For comprehensive information on Trent University's policies, procedures and programs, please review the Academic Calendar.
- Getting Started at Trent University
- Course Registration
- Programs & Degrees
- Grades
- Academic Standing & Assessments
- Graduation & Convocation
Getting Started at Trent University
Academic Policies & Regulations
Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the policies and regulations set out in the Academic Calendar. You will also need to make sure you know the final dates to add and drop courses and the financial deadlines associated with registration, including final refund dates. Please visit Important Dates & Deadlines for the final dates.
myTrent
myTrent is the student portal at Trent University. It is your personalized way to keep up-to-date with Trent news and events, check important dates, and view your academic record. You can use it to update your contact information, check your grades, register and drop courses, access Blackboard, your Trent student email account, and much more.
Blackboard
Blackboard is Trent’s online learning system. It’s an excellent tool for instructors to post lecture notes, assignment grades and encourage online discussion. It is very important to understand that you cannot make changes to your registration on Blackboard. If you want to add or drop a course, you have to use myTrent. If the instructor has set up the course, you should be able to see your course on Blackboard either 5 days before the course begins, or within 24 hours if the course has already started. Blackboard is managed by our Information Technology department. Any questions about Blackboard should be directed to it@trentu.ca.
Your Academic Record
Student academic record information (e.g. application, registration, grades, academic standing) will not be released to a third-party, such as a parent or guardian, without your written authorization. This can be done in myTrent using the Release of Information form located under Academics → Forms. You can make changes to your mailing address and phone number in myTrent under Finances → My Account → Address. Every student is required to provide their legal name on their admission application and in personal data required for registration. If you need to make changes to your name, please email registrar@trentu.ca and be prepared to supply appropriate supporting documentation.
Trent Student Email
Once your Trent account is active, you will need to use your Trent student email address (username@trentu.ca) for all communication with staff, faculty, and other students. This is considered your official contact address and we will only contact you through your Trent email account. Any communication received from a non-Trent address may be ignored or deleted.
Course Registration
There are several resources available to help you with course registration. You may wish to begin by reviewing our Course Registration Webinar, which covers everything from what courses will you need for your degree, how to build a conflict-free schedule using our Visual Schedule Builder tool, and how to register using the myTrent system. Academic Advising, your best contacts for help choosing courses that will fulfill your degree requirements, has put together a few documents for first-year students, including suggestions for first-year course selection by program.
Registration Deadlines
Trent uses a Priority Registration Schedule which opens registration based on your total completed credits. Registration normally starts in mid-June, beginning with students who have completed at least 16 credits before June 1. The schedule is posted each year at Priority Registration Schedule. It is important to register for all of your courses for the year as soon as possible to ensure you get a spot in the courses in which you are interested. You only need to register for each full-year (Fall/Winter) course once. Make sure that you take the full-year course into account when you are building your timetable for the Winter term.
Important academic dates are posted at Important Dates & Deadlines, as well as in the Important Dates section of the Academic Calendar. These dates include the first and last day of classes, the final date to add and drop courses without penalty and reading break and exam period dates. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with these dates and deadlines.
Remember that financial deadline dates are often different from academic dates. The final date to receive a refund for a dropped course is normally months before the final date to drop the course and remove it from your transcript. The financial deadlines are published at Important Dates & Deadlines, in the Important Dates section of the Academic Calendar and at Student Accounts.
Course Schedule & Timetable
Information about course timetables and schedule building can be found at Academic Timetable. If you are struggling with choosing a section of a full-year course that works in both your Fall and Winter schedules, you can look into switching to a different section that fits your second term timetable when the Fall term finishes. Make sure you discuss this option with your instructor in the Fall. If the instructor agrees, have them send an email to registrar@trentu.ca in January to officially change your registration. It is very important to have our office make this change, or your final grade may not be entered correctly.
Please note that not all courses are offered each term. If the course is not listed in the Academic Timetable, then it is not being offered for that term. If you are particularly interested in a course, you can try contacting the department that offers it to find out when it will be available next. Trent University offers a tool called Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to help students arrange a timetable. Watch the video on How to Access and Use VSB to create the best possible timetable and register for your courses.
Issues with Registration
The registration system will tell you in red letters at the top of the page why you’re being blocked from registering. Some common reasons for being blocked from registering are below.
- You don’t meet the prerequisites. If this is the case and you are still interested in taking the course, you can try contacting the department about a Prerequisite Waiver.
- Registering in another course would put you in Course Overload. Students in Good Standing are able to register themselves in one half-credit (0.5) overload per term in Fall/Winter Term. Students wishing to double overload, or students not in Good Standing wishing to take an overload, must petition the Committee on Undergraduate Petitions for permission.
- You need to declare your major. If you have completed at least 3.0 credits at Trent, you will need to declare a major before registering for courses. You can use the Request to Declare or Change Major form in myTrent to do so. You should note that it may take up to three business days before your request is processed.
- You have a fee block. Student Accounts can restrict students with outstanding fees from registering in courses. If you owe money to the University, you will need to get permission from Student Accounts before being allowed to register for courses.
- You are on suspension. Students on suspension must be away from the university for 12 months before applying to be allowed back.
