Open Enrolment Courses

Open Enrolment courses are courses designated by Extended Education that can be taken independently without formal admission to an Extended Education program (“Open Enrolment Courses”). LOA Program and LOP Program courses are not available as Open Enrolment courses. The completion of courses does not result in a credential. Upon admission to a Certificate Program, students can request course credit recognition for courses completed as open enrolment courses. Some courses are stand-alone (for example, Math Skills) and are not eligible for course credit recognition toward a Certificate Program.

The Division of Extended Education has regulations and requirements, published below, that apply specifically to its participants registered in Open Enrolment courses. Participants are obligated to be familiar with all regulations governing their continued standing in Open Enrolment Courses. For questions or clarifications, please consult the Extended Education Program Coordinator. Information respecting Open Enrolment Courses is found on the Extended Education website.

Registration Status

Participants registered within Extended Education and taking Open Enrolment Courses are considered participants within Extended Education. A participant may require, for employment or other reasons, an enrolment letter confirming the participant is enrolled in Open Enrolment Courses. The participant shall contact Student Services, Extended Education to make this request and will be required to pay any associated fees.

Course and Capacity Restrictions

A participant may encounter restrictions while selecting courses each term due to prerequisite, co-requisite, or capacity restrictions. If a restriction blocks the participant from continuing to register, they should contact their Program Coordinator. Prior to requesting a pre-requisite or co-requisite override, participants should refer to the Recognition of Prior Learning section.

Coursework and Grades

Participants registered in Open Enrolment Courses will be advised in the course outline how they will receive credit for their work and how it will be evaluated. If work is assigned a letter grade, participants will be advised of: (i) the weighting of the components that will contribute to the final grade; (ii) a description of how the numeric grade will be converted to the University's letter grade system; and (iii) an indication of whether specific assignment instructions, grading rules, or rubrics will be provided.

Final grades in most courses are expressed either as pass/fail or as letters, F (the lowest) to A+ (the highest). Each letter grade has an assigned numerical value which is used to calculate degree grade point average (DGPA). Pass/fail course are not used in DGPA calculations. Courses graded in this manner are clearly identified in course descriptions and outlines.

Term Work and Final Grade Appeals

Term Work Appeals

Participants may formally appeal a grade received for term work. Participants are asked to discuss their grade with the instructor in an attempt to resolve the issue without the need of formal appeal. If the participant has discussed the term work grade with the instructor and still wishes to formally appeal the grade, the participant must do so within ten (10) working days after the grade for the term work has been made available to the participant. The participant must submit the associated fee for each term work grade appeal request, fill out the Term Work Grade Appeals Form and submit it following the instructions within the form. Term work grade appeals will be considered on the following grounds:

1. miscalculation of marks;
2. misgrading of work;
3. evaluation or grading was not in accordance with the information in the course outline; or
4. unclear or contradictory directions for an assignment.

Participants should consult with their Program Coordinator for support with the Term Work appeal process. Term work appeals will be decided by the Area Director (or delegate) in consultation with an assessor who is a subject matter expert. The fee, per appealed term work grade, will be refunded for any grade that is changed as a result of the appeal. Term work grade appeals will not result in a lower grade.

If the term work appeal is denied, the participant may appeal the decision to the Associate Dean (or delegate), along with all relevant documentation, filed in the Dean’s Office within ten (10) working days from the date on the letter of decision from the Area Director (or delegate).

Final Grade Appeals

Prior to submitting a formal appeal, participants are encouraged to discuss their grade with their course instructor and Program Coordinator to seek resolution on the matter. With their feedback, this communication may result in a change in grade. If no resolution is found, then a formal final grade appeal may be submitted, following the instructions within the form. An associated fee will apply. Required documentation (incomplete submissions will not be considered):

• Final Grade Appeals Form
• The grounds for appeal, such as:
  1. miscalculation of the final grade (does not align with the results of the individual term work assignments in the course, indicating an error in calculation in developing the final grade);
  2. the assessment of the final grade was made without considering all individual items of work completed; or
  3. unfair or inequitable process in determining the final grade.

Final Grade appeals must be made within ten (10) working days of the subsequent term’s first day of classes as posted at https://umanitoba.ca/registrar/important-dates-deadlines. Final Grade appeals will be decided by the Area Director (or delegate) in consultation with an assessor who is a subject matter expert. For any final grade that is changed, the fee will be refunded. Final grade appeals will not result in a lower grade. Participants should consult with their Program Coordinator for support with the Final Grade appeal process.

