About

This Guide

The Office of the Registrar (RO), working with University of Alberta (U of A) Governance, has created this guide to help answer some of the most common questions regarding the Calendar and the process of making changes to it. This document is not an official, all-inclusive exploration of policy/procedure. This document is a work in progress; if there are any doubts regarding formal processes, please contact the RO or U of A Governance.

The Calendar

The Post-Secondary Learning Act (PSLA) gives General Faculties Council (GFC) responsibility over the “preparation and publication of the University Calendar” [section 26(1)(g)]. This responsibility is delegated to the GFC Executive committee who in turn delegates many responsibilities regarding the printing and publication of the Calendar to the University Registrar. Policy and procedures (through the PSLA, GFC Committee Terms of Reference and UAPPOL) instruct the processes by which the Calendar is changed. As a result, the Office of the Registrar (RO), Office of the Provost, and U of A Governance have a close relationship in the production of the Calendar.

The Calendar is one of the principal sources of U of A policy information, particularly for current and prospective students. Among other information, it reflects admission regulations and deadlines, academic regulations, programs of study, academic standards, degree requirements and general University policies for both undergraduate and graduate students. The Calendar is considered our contract with students. From the front page of the Calendar, Important Notice:

By the act of registering for a course or a course of study, each student at the University of Alberta agrees to observe and be bound by the terms of this notice, and the terms, conditions, academic standards, rules, regulations, policies, and codes of behaviour contained or referenced in the Calendar. Therefore, it is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the contents of the Calendar. The Calendar sets forth the intention of the University at the time the Calendar was prepared.

Knowing that the Calendar is a type of contract and a source of policy information, and understanding that the processes for changing the Calendar are themselves instructed by policy or procedure, it should be no surprise that much (though not all) of the Calendar content requires some kind of formal approval before it can be modified or removed. Throughout the Calendar Guide, this is generally referred to as the approval process or governance approval. The Guide points to the varying procedures and committee pathways that changes must be routed through before they can be implemented in practice, and reflected in the Calendar. These processes are vital; it is through the networks of governance and policy that we can work together to maintain the integrity of the Calendar.

The Calendar Team

Calendar Editor - Responsible for the production of the Calendar in electronic format. Compiles the draft version of the Calendar and works with Faculties, Departments and other units to ensure the Calendar accurately reflects changes approved through the governance process.

Specialist, Class Scheduling - Responsible for maintaining the course record in Campus Solutions, which is then exported into the Calendar.

Assistant Registrar, Enrollment Services - Oversees the course record and the academic schedule.

Associate Registrar, Enrollment Management - Oversees the production of the University Calendar.