- If you are a new student, you may have an admission condition outstanding. You may need to submit a document or meet with an Academic Advisor before the block is lifted.
The staff in the Office of the Registrar is happy to help answer your questions about registration blocks if you do not think you belong in any of the above categories.
Course Load
Full-time students must take at least 3.5 credits over the full year (Fall and Winter terms). Anything less than that is considered part-time. A full course load is 2.5 credits per term, or 5.0 credits over the full year. Full-time students can drop to part-time status without officially declaring the change. It is very important to consider finances before you make this decision; please consult with your Academic Advisor or a Financial Aid representative. Full-time students in Good Standing (with an average of at least 60% in 3.0 Trent credits) can put themselves in single overload, or an extra 0.5 credit in each term. For more information, please visit Course Overload.
If you were admitted on a part-time basis and now want to transfer to full-time course load, you can submit a request through myTrent under Academics > Forms. The Office of the Registrar considers all applications following review of final marks in May. Notifications are emailed to students in mid-June. To be considered for a transfer to full-time studies, your academic status must be Good Standing (60% cumulative average on 3.0 Trent credits) with at least 50% in each credit.
Waitlisted Courses
Summer Courses
Prerequisite Waiver Request
Course Drop/Withdrawal
As long as your Course Withdrawal form is submitted before the last day to withdraw from courses, your courses will be dropped for you. You will be withdrawn from the courses based on the date that you requested the changes. If the withdrawal form is submitted after the deadline, the courses will remain on your record. If you have missed the final date to drop, you should get in contact with your Academic Advisor and the Office of the Registrar immediately. You will be advised depending on your situation and how far it is past the deadline. You are strongly encouraged to do your best to finish the courses that are left on your record. If your circumstances changed after the deadline and you will be unable to complete your courses, you should contact an Academic Advisor to discuss a petition for Late Withdrawal.
If you dropped your course before the deadline, the course will disappear from your record and does not receive a grade. Once the drop date has passed, the registration system will not allow you to drop courses, and they will stay on your transcript and receive a final grade. Be sure to check your registration status so you know the drop was successful. You can do this in myTrent under Register and Drop Courses and checking your current courses, or by looking at your timetable.
University Withdrawal
You are always encouraged to talk to an Academic Advisor before you withdraw from Trent University. Students often leave the University because they are not aware of their options. If you do decide to withdraw, you have to fill out a Request for Withdrawal form in myTrent > Academics > Forms.
Course Codes & Cross-listing
A course code consists of four letters indicating the department offering the course and then a four-digit number. The first digit in the number indicates the year level. For example, ANTH 1001H is a first-year Anthropology course. The letter following the course code indicates term and credit level.
- A course number with a "Y" suffix indicates that the course is worth 1 credit and is full-term (Fall and Winter).
- A course number with an “H” suffix indicates that the course is worth 0.5 credit and is half-term (Fall or Winter).
- A course number with a "C" suffix indicates that the course is worth 1.5 credits.
- A course number with a “D” suffix indicates that the course is worth 2.0 credits.
Courses can be cross-listed with more than one department. This means that a course can count for degree credit towards either of the degrees associated with the course. For example, CAST-HIST 3240Y is a Canadian Studies course, but can also count as a History credit. Be sure to check the Academic Calendar before taking a course to make sure it will count towards your degree requirements. There are a few courses that do not follow this pattern so be sure to read the course description carefully.
You can choose which title you would like to appear on your transcript. For example, if you register for CAST 3240Y, that code will appear on your transcript. However, you can also register for HIST 3240Y. It is the same course with the same instructor and students, but will appear on your transcript differently. You can make a change to how a cross-listed course appears on your record until final grades are submitted.
Programs & Degrees
It is very important to make sure you meet both the general university requirements and your specific program requirements. The Academic Calendar outlines the university degree requirements which all Trent students must meet to qualify for graduation, as well as the program specific requirements. It is important to do a degree audit with an Academic Advisor to make sure you are aware of all of your requirements before your final year. For example, there is a limit to the number of first-year courses which can be counted towards a degree. Your Academic Advisor is your first point of contact for help navigating degree requirements and making sure you are progressing towards graduation. You may also want to contact your department for questions about course waivers.
Declare/Change Major
Students are encouraged to declare their major as soon as possible using the Request to Declare or Change Major application in myTrent. Once you have completed 3.0 credits at Trent, you will be required to declare your major before you can register for courses. If you change your mind later, you can always change your major again in myTrent. You should always make an appointment with an Academic Advisor when you change your major to make sure you are meeting your degree requirements. For Concurrent and Teacher Education Stream students, changing your major will not remove you from your program. Please contact the School of Education.
Special Programs & Opportunities
Minors, options, emphases and specializations can be declared using the Change of Major form in myTrent under Academics > Forms. If you have met all the requirements, the minor, option, emphasis or specialization will be noted on your transcript; however it will not appear on your degree certificate. More information about Special Programs & Opportunities can be found in the Academic Calendar.
