Academic Calendar - 2024
Western University Academic Calendar. - 2024
return to: Administration
ACADEMIC RECORDS AND STUDENT TRANSCRIPTS
Academic Files
The University maintains a record of a student's academic progress throughout his or her career at Western. This record provides information for academic counselling purposes and serves as the basis for producing grade reports and student transcripts. The following is a description of the kinds of information held by the University and the information that is provided on grade reports and transcripts.
Academic files
The Registrar's Office keeps an electronic file of all information relating to a student's academic progress. This includes a student's:
- basis of admission
- address
- some biographic information (e.g., date of birth) that is collected and reported for Statistics Canada
- for students admitted directly from secondary school, the record of the Grade 12 courses, as well as marks submitted in support of their application for admission
- registration history and status
- courses attempted and grades achieved
- milestones
- Special Permissions granted
- all information relating to Advanced Standing and courses taken on Letters of Permission
- information on seals on academic records because of non-payment of fees, library fines, etc.
The academic file is a confidential internal document that is available only to individuals authorised to view the files.
There are other electronic files/databases on students, including:
- scholarship/bursary data
- fee payment information
- the Alumni database which includes information on degrees attained as well as the address of parents.
In addition to these electronic records, the Academic Counselling Office of a student's Faculty may keep a file containing written documents relating to a student's academic progress. These may include:
- Special Permission forms
- Special Examination Forms
- medical documents
- correspondence
- notes of interviews that students may have had with Academic Counsellors.
These files are also confidential internal documents that are available only to the student's Dean and Academic Counselling Office.
A student who has been found guilty of a scholastic offence may also have an offence record that is kept separate from the academic file. (See section on Scholastic Offences.)
Grade Reports
Students are able to access their grades at the end of each academic term through their Student Center (student.uwo.ca). Where appropriate, courses attempted, milestones recorded, the grades achieved, comments concerning a student's eligibility for a requested program, progression and graduation eligibility, and averages are reported to the student. This information is confidential and may only be accessed by entering their Western user ID and password.
Co-Curricular Record
Western’s Co-Curricular Record is a collaboration between Western University and its Affiliated Colleges – King’s University College and Huron University College. It is a record of a student’s engagement and leadership involvement during their time at Western.
The Co-Curricular Record is separate from the Academic Record and it lists activities such as participation in student life programs, leadership development, community service learning, and involvement activities that contribute to the student’s experience. The Co-Curricular Record chronicles a student’s non-academic engagement across core areas, such as career preparation, communication, diversity, engaging the arts, global awareness, leadership, social responsibility, etc.
The Co-curricular Record supports students in:
- Learning more about the out-of-classroom activities available at Western
- Reflecting on and identifying key learning outcomes gained through their various activities
- Preparing a personalized document of their key activities that is validated by staff and faculty members
- Adapting their records for specific audiences (e.g. job interview, graduate school application)
- Articulating their co-curricular experience to employers, admission panels, etc.
For more information please visit: http://myexperience.uwo.ca/
Academic Transcripts
A transcript is a copy of a student's permanent academic record at this University, duly certified by the Registrar. If in paper format, the transcript will bear the embossed seal of the University. If in electronic format, the transcript will be certified with a cryptographic signature. A transcript is privileged information and is available only upon the written or online request and payment of the fee in effect at the time by the student. For current fees and processing times check the website of the Office of the Registrar: http://www.registrar.uwo.ca/
A transcript is required as one of the supporting documents for application to another university, graduate schools, fellowship and scholarship applications; and is commonly required by prospective employers.
The transcript is a record of a student's academic progress. It contains the following information:
- A listing of all courses attempted and the grades achieved, including courses from which a student has withdrawn without academic penalty.
- A listing of milestones that a student must complete to satisfy their academic requirements.
- A statement of the degree attained, including the area of concentration or Honours discipline and date of graduation.