If the Final Grade appeal is denied by the Area Director (or delegate), the participant may appeal the decision to the Associate Dean (delegate), along with all relevant documentation, filed in the Dean’s Office within ten (10) working days from the date on the letter of decision from the Area Director (or delegate).

Progression

Participants are required to obtain a minimum of “C” grade in a letter grade course and a “Pass” in a Pass/Fail course, in order to pass the course. A final grade of “D” or lower in a letter grade course or “Fail” in a Pass/Fail course is considered a failure. No other progression requirements are in place for Open Enrolment Courses.

Attendance

Participants enrolled in a course, whether in-person, online, blended or in a hybrid format, are expected to meet the attendance and participation standards relevant to their mode of study. Participants are required to meet any specific attendance and participation requirements for their course. Please refer to the specific course requirements.

Brief and Temporary Participant Absences affecting Term Work Obligations

If a participant is temporarily unable to meet scheduled term work obligations on a particular date or by a given deadline, the participant must submit a completed Self-Declaration Form for Brief or Temporary Absence to their Program Coordinator and course instructor. Where a participant is absent on a deadline to submit term work or for a quiz/test, it is the participant’s responsibility to request arrangements to complete and submit academic work or write a deferred quiz/test. For exam absences, please see the Extension and Deferrals section.

Participants may wish to review the Self-Declaration for Brief and Temporary Student Absences Policy. This policy applies only for a situation outside of a participant’s control such as a medical event or condition that temporarily affects their ability to fulfill their academic obligations and requirements.

Leave of Absence

Leaves of Absence are not available.

Withdrawals

De-register prior to the Course Start Date

De-registering from courses prior to the course start date will not be regarded as withdrawals and will not be recorded on official transcripts.

Voluntary Withdrawal

After the course start date, participants may voluntarily withdraw from courses before the Voluntary Withdrawal (VW) date. Voluntary Withdrawal deadlines are posted on the Extended Education website. The Voluntary Withdrawal will be recorded on official transcripts as “VW.” Participants cannot withdraw from a course after the VW date without academic penalty.

Authorized Withdrawal

An Authorized Withdrawal may be granted on compassionate or medical grounds. Requests for Authorized Withdrawal will only be considered for withdrawal from all courses in a given term, except in extraordinary circumstances. Requests for Authorized Withdrawal will be considered for the currently enrolled term and for terms dating back no more than three (3) academic years except in extraordinary circumstances. A participant should consult with their Program Coordinator, prior to submitting an Authorized Withdrawal request.

Requests for Authorized Withdrawal must be submitted to the Student Services, Extended Education, and must include the following:

1. The Request for an Authorized Withdrawal;
2. Letter of Explanation written by the participant and detailing how the circumstances or symptoms affected their ability to attend classes and/or complete course requirements; and
3. Supporting documentation including but not limited to: (i) letters or documents from objective, credible and verifiable health care professionals. Participants are encouraged to consult the Guidelines for Health Care Professionals that are available through the Office of Student Advocacy; (ii) a funeral certificate and/or obituary;(iii) a police report or auto accident report; and/or (iv) travel receipts (e.g., airline, rail, bus).

The Area Director (or delegate) will determine if a request for Authorized Withdrawal is approved. If the request is not approved, the participant may appeal the decision to the Associate Dean (or delegate), within ten (10) working days of the decision, setting out the reasons for appeal.

If an Authorized Withdrawal request is approved, Extended Education may impose conditions prior to re-enrolment including, but not limited to, meeting with the Program Coordinator, producing a certificate of fitness to return to studies, and/or making use of support services on campus. In limited enrolment courses, re-enrolment following an Authorized Withdrawal may be subject to availability of space.

Course Repeats

Participants are permitted to repeat Open Enrolment Courses. Only the attempt in which the highest grade was achieved will be used in the calculation of a participant’s DGPA.

While registration may initially restrict the participant’s selection, the participant can approach their Program Coordinator to have the restriction removed for the next term. This restriction is in place to allow the Program Coordinator an opportunity to have a discussion with the participant respecting the reason for repeating the course.

Course Cancellation

Extended Education reserves the right to cancel courses a minimum of ten (10) working days prior to the course start date. Participants enrolled in a course will be notified of any section/course cancellations and will be entitled to a full course fee refund.

