The Adjudication Process for Fall/Winter 2012-2013:

“Adjudication” is the process of deciding whether or not a student is eligible for the degree and module(s) requested during the Intent to Register (ITR) period.  Adjudication occurs in May and again, during the summer months, if summer courses are taken.

Adjudication process for students requesting Year 2 of the BMSc program for 2012/13:

Registration in Year 2 of the BMSc program is limited to ~ 480 students.  The flow chart below provides a brief overview of the adjudication process -- a more detailed description of the adjudication process follows the flow chart

 
NOT ELIGIBLE FOR YEAR 2 BMSc:  The adjudication forms will be forwarded to the appropriate Academic Counselling Office (usually the Academic Counselling Office, Faculty of Science), for a final adjudication decision and determination of degree and module, referred to as the “program/plan”, for 2012/13.  Every attempt is made to assign a program/plan that is in the best interest of each student for the upcoming year – marks and ITR choices are taken into consideration.  If marks of at least 60% were achieved in each of the eight first-year half courses, students are usually registered in a BSc degree for Year 2 (honors, if possible), with one basic medical science Major (e.g. Major in Physiology) and another Major (often a Major in Biology).  Students with any mark less than 60% in the eight first-year half courses are not eligible to register in any basic medical science Major and will have to repeat/replace a first-year course(s) to be eligible to apply to Year 3 BMSc.  See Applying to Year 3 of the BMSc Program for details.

ELIGIBLE FOR YEAR 2 BMSc:  Steps 1 – 3 outline how students are admitted to Year 2 BMSc and then assigned to the various modules (Honors Specialization, Major, etc.):

Step 1:  admission to Year 2 BMSc:

• students who satisfy the Admission Requirements AND the Admission Criteria are admitted to Year 2 of the BMSc Program.  See “Applying to Year 2 of the BMSc Program” for information about the Admission Requirements and Criteria.

Step 2:  admission to Year 2 BMSc – if target of 480 students isn’t reached in Step 1:

• if fewer than 480 students are selected in Step 1, some of the Admission Criteria will be relaxed in order to reach the goal of 480 students, as follows:
• students with less than 5.0 courses in Year 1 will be considered
• students with an average less than 78% in the six half courses in biology, chemistry and math will be considered – an average less than 75% will not be considered
• students taking or repeating a first-year course (biology, chemistry, math, physics) in the summer
• Note:  Admission Requirements are not relaxed – students must pass all courses in the previous year and marks of at least 60% must be achieved in each of the first-year half courses in biology, chemistry, math and physics (if taken in Year 1)

Step 3:  assigning students to Honors Specialization (HSP) modules – there are limited spaces in each HSP module:

• the average used to determine eligibility for Year 2 BMSc is the same average used to rank the students who requested Honors Specialization modules during ITR, i.e. the average on the six half courses in biology, chemistry and math, referred to in the following bullets simply as “the average”.  To calculate the average, we add the marks achieved in all six half courses and divide by six.
• each of the 15 Honors Specialization modules has a maximum capacity (limited spaces) – see “Acceptance to Honors Specialization Modules in the BMSc Program”.  When the number of Year 2 BMSc students requesting a particular HSP module is greater than the maximum capacity, admission to the HSP module becomes competitive.  The average of the last student admitted to a competitive HSP module is considered to be the “cutoff average” and this cutoff average is higher than the average needed for admission to Year 2 BMSc.  There isn’t a pre-determined cutoff average for each HSP module – only the maximum capacity for each HSP module is pre-determined. 
• We determine which HSP module is the most competitive by figuring out which module has the highest cutoff average, based on First Choice requests.  We look at the Second Choice of each student whose average falls below the cutoff average and, if the Second Choice is another HSP module, we add the student to the list of those students requesting this HSP as their First Choice.  We then determine which HSP module is the second-most competitive module and figure out the cutoff average for that module.  We continue this process until we’ve determined the cutoff average for each HSP module.  Some HSP modules do not reach their maximum capacity and the average required to register in these modules is the same average that is required to register in Year 2 BMSc.
• if students are not accepted into either their First or Second Choice due to a limited number of spaces in HSP modules, they are considered for another Honors Specialization module or Double Major modules, whichever we think is more appropriate.  Every attempt is made to assign a module(s) so that students will have priority access to the courses in which they have expressed an interest (on the basis of the courses required in their First and Second Choice modules).  The course selection of most BMSc students in Year 2 is very similar and the module assigned in Year 2 should have little to no impact on course registration.
• Remember:  students have to submit an Intent to Register every year and you can request a change to your program/plan for Year 3 when you submit your First and Second Choices during the Intent to Register period (February – March, 2013).

