Assessments, Grading, Promotions and Failure

Academic Leads in collaboration with the Continuous Quality Improvement Committee are responsible for determining the content and method of evaluation, and the weighting given to the various components of the assessment that determine the final grade. At the beginning of each Unit, you will be provided with a Unit outline, which specifies all elements of assessment for that Unit. The methods and weighting of assessments may not be changed without consent of a simple majority of all students enrolled in the Unit. If changes are required and agreed upon as stated above, written notice of the changes will be given to each student in the class concerned, as far ahead as possible of the time at which the changes are to be implemented.

You are encouraged to contact Academic Leads to discuss plans for remediation if you feel/detect that you may be in academic difficulty. Academic Leads are also responsible for attempting to identify, as early as possible, students who are in academic difficulty and to recommend remediation for these students.  The Academic Leads are obliged to notify the Graduate Coordinator forthwith of the names of students so identified.

The supervising CI will complete the Assessment of Clinical Performance (ACP) and recommend a grade of Credit with Exceptional Performance, Credit, Credit with Reservation, or Fail. The DCE/Academic Lead for Clinical Education determines the final grade. A CI’s recommendation of Credit of Reservation will trigger an automatic review of the ACP for the student (completed by the CI) and may result in an assigned grade of Fail. The student and the CI are required to contact the DCE/Academic Lead for Clinical Education in all circumstances when the category of Credit with Reservation is recommended. The overall performance of each student includes an evaluation of knowledge, skills and attitudes. These are assessed in the clinical setting and are documented on the ACP.

Students who have not achieved 70% in any of units 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, and 13 may, on the recommendation of the EAC:

1. Be permitted to complete a supplemental evaluation.
   • This supplemental evaluation will be taken into consideration before the final Unit grade is recorded on the transcript;
   • Students who do not achieve at least 70% or a Pass on a supplemental evaluation will have failed the Unit and will receive a grade of Fail (FZ) on the transcript. Conditions of provisional continuation in the program will then apply if this is the first Unit failed, during which time the students will be on academic probation.
   • Students who achieve a minimum of at least 70% or a Pass on a supplemental evaluation will have passed the Unit.
2. OR be permitted to repeat the Unit in question in full during a future academic session.
   • Students will receive a grade of Fail (FZ) on the transcript for the first attempt of the Unit. Conditions of provisional continuation in the program will then apply if this is the first Unit failed, during which time the students will be on academic probation.
3. OR be terminated from the program.

Students who have not achieved the internship objectives of a clinical internship Unit (Units, 5, 8, 9, 12, and 14) may, on the recommendation of the EAC:

1. Be permitted to complete a supplemental internship during a future academic session 
   • This supplemental internship will be taken into consideration before the final Unit grade is recorded on the transcript;
   • Students who achieve a Pass on this supplemental internship will have passed the Unit.
   • Students who do not achieve a Pass on this supplemental internship will have failed the Unit and will receive a grade of Fail (FZ) on the transcript. Conditions of provisional continuation in the program will then apply, during which time the students will be on academic probation. Students who fail a supplemental internship will not be permitted to continue to the next unit.
2. OR be permitted to repeat the internship Unit in question in full during a future academic session.
   • Students will receive a grade of Fail (FZ) on the transcript for the first attempt of the Unit. Conditions of provisional continuation in the program will then apply, during which time the students will be on academic probation.
3. OR be terminated from the program.

Students who fail any Unit for the first time will be ineligible to proceed in the program until which time they have met the conditions of provisional continuation in the program (see below for further details), if granted. Students may be granted a maximum of one opportunity to repeat any one single failed Unit throughout the duration of the program. Students who fail a Unit for a second time will be terminated from the program.  

If granted permission to repeat a Unit and continue in the program with conditions of provisional continuation, students will be required to take a Leave of Absence, until the next point in time that the Unit in question is offered by the Department. Students should be aware that most Units are only offered once a year and Units must be completed sequentially. If the failed Unit is an internship, the student may be permitted to continue to the next Unit upon recommendation from the EAC. 

Students will be placed on academic probation until they successfully pass the failed Unit and have met the conditions of provisional continuation. Students will be required to submit all evaluations in a repeated Unit for grading, according to the current course outline. Students are not permitted to re-use any part of assignments previously submitted. For complete details on academic integrity, refer to the University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters. Students will be required to register in the program for any and all additional terms needed to complete the program and must pay fees accordingly. Students who successfully pass the repeated Unit, may proceed in the program. 

Students who are permitted to repeat a failed Unit:

1. Must achieve at least 70% in a repeated In-Class Unit or achieve a Pass in a repeated Internship Unit in order to proceed in the program;
2. Will be terminated from the program if they do not achieve a minimum of at least 70% or a Pass in the second attempt at any Unit; 
3. May be granted a maximum of one opportunity to repeat any single Unit (inclusive of internships) throughout the duration of the program;
4. Are advised to be aware of their rights in regards to academic appeal. 

Students who have failed any Unit may be given written conditions of provisional continuation in the program. It is the students’ responsibility to meet with the Academic Lead(s) and the Graduate Coordinator to develop an academic plan to improve and monitor performance while remaining on probation and to meet the conditions set out in the provisional continuation document. If the provisional conditions are not met by the dates set by the Department in the written conditions of provisional continuation in the program, students will be terminated from the program and will not be granted the degree of MScPT.

Remedial support will be determined in collaboration with the Academic Lead(s), Graduate Coordinator, and the EAC. Supplemental evaluations will be under the direction of the appropriate Academic Lead(s) with guidance from the Graduate Coordinator and the EAC. The arrangement of supplemental work and/or examinations is the responsibility of the Graduate Coordinator in collaboration with the Academic Lead. 

This chart provides an overview of the structure of the Department of Physical Therapy’s remedial support focus.

A student will be terminated from the program in the following situations:

1. Academic Issues: 

• Has been granted two supplemental evaluations and is not successful on a subsequent unit, internship or supplemental evaluation;
• The student fails a Unit for a second time (i.e., fails a repeated attempt at a Unit or fails a second unit at any point throughout the duration of the program)
• The student has failed an In-Class Unit or Internship Unit and does not achieve a pass on a subsequent Unit (less than 70% on an In-Class Unit; does not achieve a Pass on an Internship unit)

2. Violation of professional standards and/or academic offences. 

• Violation of Professional Standards: as outlined in the Professional Behaviours Code for Health Professional Students
• Academic Offences: as outlined in the University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters

Termination Guidelines

Students can find information on termination on the SGS website.