- Comments relating to a student's academic progress. These may include statements about a student's standing in a program or that the student was required to withdraw from the University or was placed on academic probation (e.g. for failing to meet progression requirements).
- A listing of all undergraduate scholarships, awards, prizes, fellowships and medals awarded by the University to the student during the student’s academic career at the University. [Note: This information is only available from May 1, 2000.]
- A listing of selected National and Provincial graduate scholarships awarded to the student during the student’s graduate career at the University. The listing of scholarships that are eligible to appear on transcripts is determined by the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. [Note: This scholarship information is available only for graduate students from September 1, 2008.]
- A listing of selected honours (i.e. Dean's Honour List, Global and Intercultural Engagement Honour - see http://international.uwo.ca/, Memegwaanh Indigenous Learning Honour – see http://indigenous.uwo.ca/).
Note that a transcript reflects the current status of a student's record at the time it is issued. Students should ensure that any changes to the transcript (e.g., from an INC to a final grade) are recorded before ordering a transcript.
Students who have pursued more than one academic career (e.g., Graduate, Undergraduate, Professional, Education) at Western may request, in writing, a partial transcript. The partial transcript will display only those grades obtained during the specified academic career and will be identified as the transcript for that academic career (e.g., Graduate Transcript).
Transcripts can be ordered online through the Student Center (student.uwo.ca) or by using the order form available from Student Central, RM 1120 Western Student Services building or from https://registrar.uwo.ca/services/transcripts.html.
Official transcripts are sent by the Registrar's Office as designated by the student. The cost for transcripts can be found at https://registrar.uwo.ca/services/transcripts.html
* All transcript transactions in Student Central require valid identification.
Class Average, Class Size on Transcripts
Senate approved that the class (i.e., section) average be added to the transcript (assessing failures as 40), and, that for passing grades, the class size (i.e., section) be added to the transcript (including failures in enrollment).
[Secretarial Note: Although the original proposed implementation date was January 1, 2001, Western in fact implemented class size and average on the transcript in April 2002. Senate was informed that the class average and class size would be on the transcript for courses in the fall/winter 2000 term and onward. Any undergraduate courses on the student’s transcript prior to fall/winter 2000 will only show the mark achieved.]
Transcript Notations:
- Transcript notations for suspension and expulsion will differentiate between Scholastic Discipline, Gender-Based and Sexual Violence (GBSV) offences, and Code of Student Conduct offences.
- A notation for suspension will be removed from the transcript when the student graduates or five years after the last registration.
- A notation for expulsion will be permanent unless a petition to the President for its removal is approved. The petition to remove an expulsion notation from the transcript may be made no sooner than five years after the offence. Removal of the expulsion notation from the transcript would not overturn the expulsion decision; the expulsion from the University would remain in effect.
Secretariat Note: See also the policies on Scholastic Discipline for Graduate and Undergraduate Students:
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_grad.pdf
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf
and the Code of Student Conduct:
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/board/code.pdf
Areas of Concentration in Law (To be on Transcripts)
Areas of Concentration are available in Business Law, Criminal Law, Information and Technology Law, and Taxation. All Area of Concentration programs require a student to complete a research paper in the pertinent area. The Area of Concentration research paper must meet the criteria of the Faculty's writing requirement necessary for graduation, and may be used to fulfil that requirement. Students who complete an area of concentration within the JD program will have a notation, e.g., "Area of Concentration: Business Law,” included on their transcripts.
Students who fulfill the requirements of more than one Area of Concentration shall have a notation for all such successfully completed concentrations included on their transcripts.
Recording Students' Names
In order to maintain the integrity of the University’s student records, each student is required to provide either on application for admission or on personal data forms required for registration, their complete legal name. Any requests to change a student’s name by means of alteration, deletion, substitution or addition, must meet the criteria outlined below.
Printing Students' Name on Degree Diplomas
Students’ names (first, middle and last names) as confirmed during the application to graduate process, will be printed on Degree Diplomas in capital letters. Students wishing to include lower case letters or accents in their names must follow the “Request to Change Students’ Names on Degree Diplomas ” policy below.
