All information about writing work-term reports (the requirements, format, technical content, etc.) is found on the Work-term Report Coordinator's web site.
Issues for all students
The following issues are relevant to all Electrical and Computer Engineering students.
Submission
All electrical and computer engineering students must submit their cerlox bound work-term reports to E7 no later than 4:30 PM seven days after the first official day of lectures of the specified academic term. The report should be handed into the Academic Services Co-ordinator in E7 4312. If absent, the Undergraduate Advisors/Co-ordinators will accept reports (E7 4314 or E7 4318). Both advisors/co-ordinators will accept reports if the other is absent or otherwise occupied. The grading of reports is usually completed about four weeks before the last day of lectures of the term in which the report was submitted. Students will be notified via e-mail when they can pick up their marked report from the Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Academic Advisor in E7 4318.
Track the marking of a work-term report
There are two ways to track the marking of your work term report:
- Log into the Work Reports Online application and select E&CE Work Term Reports Online. This requires the student's University of Waterloo User ID and a password which is the student's Waterloo Student ID Number the password has not already changed; it is highly recommended that all students change their default password when the log in for the first time. Selecting Your Info will supply the status on the student's reports. Once a report has been marked the marker's name and the various dates will appear. Note that clicking in the triangle in any of the Work Reports or Mark Form Status column headers, the application will sort the rows according to that column.
- The Work Reports Online database application sends e-mail when specific database transactions happen. A student may expect to have the report marked approximately five weeks from the date of the e-mail informing the student that it has been assigned to a marker. However, since servers go down and e-mail gets dropped, this is the secondary notice mechanism.
Accessing marker's contact information
Work-term reports are marked by graduate students who graduated from Waterloo, laboratory instructors, and possibly faculty members. Follow the previous instructions for logging onto the Work Reports Online application, the marker's name will appear beside the report (after it has been marked) and for the technical marker's contact information select See Marking Form and the marker section contains the marker's name, UW User ID, office number and phone number.
Appealing a work-term report grade
The first step is to meet with the marker of the report to discuss the grade. If this does not result in a satisfactory explanation or response, supply the Work Term Report Coordinator with a written statement outlining the issues along with the report and the marking forms. The Co-ordinator will either review the report or assign it to another for a review, but come to a conclusion whether the mark should go up, down, or stay the same. If this does not produce a satisfactory explanation or response, then after grades are officially released (usually near the end of the first month of the following Calendar Term), a formal grade appeal may be submitted as per Policy 70 Student Grievance Policy. Note that this policy has a clear time line.
Excellent work-term reports
The exceptionally good non-confidential work-term reports will be read by several professors to consider them for awards. The author of the best work-term report for each class on campus is presented with an award during that term. These awards are sponsored by the Sandford Fleming Foundation and various companies.
Work-term report pick Up
After a student has been notified, a student may pick up his or her marked Work-term Reports from E7 4318 during regular Office Hours.
Undergraduate calendar rules for engineering
A word on due dates: the Undergraduate Calendar specifically states that Work-term reports are due seven days after the first official day of lectures of the academic term in which the report is required (Rule 16).
Classes of 2016+
There is no restriction as to how many work-term reports can be submitted in any one term; for example, a student could submit WKRPT 201 and WKRPT 301 in 2B assuming that the subject matter covered in the reports is not related. However, if the specific work-term report is not cleared by the end of the third Academic Term, the student will not be allowed to proceed to the next Academic Term and students may not proceed to the next Academic Term. This is exceptionally critical for Stream 4S students who do not hand in WKRPT 301 by 3B—they will not be admitted to 4A the following term. This information is summarized in the table and paragraph below.
| Report | Stream 4S | Stream 8 |
|---|---|---|
| WKRPT 201 | 2A, 2B, 3A | 2B, 3A, 3B |
| WKRPT 301 | 2B, 3A, 3B | 3A, 3B, 4A |
| WKRPT 401 | 3A, 3B, 4B | 3B, 4A, 4B |
Terms in which work-term reports are due: Work-term reports WKRPT 201, 301, and 401 are courses and if a student wishes to submit a work-term report in a specific term, they must add the course on Quest. Because the last add date is after the last day that a work-term report may be submitted, it would be reasonable to first submit the report and then add the course on Quest.
