Preparing for the term

This page provides information on policies and procedures to be followed by instructors for the upcoming term. For those of you who are new to the faculty, please review the entire page because it will draw your attention to pertinent information as you develop your course and course outline. Each term, the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies will send an email highlighting any recent changes on this page as well as other ‘timely’ information.

If you have any questions or suggestions for items to add, please email Carol Knipe.

Sections:

• Winter 2025 Highlights
• Teaching and Learning Resources
• GenAI Academic Supports *NEW*
• Using LEARN in Courses
• Important Dates
• The Course Outline
• Schedule and Administration of Tests and Examinations
• Academic Integrity
• Group Work

Winter 2025 highlights

• NEW - Guidelines on meeting mandatory Bill 166 requirements for textbook and learning material costs on course outlines
• NEW - Course outline suggestions for generative artificial intelligence.
• NEW - Academic supports available for generative artificial intelligence (GenAI)
• NEW - Please review absence and academic considerations guidelines in the Undergraduate Calendar.
• Information regarding the Co-op interview cycle has been added to the important dates section, to assist with the timing of course component dates.
• Instructors are encouraged to add the Intellectual Property optional text, which can be added in the "Administrative Policy" section of the outline (above the "University Policy" section), by clicking on the "Environment Faculty: Intellectual Property" button.
• Electronic classroom support - for assistance/support with technology in your classroom
• ENV Cares has been retired.

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Academic Support Units are readily available to assist with questions and concerns about generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). 

Check out the this webpage for links to other information about GenAI at Waterloo.

Important dates: Winter 2025

Important dates for the upcoming term are available on the Registrar's Office Important Dates page (make sure you choose the correct “academic year” in upper left).

Scheduled pause days:

• Reading Week: February 15, 2025 to February 23, 2025

Notes:

1. Scheduled pause days also include the weekends. No assignments or any marked course components can be due on any of these days.
2. "Instructors are not permitted to administer, and students are not required to sit for examinations, tests, or lectures during a scheduled pause. There are to be no compulsory academic events (e.g., classes, labs, tutorials, seminars, exams). Deadlines for assignments are not permitted during a scheduled pause." (Schedule Pauses in the Academic Term, Academic Calendar)

Beginning of term date: Monday, January 6, 2025

Co-op interview cycles and busiest interview dates:

During the Winter term, most 2B (Planning) and 3A Environment Co-op students will be searching for jobs. 

• Cycle 1 Interviews start on January 20 with job match results being shared on February 7
• Cycle 2 Interviews start on February 26 with job match results being shared on March 7

• Usually the last three days of cycles one (February 3-5) and two (March 3-5) are the busiest interview days

You can find more details on when students are applying, interviewing and matched on this recruiting calendar for Winter 2025.

End of term date: Friday, April 4, 2025

Exam period: Wednesday, April 9, 2025 - Friday, April 25, 2025

Pre-examination study days: Monday, April 7, 2025 - Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Last day to drop a course with a grade of WD (Voluntary withdrawal): Friday, March 21, 2025

Note that a student’s decision to drop a course can have significant consequences, both financially and for their academic career (e.g., a ‘late drop’ can lead to a failed grade). Consequently, discussions about course drops should not be taken lightly and it is advisable to refer students to their Undergraduate Academic Advisor who can fully apprise them of potential consequences.

The University of Waterloo is a secular institution, which attracts diverse students and employees from within Canada and internationally. We strive to foster inclusion of diverse campus community members including those from a variety of faith groups. Some faith groups have days of religious observance that may require an individual to refrain from work or study or to take part in fixed time congregational prayers/activities. Please contact the Associate Dean Undergraduate Studies if you have any questions about a particular case.

Religious observance dates

Students can now declare conflicts with a religious or creed-related observance on Quest. Students must declare a religious or creed-related absence within two weeks of the announcement of the due date or scheduled exam for which academic accommodation is being sought. More information can be found in the absence and academic considerations guidelines in the Undergraduate Calendar.