Requests to Change Students’ Names on Academic Records and Transcripts
Students who wish to change their name used for official registration purposes are required to provide acceptable documentation and photo identification reflecting the change.
Requests to Change Students’ Names on Degree Diplomas
Students who wish to include a variation of their complete name for the purpose of their printed degree are required to put this request in writing to the Office of the Registrar. The name variation for the printed degree will be retained as part of the student's permanent record and displayed on official transcripts with the degree conferral information*. To maintain data integrity, name change requests will not be accepted by email or through third parties without written authorization by the student.
The following are examples of acceptable requests for student name changes without documentation:
Change
Example
Truncation of names
Alexander to A.
Diminutives of names
James to Jim
Variation in the order of names
Surname/Given name
Use of religious names
Addition of Mohammad
Removal of middle names
Jane Ann Smith to Jane Smith
Using both capital and lower case letters
MACKENZIE to MacKENZIE
MCKENNA to McKENNA
VON KUSTER to Von KUSTER
Addition of accents
NOELLE to NOËLLE
FRANCOIS to FRANÇOIS
Use of previously approved Preferred/Chosen first name
See “Request to Change Students’ Preferred/Chosen First Name” policy
*Requests to include accents will NOT be included on official transcripts or displayed as part of the student’s centrally maintained academic record
Request to Change Students’ Preferred/Chosen First Name
A student’s preferred/chosen first name is typically the first name that they commonly go by, and differs from their legal first name. Western University requires that individuals use their legal name on all legal records and official documents. However, Western University also recognizes that, as an inclusive community, many of its members use first names other than their legal first names to identify themselves. The University acknowledges that a preferred/chosen first name can and should be used wherever possible in the course of University business and education.
Preferred/Chosen First Name is supported in the systems identified through the Office of the Registrar.
Senate Academic Policies:
General Policy, Academic Records and Student Transcripts
return to: Administration
ACADEMIC RECORDS AND STUDENT TRANSCRIPTS
Academic Files
The University maintains a record of a student's academic progress throughout his or her career at Western. This record provides information for academic counselling purposes and serves as the basis for producing grade reports and student transcripts. The following is a description of the kinds of information held by the University and the information that is provided on grade reports and transcripts.
Academic files
The Registrar's Office keeps an electronic file of all information relating to a student's academic progress. This includes a student's:
- basis of admission
- address
- some biographic information (e.g., date of birth) that is collected and reported for Statistics Canada
- for students admitted directly from secondary school, the record of the Grade 12 courses, as well as marks submitted in support of their application for admission
- registration history and status
- courses attempted and grades achieved
- milestones
- Special Permissions granted
- all information relating to Advanced Standing and courses taken on Letters of Permission
- information on seals on academic records because of non-payment of fees, library fines, etc.
The academic file is a confidential internal document that is available only to individuals authorised to view the files.
There are other electronic files/databases on students, including:
- scholarship/bursary data
- fee payment information
- the Alumni database which includes information on degrees attained as well as the address of parents.
In addition to these electronic records, the Academic Counselling Office of a student's Faculty may keep a file containing written documents relating to a student's academic progress. These may include:
- Special Permission forms
- Special Examination Forms
- medical documents
- correspondence
- notes of interviews that students may have had with Academic Counsellors.
These files are also confidential internal documents that are available only to the student's Dean and Academic Counselling Office.
A student who has been found guilty of a scholastic offence may also have an offence record that is kept separate from the academic file. (See section on Scholastic Offences.)
Grade Reports
Students are able to access their grades at the end of each academic term through their Student Center (student.uwo.ca). Where appropriate, courses attempted, milestones recorded, the grades achieved, comments concerning a student's eligibility for a requested program, progression and graduation eligibility, and averages are reported to the student. This information is confidential and may only be accessed by entering their Western user ID and password.
