Senate Votes for Changes to Drop Date Regulations & Double-Counting of Courses

Senate Votes for Changes to Drop Date Regulations & Double-Counting of Courses

This past Friday, the UPEI Senate, the body responsible for academic policy, made two important decisions regarding academic policy and procedure.

In the first decision, the Senate voted to streamline the process to discontinue a course. Instead of having two course “drop” dates each semester, only one date in October / February has been kept (the later one), and the refund rate has been increased to 50%. This move is anticipated to reduce stress for students as it will give them more time to gather feedback and then decide whether it is in their best interest to continue with or to drop a course. The new model is also expected to collectively save thousands of dollars for students who do eventually decide to discontinue their courses.

The second Senate decision that impacts students favourably was to allow the double-counting of courses. Double-counting is the practice of having one course satisfy the requirements of two different and concurrent designations within one degree. The following limitations apply:  In the case of a major and a minor, a maximum of six semester hours of credit can be double-counted. In the case of a double major, a maximum of nine semester hours of credit can be double-counted.

About the University of Prince Edward Island Senate: The Senate is responsible for academic affairs, including changes to academic regulations, changes to courses and degree requirements, and selecting calendar dates for the University. It features representation from seven student senators, six of whom are elected through Student Union elections.