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Course Outline

Course Outline Repository

All ENV undergraduate course outlines, must be developed using the Course Outline Repository. Even though distance education course outlines will continue to be managed by CEL, instructors are still requested to build an outline through the repository.

A user manual is available under the documentation tab in the Course Outline Repository.

*NEW* Course cost requirements on course outlines

1. By January 2025, every course must include the individual cost for each textbook or other learning material and indicate whether it is required or optional.
2. In addition to textbooks (and the like), learning materials include all supplies that students need in order to participate equally with others in the course, such as lab and studio supplies, field trip costs, subscriptions, and so on.  Instructors must also list any restrictions related to the use of second-hand and/or free versions of the learning materials.
3. You may use any credible source for the price of your course’s learning material. Do not include tax or delivery charges. (You can, if you choose, list different options for the same material.)
4. If the course requires that students have learning materials (e.g., studio supplies) that they will generally have been acquired in a prerequisite course, this should be indicated in the course outline (in the comment box, if using Outline), and a link provided to the program’s web page that itemizes these costs. (On the other hand, if, for instance, something like goggles are required for a course and likely to already be owned by many students, but are not a “program level” supply, they should be listed as required for the course. Students will know that they can use the ones they bought for the previous course if they have them. The point is transparency for students.)

New features in Outline include an added column to the “Text/Materials” table which allows instructors to indicate the individual costs of each course learning material.

Furthermore, underneath the Text/Materials table, Outline features a new comments box section that instructors must use to:

• indicate if secondhand copies or older editions of course learning materials are not acceptable (ideally also briefly indicating why);
• indicate that there are no additional costs associated with the course if this is the case; and
• point students to the relevant web page itemizing costs for learning materials that are required or optional and that are expected for students in the program but that are not course-specific (e.g., lab or studio supplies students are likely to have acquired in a prerequisite course).

Further updates are planned for Outline before the Spring 2025 term, making it even easier to report learning material costs. Questions can be directed to your unit head, associate dean undergrad, or associate dean grad.

Options for generative artificial intelligence (AI)

The following course outline text options were prepared by the Office of Academic Integrity with input from the Centre for Teaching Excellence, Library, and consultations with Associate Deans and members of the Standing Committee on New Technologies, Pedagogy, and Academic Integrity.

Instructors can select the text through the course repository that best aligns with the use of generative AI in their course.

For instructors who embrace generative AI:

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) trained using large language models (LLM) or other methods to produce text, images, music, or code, like Chat GPT, DALL-E, or GitHub CoPilot, may be used for assignments in this class with proper documentation, citation, and acknowledgement. Recommendations for how to cite GenAI in student work at the University of Waterloo may be found through the Library. Please be aware that generative AI is known to falsify references to other work and may fabricate facts and inaccurately express ideas. GenAI generates content based on the input of other human authors and may therefore contain inaccuracies or reflect biases.

In addition, you should be aware that the legal/copyright status of generative AI inputs and outputs is unclear. Exercise caution when using large portions of content from AI sources, especially images. More information is available from the Copyright Advisory Committee.

You are accountable for the content and accuracy of all work you submit in this class, including any supported by generative AI.

For instructors who wish to allow use of generative AI under certain conditions:

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) trained using large language models (LLM) or other methods to produce text, images, music, or code, like Chat GPT, DALL-E, or GitHub CoPilot, may be used in this course with proper documentation, citation, and acknowledgement. Permitted uses of and expectations for using GenAI will discussed in class and outlined on assignment instructions.

Recommendations for how to cite generative AI in student work at the University of Waterloo may be found through the Library. Please be aware that generative AI is known to falsify references to other work and may fabricate facts and inaccurately express ideas. GenAI generates content based on the input of other human authors and may therefore contain inaccuracies or reflect biases.

In addition, you should be aware that the legal/copyright status of generative AI inputs and outputs is unclear. Exercise caution when using large portions of content from AI sources, especially images. More information is available from the Copyright Advisory Committee.

You are accountable for the content and accuracy of all work you submit in this class, including any supported by generative AI.