Co-Curricular Record
Western’s Co-Curricular Record is a collaboration between Western University and its Affiliated Colleges – King’s University College and Huron University College. It is a record of a student’s engagement and leadership involvement during their time at Western.
The Co-Curricular Record is separate from the Academic Record and it lists activities such as participation in student life programs, leadership development, community service learning, and involvement activities that contribute to the student’s experience. The Co-Curricular Record chronicles a student’s non-academic engagement across core areas, such as career preparation, communication, diversity, engaging the arts, global awareness, leadership, social responsibility, etc.
The Co-curricular Record supports students in:
- Learning more about the out-of-classroom activities available at Western
- Reflecting on and identifying key learning outcomes gained through their various activities
- Preparing a personalized document of their key activities that is validated by staff and faculty members
- Adapting their records for specific audiences (e.g. job interview, graduate school application)
- Articulating their co-curricular experience to employers, admission panels, etc.
For more information please visit: http://myexperience.uwo.ca/
Academic Transcripts
A transcript is a copy of a student's permanent academic record at this University, duly certified by the Registrar. If in paper format, the transcript will bear the embossed seal of the University. If in electronic format, the transcript will be certified with a cryptographic signature. A transcript is privileged information and is available only upon the written or online request and payment of the fee in effect at the time by the student. For current fees and processing times check the website of the Office of the Registrar: http://www.registrar.uwo.ca/
A transcript is required as one of the supporting documents for application to another university, graduate schools, fellowship and scholarship applications; and is commonly required by prospective employers.
The transcript is a record of a student's academic progress. It contains the following information:
- A listing of all courses attempted and the grades achieved, including courses from which a student has withdrawn without academic penalty.
- A listing of milestones that a student must complete to satisfy their academic requirements.
- A statement of the degree attained, including the area of concentration or Honours discipline and date of graduation.
- Comments relating to a student's academic progress. These may include statements about a student's standing in a program or that the student was required to withdraw from the University or was placed on academic probation (e.g. for failing to meet progression requirements).
- A listing of all undergraduate scholarships, awards, prizes, fellowships and medals awarded by the University to the student during the student’s academic career at the University. [Note: This information is only available from May 1, 2000.]
- A listing of selected National and Provincial graduate scholarships awarded to the student during the student’s graduate career at the University. The listing of scholarships that are eligible to appear on transcripts is determined by the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. [Note: This scholarship information is available only for graduate students from September 1, 2008.]
- A listing of selected honours (i.e. Dean's Honour List, Global and Intercultural Engagement Honour - see http://international.uwo.ca/, Memegwaanh Indigenous Learning Honour – see http://indigenous.uwo.ca/).
Note that a transcript reflects the current status of a student's record at the time it is issued. Students should ensure that any changes to the transcript (e.g., from an INC to a final grade) are recorded before ordering a transcript.
Students who have pursued more than one academic career (e.g., Graduate, Undergraduate, Professional, Education) at Western may request, in writing, a partial transcript. The partial transcript will display only those grades obtained during the specified academic career and will be identified as the transcript for that academic career (e.g., Graduate Transcript).
Transcripts can be ordered online through the Student Center (student.uwo.ca) or by using the order form available from Student Central, RM 1120 Western Student Services building or from https://registrar.uwo.ca/services/transcripts.html.
Official transcripts are sent by the Registrar's Office as designated by the student. The cost for transcripts can be found at https://registrar.uwo.ca/services/transcripts.html
* All transcript transactions in Student Central require valid identification.
Class Average, Class Size on Transcripts
Senate approved that the class (i.e., section) average be added to the transcript (assessing failures as 40), and, that for passing grades, the class size (i.e., section) be added to the transcript (including failures in enrollment).
[Secretarial Note: Although the original proposed implementation date was January 1, 2001, Western in fact implemented class size and average on the transcript in April 2002. Senate was informed that the class average and class size would be on the transcript for courses in the fall/winter 2000 term and onward. Any undergraduate courses on the student’s transcript prior to fall/winter 2000 will only show the mark achieved.]
