completed work term. The number of work terms accepted for transfer or combined transfer and challenge must be not more than 50% of the total number required for completion of the Co-op Program.
11. Students who are taking double or combined major degrees, or a major and the Professional Writing Minor (where each area offers a Co-op program) may, if eligible, enrol in and undertake work terms in both Co-op programs or may, if eligible, enrol in and undertake work terms in only one Co-op program. Students who complete at least two work terms in each area will have the combined nature of their program noted as part of the Co-op designation on their official records. Students enrolled in combined major degrees where a minimum of three work terms are required must complete no more than two work terms in one department.
12. To graduate from a Co-operative Education Program, students must complete satisfactorily the minimum number of work terms and maintain the academic standing required by individual departments.
13. Students registered for work terms are considered to be enrolled in a full-time course of studies and may not take university level credit courses without the permission of the appropriate department. Co-op students on a work term who wish to enrol in a course should contact their Co-op Coordinator.
14. Students enrolled in Co-op programs may be allowed to complete a 3 unit course commencing in September over a 16 or 20 month period, provided the department concerned consents. Students must obtain written permission from the department involved when registering in the course. In such cases, a temporary grade of CIC (Co-op Interrupted Course) will be entered into the student’s December transcript. The CIC grade is used only when a 3 unit course is interrupted by a work term. Unless there is formal withdrawal from the course, the temporary CIC grade will be changed to N (a failing grade) if the course is not completed within 20 months.