For instructors who do not wish to allow the use of generative AI:

This course includes the independent development and practice of specific skills, such as [fill this in with your discipline-specific skills]. Therefore, the use of Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) trained using large language models (LLM) or other methods to produce text, images, music, or code, like Chat GPT, DALL-E, or GitHub CoPilot, is not permitted in this class. Unauthorized use in this course, such as running course materials through GenAI or using GenAI to complete a course assessment is considered a violation of Policy 71 (plagiarism or unauthorized aids or assistance). Work produced with the assistance of AI tools does not represent the author’s original work and is therefore in violation of the fundamental values of academic integrity including honesty, trust, respect, fairness, responsibility and courage (ICAI, n.d.).

You should be prepared to show your work. To demonstrate your learning, you should keep your rough notes, including research notes, brainstorming, and drafting notes. You may be asked to submit these notes along with earlier drafts of their work, either through saved drafts or saved versions of a document. If the use of GenAI is suspected where not permitted, you may be asked to meet with your instructor or TA to provide explanations to support the submitted material as being your original work. Through this process, if you have not sufficiently supported your work, academic misconduct allegations may be brought to the Associate Dean.

In addition, you should be aware that the legal/copyright status of generative AI inputs and outputs is unclear. More information is available from the Copyright Advisory Committee.

Students are encouraged to reach out to campus supports if they need help with their coursework including:

• Student Success Office for help with skills like notetaking and time management
• Writing and Communication Centre for assignments with writing or presentations
• AccessAbility Services for documented accommodations
• Library for research-based assignments

Absences

There are four types of absences which entitle students to academic considerations.

Short term (2 day) self-declared absences: undergraduate students are entitled to one two-day absence per term during the formal lecture period only. If students need academic considerations for tests or other assessments due during this period, they must contact you within 24 hours of declaring the absence. Students declare short-term absences via Quest. Students requesting extensions for personal reasons should be directed to this absence.

Covid self-declared absences: for students with symptoms of Covid-19, one absence up to ten days is available per term, including the examination period. Students can only use this for known or suspected Covid; all other illnesses requiring considerations must be documented. Students need to contact you for academic consideration as soon as possible. It is possible for a student to declare for fewer than 10 days, and then extend the absence if symptoms have not improved during the shorter absence. While this absence is available for Winter 2025, it will be discontinued at some point in the future.

Documented absences, including Verification of Illness: for illnesses other than Covid which require consideration, as well as other documented circumstances (e.g. funerals). Students submit documentation to absence.uwaterloo.ca, and absences are approved/denied on a case by case basis. Documented absences can occur during both the lecture and exam period, and there is no formal limit on the number of days a student can miss. If a student misses enough time that you are concerned that they cannot feasibly achieve the learning outcomes, please contact the associate dean, undergraduate studies. Students should not submit documentation to course instructors, please do not accept this. Students need to contact instructors for academic considerations as soon as feasible under their individual circumstances.

Religious/creed-based absences: students can now declare conflicts with a religious or creed-related observance on Quest. Students must declare a religious or creed-related absence within two weeks of the announcement of the due date or scheduled exam for which academic accommodation is being sought.

All absences for students in your class can be viewed at absence.uwaterloo.ca

Sections:

1. General background
2. The following statements will be incorporated in all UW/Faculty of Environment course outlines
3. Optional statement for all UW course outlines
4. Optional statements for Faculty of Environment course outlines which will be available for selection through the course outline repository