Transcript Notations:
- Transcript notations for suspension and expulsion will differentiate between Scholastic Discipline, Gender-Based and Sexual Violence (GBSV) offences, and Code of Student Conduct offences.
- A notation for suspension will be removed from the transcript when the student graduates or five years after the last registration.
- A notation for expulsion will be permanent unless a petition to the President for its removal is approved. The petition to remove an expulsion notation from the transcript may be made no sooner than five years after the offence. Removal of the expulsion notation from the transcript would not overturn the expulsion decision; the expulsion from the University would remain in effect.
Secretariat Note: See also the policies on Scholastic Discipline for Graduate and Undergraduate Students:
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_grad.pdf
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf
and the Code of Student Conduct:
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/board/code.pdf
Areas of Concentration in Law (To be on Transcripts)
Areas of Concentration are available in Business Law, Criminal Law, Information and Technology Law, and Taxation. All Area of Concentration programs require a student to complete a research paper in the pertinent area. The Area of Concentration research paper must meet the criteria of the Faculty's writing requirement necessary for graduation, and may be used to fulfil that requirement. Students who complete an area of concentration within the JD program will have a notation, e.g., "Area of Concentration: Business Law,” included on their transcripts.
Students who fulfill the requirements of more than one Area of Concentration shall have a notation for all such successfully completed concentrations included on their transcripts.
Recording Students' Names
In order to maintain the integrity of the University’s student records, each student is required to provide either on application for admission or on personal data forms required for registration, their complete legal name. Any requests to change a student’s name by means of alteration, deletion, substitution or addition, must meet the criteria outlined below.
Printing Students' Name on Degree Diplomas
Students’ names (first, middle and last names) as confirmed during the application to graduate process, will be printed on Degree Diplomas in capital letters. Students wishing to include lower case letters or accents in their names must follow the “Request to Change Students’ Names on Degree Diplomas ” policy below.
Requests to Change Students’ Names on Academic Records and Transcripts
Students who wish to change their name used for official registration purposes are required to provide acceptable documentation and photo identification reflecting the change.
Requests to Change Students’ Names on Degree Diplomas
Students who wish to include a variation of their complete name for the purpose of their printed degree are required to put this request in writing to the Office of the Registrar. The name variation for the printed degree will be retained as part of the student's permanent record and displayed on official transcripts with the degree conferral information*. To maintain data integrity, name change requests will not be accepted by email or through third parties without written authorization by the student.
The following are examples of acceptable requests for student name changes without documentation:
| Change | Example |
| Truncation of names | Alexander to A. |
| Diminutives of names | James to Jim |
| Variation in the order of names | Surname/Given name |
| Use of religious names | Addition of Mohammad |
| Removal of middle names | Jane Ann Smith to Jane Smith |
|
Using both capital and lower case letters |
MACKENZIE to MacKENZIE MCKENNA to McKENNA VON KUSTER to Von KUSTER |
|
Addition of accents |
NOELLE to NOËLLE FRANCOIS to FRANÇOIS |
| Use of previously approved Preferred/Chosen first name | See “Request to Change Students’ Preferred/Chosen First Name” policy |
*Requests to include accents will NOT be included on official transcripts or displayed as part of the student’s centrally maintained academic record
Request to Change Students’ Preferred/Chosen First Name
A student’s preferred/chosen first name is typically the first name that they commonly go by, and differs from their legal first name. Western University requires that individuals use their legal name on all legal records and official documents. However, Western University also recognizes that, as an inclusive community, many of its members use first names other than their legal first names to identify themselves. The University acknowledges that a preferred/chosen first name can and should be used wherever possible in the course of University business and education.
Preferred/Chosen First Name is supported in the systems identified through the Office of the Registrar.
Senate Academic Policies:
General Policy, Academic Records and Student Transcripts