What to expect:

• By mid-June, we will send email messages to all students who submitted First Choice requests for Year 2 of the BMSc Program.  We will let students know if they are eligible for Year 2 BMSc and, for those students who ARE eligible, we will specify the module(s) in which they will be registered next year.  The Office of the Registrar posts final marks and adjudication comments in the form of a Grade Report for each student in Student Centre in late May/early June, and the purpose of our email message is to provide a bit more information. Read the email message carefully and make sure you follow up by checking your grade report on Student Centre!  See How to Find Your Grade Report and Interpret the Remarks

What to do:

• Grade reports will be posted in Student Centre in early June, once the adjudication process is finished.  Check your grade report for final marks and report comments.
• Any requests to change program/plans (degree/modules) for 2012/13 will be processed through the Academic Counsellilng Office, Faculty of Science, for a very short period of time:  http://www.uwo.ca/sci/counselling/index.html  and only if the change is necessary.  Since most students in Year 2 of the BMSc Program take essentially the same courses regardless of the module in which they are registered, it is unlikely that changes from one module to another within Year 2 BMSc will be permitted following the adjudication period. 

Adjudication process for students entering Year 3 of the BMSc program for 2012/13:

Registration in Year 3 of the BMSc program is limited to ~ 450 students.  The flow chart below provides a brief overview of the adjudication process – a more detailed description of the adjudication process follows the flow chart.

NOT ELIGIBLE FOR YEAR 3 BMSc:  The adjudication forms will be forwarded to appropriate Academic Counselling Office (usually the Academic Counselling Office, Faculty of Science), for a final adjudication decision and determination of degree and module, referred to as the “program/plan”, for 2012/13.  Every attempt is made to assign a program/plan that is in the best interest of each student for the upcoming year -- marks and ITR choices are taken into consideration.  Students who are not eligible for Year 3 BMSc may not re-apply for the BMSc Program in the future.

ELIGIBLE FOR YEAR 3 BMSc:  Steps 1 – 3 outline how students are assigned to the various modules (Honors Specialization, Major, etc.):
Step 1:  admission to Year 3 BMSc

• students who satisfy the Admission Requirements AND the Admission Criteria are admitted to Year 3 of the BMSc Program.  See “Applying to Year 3 of the BMSc Program” for information about the Admission Requirements and Criteria.

Step 2:  admission to Year 3 BMSc (if target of 450 students isn’t reached in Step 1)

• if fewer than 450 students are selected in Step 1, some of the admission criteria will be relaxed in order to reach the goal of 450 students registered in Year 3 of the BMSc program, as follows:

• students with fewer than 5.0 courses in Year 2 will be considered
• students with an average less than 78% in their best 3.0 foundation courses will be considered  -- an average less than 75% will not be considered
• students taking or repeating a first-year course (biology, chemistry, math, physics) or a “foundation course” in the summer will be considered
• students with 2.5 foundation courses will be considered – students with fewer than 2.5 foundation courses will be considered only if there are exceptional circumstances
• Note:  Admission Requirements are not relaxed – students must pass all courses in the previous year and marks of at least 60% must be achieved in each of the first-year half courses in biology, chemistry, math and physics

Step 3:  assigning students to Honors Specialization (HSP) modules (limited spaces in the HSP modules)

• the average used to determine eligibility for Year 3 BMSc is the same average used to rank the students who requested Honors Specialization modules during ITR, i.e. the average on the best 3.0 foundation courses, referred to in the following bullets simply as “the average”.  To calculate the average, we add the marks achieved in the best six foundation half courses and divide by six.
• each of the 15 Honors Specialization modules has a maximum capacity (limited spaces) – see “Acceptance to Honors Specialization Modules in the BMSc Program”.  When the number of Year 3 BMSc students requesting a particular HSP module is greater than the maximum capacity, admission to the HSP module becomes competitive.  The average of the last student admitted to a competitive HSP module is considered to be the “cutoff average” and this cutoff average is higher than the average needed for admission to Year 3 BMSc.  There isn’t a pre-determined cutoff average for each HSP module – only the maximum capacity for each HSP module is pre-determined. 
• We determine which HSP module is the most competitive by figuring out which module has the highest cutoff average, based on First Choice requests.  We look at the Second Choice of each student whose average falls below the cutoff average and, if the Second Choice is another HSP module, we add the student to the list of those students requesting this HSP as their First Choice.  We then determine which HSP module is the second-most competitive module and figure out the cutoff average for that module.  We continue this process until we’ve determined the cutoff average for each HSP module.  Some HSP modules do not reach their maximum capacity and the average required to register in these modules is the same average that is required to register in Year 3 BMSc.
• if students who are eligible for Year 3 BMSc are not accepted into either their First or Second Choice due to a limited number of spaces in HSP modules, they are considered for another Honors Specialization module or Double Major modules within the BMSc Program, whichever we think is more appropriate.  Every attempt is made to assign a module(s) so that students will have priority access to the courses in which we think they’re most interested, based on ITR choices.  If students do not secure a space in the Honors Specialization module of their First (or Second) Choice in Year 3, they can re-apply to the HSP module again in Year 4, provided the appropriate courses are chosen in Year 3.  Check the Academic Calendar and review the Weighted Averages Chart for information on which courses to take in Year 3 and how the Weighted Averages are calculated for admission to Year 4 of the HSP modules.

