Course enrolment and sequence planning

The following is a list of Recreation courses that are now being offered to students. You can see the term in which a course is normally offered as well as any prerequisites. Note that some courses are restricted to students in specific plans only: Recreation and Leisure Studies (RLS), Recreation and Sport Business (RSB), or Therapeutic Recreation (TR).

Elective courses (*) may be subject to change in future terms. For official term by term offerings please see the Schedule of classes.

For course descriptions and requisites please see the Undergraduate Studies Academic Calendar.

Calendar Description

This course allows students to pursue a particular topic in depth through guided independent study. Students will be encouraged to synthesize evidence and/or scholarship from a number of sources to mobilize knowledge in a way that makes information accessible, relevant, and actionable for the needs of a particular audience, including academia, community, organization, or sector.

Prerequisite: Department Consent Required

Course objectives

SENATE regulations specify that: A department will offer undergraduate students an opportunity to pursue a particular topic in depth through reading or guided independent research in the event that the department does not offer regular course work for this purpose, or the student has already taken all course work pertaining to the topic of interest.

Stipulations

1. Any third or fourth year student may apply for a directed study course.
2. A student may take only one directed study course, other than REC 471A/B, in total for submission towards their degree requirements.
3. Normally, the proposed directed study course must not duplicate a regular course offering. The proposal should offer the student an opportunity to continue to pursue a topic in depth when the available courses on that topic have been completed.
4. The proposal must offer a coherent plan that can be completed in one term.
5. The student will select and confer with a faculty member (normally from within the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies) who is able to provide individual instruction for the course.

Evaluation

The student completes the proposal form which states the title, course description of a topic directly related to the field of recreation and leisure, methodology, and means of evaluation. A student may choose to receive a "CR" or a numeric grade. If a numeric grade is chosen, the criteria for assigning a grade must be agreed upon by the student and the instructor prior to the beginning of the course.

Registration procedure

The Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies will review your submission and contact you to set up a meeting to discuss the following next steps:

1. Select a faculty member (normally from Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies faculty members) who is able to provide individual instruction for the course.
2. Complete the agreement form (see below) stating title, methodology, means of evaluation, and signature of faculty advisor. The topic must be directly related to the recreation and leisure field.
3. Submit the completed agreement form to the Recreation Undergraduate Office to obtain a course override to enrol in the course

Agreement form

Any students interested in completing a REC 475 directed study should take the agreement form with them to the preliminary meeting with their supervisor.

REC 475 - Agreement Form for Directed Study

Minimum number of courses

Specific course requirements are outlined for each degree plan in the Undergraduate Calendar. You must complete at least 20 units (normally 40 courses of 0.5 units each), of which 10.5 units must be REC courses (normally 21 REC courses).

Note that some REC courses are cross-listed with other subjects. If you complete a course as the cross-listed subject instead of the REC subject, it can still count as a REC course toward your degree requirements and will be included in your major average calculation.

Courses worth 0.25 unit

You may complete up to four courses worth 0.25 units each toward your degree requirements, but you may not use two courses worth 0.25 units each together to meet the restricted elective requirements.

A maximum of two Kinesiology and Physical Education activity courses (0.25 units each) taken at Wilfrid Laurier University, may be recognized for credit toward your University of Waterloo degree and will be used in the calculation of your overall average.

Double counting of courses

You may count any single course completed toward a maximum of two degree requirements. This is called “double counting” a course. There is no limit in Recreation and Leisure Studies as to the number of courses that may be double counted. However, if you are completing a minor or joint honours plan, the rules in other Faculties sometimes specify a limit to the number of double-counted courses that can be used to meet degree requirements, so this should be confirmed with the advisor in the department offering the minor or joint honours plan.

Adding courses

First-year

You will be pre-enrolled by the department in your required courses for your first term only. This includes REC 100, REC 101, REC 120, AHS 107, and PSYCH 101. For details on first-year courses please see first-year course selection.

You will have the first two weeks of classes to adjust your timetable if needed (and if possible), and the first three weeks of classes to drop classes if necessary. Always use the SWAP function to change courses as this holds your original course space until you are successfully in the new course. For the official dates please review the important dates website.

Second-, third- and fourth-year

Each term you will enrol in courses for your next academic term during an enrolment appointment or during open enrolment. Follow the course sequence for your degree plan. Make sure you have clicked on the appropriate calendar based on the year you started in Recreation and Leisure Studies.

If you are interested in a double degree, minor or joint honours program speak with the academic advisor to ensure your course sequence will meet your degree requirements.

Problems with enrolment

If you are unable to enroll in a course on Quest, check the following:

• Is the class full?
• Do you have the necessary prerequisites?
• Are there reserves (seats held for specific groups of students out of the total limit for the course)?

You can answer these questions using the Schedule of Classes and the Undergraduate Calendar course descriptions and prerequisites. If these conditions exist, contact the instructor or department offering the course to request permission to enrol. If they approve, have them sign a Course Override form and submit it to the Recreation Undergraduate Office in B.C. Matthews Hall, room 2201 for processing.

Hint: If the instructor does not agree to allow an override, you could watch enrolment numbers on Quest during the first week of classes. If a seat suddenly becomes available you should be able to add the course.

Dropping and adding courses

Add courses

Courses may be added on Quest during your enrolment appointment or during the open enrolment period. Open enrolment for each term continues until the end of the second week of classes in that term (or the end of the first week of classes for online courses). Course additions are not permitted after the end of the second week of classes.

Drop courses

You are not normally permitted to drop required courses; however, you can usually drop elective courses depending on how many weeks of the term have passed.

If you receive an error message when attempting to drop a course on Quest you should contact an academic advisor for assistance.

When you are enrolled in only one course you are not able to drop your final course without approval, as you must formally complete the appropriate form to withdraw from the term.

No penalty period

Courses dropped during the first three weeks of classes disappear from your schedule. Your transcript will not show that you attempted this course. If you are enrolled full-time (four courses or more) you are not allowed to drop below four courses without obtaining permission from an academic advisor.

Penalty 1 Period – WD (Withdrew – no academic penalty)

Courses dropped between the fourth and tenth weeks of classes will continue to show on your transcript with a grade of WD. This shows that you attempted the course but dropped it during the term; however, the grade does not count in your average.

Penalty 2 Period – WF (Withdrew – failed)

Normally, no courses may be dropped without academic penalty after the tenth week of classes. (Check the “Important Dates” listed on Quest for the specific date each term). A grade of WF is assigned and counts as a failure (32%) in your average.

There is also a date, usually just prior to the examination period, when you are no longer permitted to drop any courses without a petition.