1. General background

1. Please be aware that the course outline constitutes a contract between the instructor, the Department (or School) and the student. As an instructor, it is important for you to abide by the guidelines presented here (and for your students to do so) because they are consistent with University of Waterloo policy (and/or Faculty of Environment policy and best practice). If you find something here that does not appear consistent with a policy, please let us know!
2. The outline must be made available to students through LEARN with a link to the course repository by the beginning of term; at that time the only outstanding information on the outline should be the date of the final exam if it is being scheduled during the final exam period by the Registrar’s Office. Otherwise important dates, student evaluation methods and weighting, prerequisites, and course materials, should be complete.
3. Instructors shall not make changes to the outline except when absolutely necessary; changes to the outline shall be conveyed to students as early as possible and by all means – electronic and in class. Changes to tests/examination dates, and other deadlines, require particular care, so are dealt with in a separate section below (“Scheduling and Administration of Tests and Examinations”). Approved changes or inconsequential edits to the outline must be made through the course repository. The course repository houses all revised outlines, which may be useful if a student grievance is filed, under Policy 70: Student Petitions and Grievances.
4. Any additional fees incurred by students for the class – materials, field trips, travel, etc. – must be included in the course outline and should be consistent with the course catalog description. These fees should also respect the guidelines related to fees for field trips. Note that the limit on digital resources applies to ones that are being used for assessment.
5. The Faculty of Environment (and UW) specifies content to be included in all course outlines. Mandatory content will automatically be added to the outline during course outline development. In addition, instructors will be provided a list of relevant optional text to choose from.
6. In addition to the mandatory academic integrity text,instructors are encouraged to discuss academic integrity during the initial course meeting (and even repeatedly). In courses, including essay requirements of any sort, clear instructions on the expectations and standards regarding the appropriate acknowledgement of sources and the avoidance of plagiarism must be given. Full detail on this matter may be too lengthy for the format of the course outline (and thus may need to be reserved for separate presentation).
7. The university mandatory Turnitin® text states thatstudents must be given a reasonable option if they do not want to have their assignment screened by Turnitin®as well as timelines by which students must make this request. The instructor must be prepared with an alternative submission method if a request is made by a student.
8. In the design of their courses, instructors must keep in mind that student safety is a priority. Please review the guidelines related to student safety both in unsupervised course activities and on field trips. The field trip guidelines are here. To determine requirements for your course use the flow chart at field trip work requirements flow chart (PDF). Also, be informed about UW’s Driving Policy for the Use of Personal Vehicles for University Business in Policy 31.
9. As stated in the calendar, “Instructors are encouraged to avoid requiring students to sit for tests during the time when co-operative work-term employment interviews are scheduled.” See important dates for more.
10. While co-op students are also encouraged to try to choose interview time slots that result in the least amount of disruption to class schedules, this may not be possible. If a professor needs to verify that absence from class is for co-op interviews, CEE recommends that the professor ask their student to provide copies of their interview schedules (that may be printed from WaterlooWorks). CEE does not condone students misrepresenting the amount of time or the reason they need to be absent from class, or not returning to class when there is a reasonable amount of class time remaining following their interview (with allowances for an employer’s interview schedule running late). A course outline statement addressing co-op interviews and class attendance is available from the optional list in the course outline repository.
11. If students are engaged in research during a course, the project must be vetted by the Office of Research Ethics; this normally occurs in the term prior to the proposed research project. Research proposals relying on human participants must be approved by the Office of Research. If projects within the course are similar, only one application for the whole class is required. Text referring to Research Ethics can be selected from the optional list in the course outline repository.
12. In courses in which “participation” will be a weighted element, the nature and application of the requirement must be given unambiguous description and definition.
13. If attendance is mandatory in courses, consequences of not attending class must be clearly stated in the course outline as well as steps to be taken if a student is unable to attend a lecture (e.g., email instructor prior to lecture). The University Secretariat has agreed to review such statements pertaining to mandatory attendance. To have your statement reviewed, please forward a copy to the Faculty Undergraduate Operations Manager, Carol Knipe.
14. Review the copyright and licensing guidelines as you prepare your course. All faculty should follow the University of Waterloo Fair Dealing Guidelines. When considering copyright issues in your instruction and research, please review the following UWaterloo resources:
    • Copyright
    • Usage Rights
15. Copyright guidance for online instruction on the University’s Keep Learning website
    An expert is available to assist with your copyright questions at copyright@uwaterloo.ca.
16. In courses in which works on library Reserve will be included among the course reading assignments, a full and clear indication of the Reserve works involved must normally be provided. Occasionally, a reading may be subsequently substituted or added at the instructor’s discretion if it is considered to be of such value that it would add substantially to the quality of the course.