What to expect:

• By mid-June, Joan will send email messages to all students who submitted a First Choice request for Year 3 of the BMSc Program.  We will let students know if they are eligible for Year 3 BMSc and, for those students who ARE eligible, we will specify the module(s) in which they will be registered next year.  The Office of the Registrar posts final marks and adjudication comments in the form of a Grade Report for each student in Student Centre in late May/early June, and the purpose of our email message is to provide a bit more information. Read the email message carefully and make sure you follow up by checking your grade report on Student Centre!  See How to Find Your Grade Report and Interpret the Remarks

What to do:

• Grade reports will be posted in Student Centre in late May or early June, once the adjudication process is finished.  Check your grade report for final marks and report comments.
• Any requests to change program/plans (degree/modules) for 2012/13 will be processed through the Academic Counselling Office, Faculty of Science for a very short period of time:  http://www.uwo.ca/sci/counselling/index.html

Adjudication process for students entering Year 4 of the BMSc Program for 2012/13:

Only those students registered in Year 3 of the BMSc Program may move on to Year 4 of the BMSc program.  

Adjudication forms will arrive from the Office of the Registrar in mid-May.  Students requesting Double Majors within the BMSc program or Specialization modules (non-honors BMSc degrees) are adjudicated in the BMSUE Office (by Kathy).

Assigning students to HSP modules (limited spaces in HSP modules):

• departments will review the adjudication form and Weighted Average for each student requesting Year 4 of their HSP module(s).
• Students will not be considered for an HSP module in Year 4 if their Weighted Average falls below 75%.
• each of the HSP modules has a maximum capacity (limited spaces) – see “Acceptance to Honors Specialization Modules in the BMSc Program”.  When the number of students requesting a particular HSP module is greater than the maximum capacity, admission to the module becomes competitive.
• the Weighted Average of the last student admitted to a competitive HSP module is the “cutoff average”.  There isn’t a pre-determined cutoff average for each HSP module – only the maximum capacity for each HSP module is pre-determined. 
• If a student’s Weighted Average falls below the cutoff average for a competitive HSP module, they will be considered for their Second choice.  Students in this situation may be put on a waiting list for their First Choice and will see a waiting list comment in the “Remarks” section of their Grade Report in Student Centre.  Students who are put on a waiting list will be adjudicated for their Second Choice and notified later in the summer if a space becomes available for them in the HSP of their First Choice.
• If students who aren’t eligible for their First Choice are not put on a waiting list, the department offering the Second Choice module will review the adjudication forms and the Weighted Averages appropriate for the Second Choice.
• adjudication forms are returned to the BMSUE Office for final approval by Kathy and then forwarded on to the Office of the Registrar for the processing of adjudication decisions.

What to expect:

• In late May, Joan will send email messages to all students who requested registration in Year 4 of the BMSc program so that students know the results of their adjudication as soon as possible and the module or modules in which they will be registered for next year.  Read our email message carefully and follow up by checking Student Centre for your Grade Report.  

What to do:

• Keep an eye out for Joan’s email starting in late May and check for your Grade Report in Student Centre in late May, once students have been adjudicated.  Check your Grade Report for final marks and report comments -- see How to Find Your Grade Report and Interpret the Remarks.

• Any requests to change program/plans (degree/modules) for 2012/13 will be processed through the Academic Counselling Office, Faculty of Science for a very short period of time:  http://www.uwo.ca/sci/counselling/index.html
• Students accepted into HSP modules that contain a Year 4 research project will be contacted by the department later in the summer with information about supervisors, etc.