Faculty Regulations
Students are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of their registration and for arranging their program to meet all of the requirements of the Faculty of Law Regulations. Except where the Faculty of Law Regulations specify otherwise, all regulations and undergraduate deadlines of the University of Calgary apply to students in the Faculty of Law. These University regulations are published in the University calendar.
The most frequently referred to Faculty Regulations are summarized below.
Time to Completion
Ordinarily, a student in the LL.B. program must complete the program within six calendar years from the commencement of law studies. Students are advised that the times for completion of the LL.B. degree may vary from province to province and that at present, the degree must be completed within six years of the commencement of law studies to be recognized by the Law Society of Alberta. Students contemplating the practice of law in another jurisdiction should consult the Law Society of the appropriate jurisdiction to determine the requirements of the jurisdiction. Students entering the second or third years of the LL.B. program in good academic standing may transfer from the full-time program to the part-time program or from the part-time program to the full-time program with the permission of the Associate Dean. STUDENTS ARE ADVISED THAT COURSE LOADS AND SEQUENCE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LL.B. PROGRAM MAY CHANGE DUE TO CURRICULUM REVIEW AND AMENDMENT.
The Evaluation Process and Grading Regulations
The Regulations of the Faculty of Law are available online here. Students should refer to those regulations. Any inconsistency between the Faculty of Law Calendar and the Regulations of the Faculty of Law will be resolved by the Regulations of the Faculty of Law, approved by Faculty Council on April 12, 1996 as amended from time to time, and available from the Assistant to the Dean. The following is a summary of the Faculty of Law Regulations governing the academic requirements of the LL.B. program.
There are two separate grading patterns in use in the Faculty of Law to determine a student’s final grade in a course. Most courses use the University of Calgary 12 band grading system with grades ranging from A+ to F. (There is no D- or F+ grade). Some courses, with the approval of Faculty Council use a Credit, Marginal, Fail system. Approval of Final Grades is the responsibility of the Academic Status Committee of the Faculty of Law which consists of all teaching members of the Faculty of Law including sessional instructors. The Academic Status Committee meets twice yearly to consider approval of final grades for all courses taught in the Faculty of Law.
Each year of the LL.B. program is considered to be a distinct unit. A student must successfully complete the entire unit before he or she will be entitled to promotion from the first year to the second year, from the second year to the third year or to graduation from the third year of the program. In order to successfully complete the requirements of each year of the LL.B. program, a student must not obtain a grade of “F” in any course or two or more “less than satisfactory” grades in all courses taken during the year. A first year student who receives two “F” grades or more than two “less than satisfactory” grades will be required to withdraw from the Faculty of Law and may not apply for readmission the following academic year. A second or third year student who receives two “F” grades or more than two “less than satisfactory” grades is considered to have failed the year and is required to repeat the year in its entirety. Any grade less than “C-” is a “less than satisfactory” grade.
All students who receive a grade of “F” in a course must successfully complete a supplementary evaluation which will usually be a 100% examination in that course. All students who receive two “less than satisfactory” grades must successfully complete a supplementary evaluation in both courses. Successful completion of a supplementary evaluation requires a grade of “C-” or better on the supplementary evaluation. A first year student who fails to achieve a grade of “C-” or better on a supplementary evaluation will be required to withdraw from the Faculty of Law. A second or third year student who fails to achieve a grade of “C-” or better on a supplementary evaluation will be considered to have failed the year in its entirety and must repeat the year. A student who successfully completes the requirement of a year of the LL.B. program or the requirements of a supplementary evaluation is entitled to be promoted to the next year of the program or to graduation as appropriate.
All supplementary evaluations must be completed on or before August 15th in the summer following the academic year in which the supplementary evaluation was imposed. Second year students may not complete a supplementary evaluation until the grades for the Winter session have been approved by the Academic Status Committee and third year students may not complete a supplementary evaluation until the end of the examination period for the Winter session. A grade for a supplementary evaluation completed by a third year student will not be reported until after the Winter session marks meeting of the Academic Status Committee. Part-time students will be evaluated only upon the completion of the requirements of a complete year of the program and will not be entitled to supplementary evaluations until the requirements of a complete year of the program have been satisfied.
The authority to grant or deny a deferred final is vested with the Associate Dean. In the event of intended absence due to a religious conviction, domestic affliction, or an illness or disability which makes it physically impossible to write an examination, an application accompanied by written evidence must be submitted to the Associate Dean prior to the date of the examination. Deferred final examinations will not be granted if it is determined that just cause is not shown by the student. Deferred final examinations in courses completed during the Fall term shall be written during the week beginning with the first Monday after the Block Week presently scheduled for students in the upper years and ending on the following Friday. Deferred final examinations in courses completed during the Winter term shall be written during the week beginning with the first Monday in June and ending on the following Friday. Students absent from a final examination due to unforeseen reasons must notify the Associate Dean within 48 hours of the missed examination to apply for the deferred final. Further details regarding deferred examinations may be found in the Faculty of Law Regulations.
A student may petition the Academic Status Committee for relief from the application of the Faculty of Law Regulations on compassionate, medical or other similar grounds. Any student who has such grounds is encouraged to bring them to the attention of the Associate Dean as soon as possible. All medical problems must be supported by medical documentation satisfactory to the Associate Dean.
The Regulations of the Faculty of Law also contain important information concerning Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism. Entry into the legal profession requires the highest ethical conduct possible and the Faculty takes Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism matters extremely seriously. Students are advised to familiarize themselves thoroughly with the Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism regulations.