Auditing Courses

Auditing a course is an option if space is available in the course. To audit a course, a participant must have the permission of the Area Director (or delegate). A participant auditing a course is not entitled to take part in evaluated course work (e.g. tests and assignments), nor write examinations in the audited course. Participants will not receive academic credit for audited courses. The fee for auditing a course is outlined in the current fee schedule.

Extensions and Deferrals

This section applies to extensions and deferrals not covered by the Brief and Temporary Participants Absences affecting Terms Work Obligations section.

Course Term Work and Final Assessment Extensions

Participants are required to complete all assignments, quizzes, tests, and exams as identified in the course outlines. If, by the end of the term, the participant requires additional time to complete their course work, then the participant may complete the Request for Time Extension for Completion of Term Work. Course term work and final assessment (that is not a final exam) extensions are granted at the discretion of the Program Coordinator, in consultation with the course instructor, in circumstances involving:

1. medical illness or injury;
2. provision of care for an immediate family member;
3. bereavement leave for a family member;
4. other crisis or personal circumstance affecting the participant’s educational commitment.

Deferred Exams

A deferred examination may be granted to a participant:

1. who is unexpectedly unable to write a final examination as scheduled;
2. who knows in advance that they are unable to write an examination at the scheduled time to due to participation in an inter-university, provincial, inter-provincial, national, or international scholastic or athletic event; religious obligations; a medical condition; business conflict; travel; or personal reasons.

Participants falling under category (a), who are unexpectedly unable to write an examination such as due to an unexpected illness, must file a Deferred Exam Form setting out the reasons for the deferral. The application must normally be filed within forty-eight (48) hours of the scheduled date of the missed examination or, in a case where more than one examination was missed, within forty-eight (48) hours of the scheduled date of the last examination missed. The application may be accompanied by a medical certificate or otherwise appropriate documentation certifying the reason for the deferral, the inability of the participant to write the examination at the regular scheduled time and, where possible, an indication of the period of incapacity. Participants may wish to reference the Deferred and Supplemental Examinations Procedure.

Based on the evidence, the Area Director (or delegate) shall decide whether the application is approved. Based on the participant’s ongoing incapacity or other exceptional circumstances, a deferral may be granted to a participant who files an application after the forty-eight (48) hour period has lapsed.

Participants falling under category (b) must file a Deferred Exam Form, along with the associated fee, at least twenty (20) working days prior to the day of the scheduled examination.

Initial approval of all deferred examinations is conditional upon verification that the participant has completed all required components of the course and that it is mathematically possible for the participant to pass the course by writing the final examination. Approval will be rescinded if these conditions are not met.

When an application for a deferred examination is approved, the deferred examination should take place normally within thirty (30) working days from the end of the examination series from which the examination was deferred, taking into account any timing issues respecting the course being a prerequisite to other courses and graduate planning.

Supplemental Exams

Extended Education does not permit supplemental exams or tests.

Holds

Participants with outstanding obligations to the University may be placed on “Hold Status”. There are a variety of reasons that a participant’s account may be on hold status; please see the UM Registrar’s Office website for more information. Participants will be denied access to most administrative and academic services, including registration, certificate of enrolment, access to transcripts and libraries, etc.

Final grades are not released to participants who are on “Hold Status”. The deadline for appeal of assigned grades will not be extended for participants who were unable to access their final grades due to a hold.

Disciplinary Action

Extended Education aligns with the University of Manitoba’s Student Discipline Bylaws, including its Tables and Procedures respecting participant discipline. Participants should be aware of the expectations around academic integrity and what is considered academic misconduct as found in the University of Manitoba Student Academic Misconduct Procedure. Academic misconduct is, at the first level, considered by the Area Director, and at the second level, by the Associate Dean. Non-academic misconduct and concerning behaviours as found in the University of Manitoba Student Non-Academic Misconduct and Concerning Behaviours Procedure and is considered, at the first level, by the Associate Dean, and at the second level, by the Dean.

The Extended Education Local Disciplinary Committee hears appeals respecting participant discipline that is within its jurisdiction. An appeal of a decision of the Local Discipline Committee may proceed to the University Disciplinary Committee. Please refer to the Student Discipline Bylaw and its associated procedures.

Transcripts and Records

Transcripts

For a fee, official transcripts can be ordered by the participant online through Aurora. If the participant has any questions respecting how to order a transcript, the participant can contact Student Services, Extended Education.

Records

The Office of the Registrar and Enrolment Services retains participant records.

Refund and Refund Dates

Participants de-registering prior to the course start date will be eligible for a course fee refund. No refunds are available after the course start date.