Late work-term reports
Late-work reports will not be accepted. If the student has already signed up for the WKRPT N01 course on Quest, it would be strongly recommended that the student drop this course before the drop date; otherwise, the student will receive a failing grade.
Clearing failed work-term reports
Failed work-term reports WKRPT 201, 301, and 401 are failed courses and a student who fails the same report three times will be required to withdraw from the program under Rule 9; however, they do not count towards the maximum of two failed courses under Rule 6. The student must submit another work-term report in a following term by once again signing up for the same course and submitting a work-term report.
Historical information
Class of 2014
Students are required to hand in four work-term reports. Each work-term report must be handed in at the start of one of three Academic Terms where the student has the choice of which of the three terms in which the report is submitted. There is also no restriction as to how many work-term reports can be submitted in any one term; for example, a student could submit WKRPT 101 and WKRPT 201 in 2A assuming that the subject matter covered in the reports is not related. However, if the specific work-term report is not cleared by the end of the third Academic Term, the student will not be allowed to proceed to the next Academic Term and students may not proceed to the next Academic Term. This is exceptionally critical for Stream 4S students who do not hand in WKRPT 301 by 3B—they will not be admitted to 4A the following term. This information is summarized in the table and paragraph below.
| Report | Stream 4S | Stream 8 |
|---|---|---|
| WKRPT 101 | 1B, 2A, 2B | 2A, 2B, 3A |
| WKRPT 201 | 2A, 2B, 3A | 2B, 3A, 3B |
| WKRPT 301 | 2B, 3A, 3B | 3A, 3B, 4A |
| WKRPT 401 | 3A, 3B, 4B | 3B, 4A, 4B |
Terms in which work-term reports are due: Work-term reports WKRPT 101, 201, 301, and 401 are courses and if a student wishes to submit a work-term report in a specific term, they must add the course on Quest. Because the last add date is after the last day that a work-term report may be submitted, it would be reasonable to first submit the report and then add the course on Quest.
Late work-term reports
Late-work reports will not be accepted. If the student has already signed up for the WKRPT N01 course on Quest, it would be strongly recommended that the student drop this course before the drop date; otherwise, the student will receive a failing grade.
Clearing failed work-term reports
Failed work-term reports WKRPT 101, 201, 301, and 401 are failed courses and a student who fails the same report three times will be required to withdraw from the program under Rule 10; however, they do not count towards the maximum of two failed courses under Rule 7. The student must submit another work-term report in a following term by once again signing up for the same course and submitting a work-term report.
Classes of 2015
You must read this entire section before determining whether or not you must submit three or four work-term reports.
If you are in the Class of 2015 and you took PD 20 and PD 21, you must complete the 200-, 300-, and 400-level work-term reports; however, if you you have a failing grade on your transcript for WKRPT 100 (because you started with a prior class), you must additionally clear that failed course before graduation. If you started with a class prior to the Class of 2015 and do not have PD 20 and PD 21, you must complete 100-, 200-, 300- and 400-level work-term reports. If you submitted and passed WKRPT 100 or WKRPT 101 and you fall into the category of individuals who are not required to submit the 100-level work-term report, unfortunately, that cannot be used to clear one of the 200-, 300-, or 400-level work-term reports—you must still submit the three subsequent work-term reports.
Finally, if you either started with the Class of 2015 or you joined the 1A term of the Class of 2015 due to an unsuccessful completion of a prior 1A term, you were given an explicit choice of taking PD 20 or PDEng 15 and if you chose to take PDEng 15, then one of the consequences of taking PDEng 15 was that you would be required to submit four work-term reports. As you voluntarily made this choice with all the information available, you are also required to submit WKRPT 101.