Sincere thanks to all of the students who took the time to join me during my visits to the various residences. It was great to have a chance to sit and speak informally with students who live there. I got a lot of good ideas about how to improve life in the residences and on campus generally. The students also raised some questions with me that I wasn't able to answer on the spot. I promised to get back to them through my blog, so you can expect to see me posting the responses here in coming weeks as I gather the information.

Question 1

Why does the current academic calendar provide such a short break after the winter examination period (December 23, 2009 to January 4, 2010 – 11 days) – much shorter than other universities in the province?

Answer 1

The changes made to the fall semester — the addition of a study week and the standardization to 60 days of classes — mean that students will generally finish earlier. For example, in 2012 the examination period will end on December 19, in 2013 on December 17 and in 2014 on December 16.

Question 2

Would it be possible to extend the examination schedule to provide more time for the students to recharge between exams?

Answer 2

It’s difficult to prolong the examination period given such factors as the fall semester starting after Labour Day, the addition of a fall study week, and ending the term as early as possible in December. We cannot have less than 60 days of classes. Due to the changes made to the fall semester, the exam period will always be 14 days. Our exam period is one of the longest compared to other Ontario universities. Here are some examples from other universities:

Number of exam days

-    McMaster    13 days in the fall, 16 in the winter

-    Guelph        11 days

-    Toronto    10 days, exceptions at 5, 9, 12 and 14 (for certain faculties)

-    Carleton    13 days*

-    Western    12 days*

-    Queen’s    15 days*

-    Ryerson    11 days

*According to their university calendar. (subject to approval)

Question 3

There seems to be some confusion about the current model for admission scholarships, and requirements to maintain them throughout the academic career. What is the policy at uOttawa?

Answer 3

At the University of Ottawa, a student who loses his or her admission scholarship in any given year can get it back if they maintain a cumulative grade point average of 8.5 in the following year. Here’s a link to the information.

Question 4

Do civil law students get an autumn study break?

Answer 4

The official academic calendar is available on our website. Civil law students do indeed get an autumn study break.