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2. The following statements will automatically be incorporated in all UW/Faculty of Environment course outlines:

The Senate approved list of elements which will automaticallybe included in a course outline.

In addition to what is provided on the Secretariat’s website, the following statements will also be included in all Faculty of Environment course outlines:

1. Declaring Absences

2. Mental Health

3. Religious Observances

4. Communications with Instructor and Teaching Assistants

5. Recording lecture
    

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3. Optional statement for all UW course outlines:

1. Land Acknowledgment 

4. Optional statements for Faculty of Environment course outlines which will be available for selection through the course outline repository:

1. Intellectual Property

2. Co-op interviews and class attendance

3. Research Ethics 

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Schedule and Administration of Tests and Examinations

General Final Exam Scheduling Principles

1. Students should be made aware of the date(s) for midterm test(s) or exam(s) as early as possible in the term such that students may schedule appropriately; the date(s) of the test(s) or midterm exam(s) should be contained on the course outline. Except under extreme circumstances, this time and date should not be subsequently changed without consent from the class.
2. Material being tested on a test or examination should be introduced sufficiently in advance of the examination date to allow students reasonable time to seek clarification or greater understanding of concepts. Normally, this period will be two working days.

3. Study days (between the end of lectures and the start of final exams) and mid-term breaks are designated periods where normal class schedules and academic requirements are suspended for a specified period of time. Instructors are not permitted to administer, and students are not required to sit for examinations, tests, or lectures during a scheduled pause (including weekends attached to the dates of the pause). There are to be no compulsory academic events (e.g., classes, labs, tutorials, seminars, exams). Deadlines for assignments are not permitted during a scheduled pause. No assignments are to be due after the end of the official lecture period for courses with final examinations.

4. No instructor shall be permitted to administer, and no student shall be required to sit for, final examinations during the formal lecture period. Final examinations shall be interpreted in the ordinary sense of the word, usually covering all or a very substantial portion of the material dealt with in one academic term. Normally, instructors may not hold major term tests in the last five teaching days of the lecture schedule in any term. Major term tests are those which account for more than 25% of the final course grade. Exceptions must be approved in advance by the instructor’s department chair and the associate dean - undergraduate studies.

Final Exam Scheduling Principles for Online/Remote Learning

1. In most cases, Online/Remote Exams will be scheduled with an instructor-determined duration to be completed by students within a 24-hour window.
2. Some Online/Remote Exams may be scheduled at specific times (Instructors may choose to have 2-3 definite start times to satisfy time zones, over a 24-hour period that students can choose from, with 2-3 exam versions to encourage academic integrity).
3. Instructors are encouraged to consider alternatives to synchronous, high-stakes exams (alternatives discussed on the Keep Learning site). Where this is not feasible and Instructors elect to hold time-limited finals and wish to employ remote proctoring, further details will need to be considered. Seats will be limited, and thus requests will be prioritized using the criteria below or similar:
   1. invigilation is required due to accreditation or certification policies
   2. the exam is high stakes (50% or more) and alternative assessment strategy is not viable
   3. other situations that demand additional academic integrity measures
4. The maximum time for an exam to be scheduled is 3-hours (maximum 2.5-hour exam plus 30-minutes for technology-related considerations).
5. Exam conflicts are defined as 3 or more exams in a 24-hour period.
6. Exam conflicts will be handled by individual Instructors.
7. Dates for the Winter 2025 Term can be found on the Registrar's Office Important dates page.
8. Regulations for assignments, tests and exams can be found on the Undergraduate Academic Calendar – Assignments, Tests and Final Exams page.
9. Grades for all courses can be submitted to the Registrar’s Office throughout the exam period. Due dates for grades for courses with final exams will be provided by the Registrar's Office and updated on the End of Term Teaching Resource page closer to the end of term.

Memo regarding Sychronous / Asychronous guidelines for remote learning and Final exam accomodations (PDF)

Tips for timed and untimed assessments (PDF)

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