Specialization
A Specialization is a prescribed set of at least 4.0 credits providing a particular focus within a student’s major. To earn a Specialization, students must complete the requirements of both the Specialization and the major. A Specialization may only be completed as part of an Honours or General degree. A Specialization will be notated on the academic transcript but does not appear on the degree parchment.
Option
An Option is a prescribed set of at least 4.0 credits with a particular thematic focus outside a student’s major. To earn an Option, students must complete the requirements of both the Option and their major. An Option may only be completed as part of an Honours or General degree. An Option will be notated on the academic transcript but does not appear on the degree parchment.
Minor
A minor is a prescribed set of at least 5.0 credits providing a secondary area of focus different from a student’s major. A minor may only be completed as part of an Honours degree. Normally the requirements of a minor are the same as those of the corresponding joint major general degree, and is offered only in subject areas in which a major exists. A minor will be notated on the academic transcript but will not appear on the degree certificate. Students who have fulfilled the requirements for a single-major or joint-major Honours degree may apply to the Office of the Registrar for a minor in a different subject. See individual department and program entries for details.
Grades
Grade Release
The release date for final grades changes every year, but is normally early January for the Fall term and early May for the Winter term. There are several options for viewing your grades online in myTrent under Academics.
- Academic Record will show you a list of your courses and the term in which you took them. It also includes your mid-term and final grades, the credit earned, and whether or not the course was a repeat.
- Unofficial Transcript will show all final grades. The unofficial transcript gives you an idea of what your official transcript will look like. It displays all grades and any transcript notations. It does not have an official signature or seal and cannot be used as an official transcript. You can access your unofficial transcript by logging into myTrent under Academics > Unofficial Transcript. It is highly recommended that you review your unofficial transcript before ordering an official transcript.
Course Repeat
You can repeat a course to get a higher grade up to twice for a total of three course attempts. Each attempt will appear on your transcript and count in your term average, but only the highest one will count towards your cumulative average. You can only get credit towards your degree for one attempt.
Grade Appeal
You have the right to appeal your final grade if you feel it is not accurate or fair. It is sometimes possible to make an informal appeal to your department, so you should contact them first. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of that conversation, you have the right to submit a formal Grade Appeal through myTrent under Academics > Forms > Grade Appeal - Final Grade. Be sure to check the deadlines for submitting appeals in the Academic Calendar before submitting an appeal.
The form is submitted online to the Office of the Registrar with a $25 payment. The appeal is then sent to the department for consideration. When a decision is made, the department will send the appeal back to the Office of the Registrar, who will notify the student. Inquiries on the status of a grade appeal are best made to the department first. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your grade appeal, you have the right to appeal the decision at the Special Appeals Committee.
Average Calculation
Averages are calculated by dividing the total grades by the total number of credits (not courses). Make sure to divide your half credit grades in half before adding them to your full credit grades. Please see the example below.
You took one 1.0 credit course and one 0.5 credit course for a total of 1.5 credits and got the following grades.
- 1.0 credit 80%
- 0.5 credit 70%
70 / 2 = 35
80 + 35 = 115
115 / 1.5 = 76.67%
Please note that the Office of the Registrar does not round up. In the example above, the average of 76.67% will not be rounded up to 77%. Remember that the lower grade in a repeated course will not count towards your cumulative average. If you have questions about your grade average, feel free to contact the Office of the Registrar.
Extenuating Circumstances
You should discuss issues you may be having with your Academic Advisor first. They may advise that you request an Incomplete Standing, Aegrotat Standing, or submit a petition. Information about these options are in the Academic Calendar.
Academic Standing & Assessments
Academic Standing
Academic standings are based on cumulative and term averages. Your cumulative average is the average of all the courses you have ever taken at Trent. Your term average is the average of the courses you took in the most recent term. We assess after the Fall/Winter term and after the Summer term. The Fall/Winter term average will be based on your Fall and Winter final grades. If you are concerned that your standing is incorrect, please contact us right away. Below are some guidelines for common academic standings.
- Good: A cumulative average of 60% on at least 3.0 Trent credits, regardless of term average.
- Probation: A cumulative average of 50%-59.9%. If you were on probation in your last term and your term or cumulative average falls below 50%, you will be suspended.
- Suspension: You will be suspended if your cumulative average falls below 50% or if you were on probation in your last term and your term or cumulative average falls below 50%.
Academic Assessment
The Office of the Registrar runs academic assessments in May and again in August of each year. Assessments are based on your grades and determine your academic standing. They are designed to evaluate student progress at the University. Only students who have attempted at least 3.0 credits at Trent will be assessed for academic standing. Trent offers many options for students in academic distress. Your first stop should always be your Academic Advisor, who can help you determine the best options for you personally. Some of the programs Trent offers include, Rebound (first year students), peer mentoring, the Academic Skills Centre, the Student Wellness Centre and Student Accessibility Services.
Dean's Honour Roll
The Dean’s Honour Roll is a notation on your transcript that recognizes academic excellence. To be eligible, you must have an 80% term average with a cumulative average of at least 75%. All students on the Dean’s Honour Roll will also be assessed in good academic standing. The transcript notation and email notification of Dean’s Honour Roll will follow your notification of good academic standing within a few days. The Office of the Registrar does not issue printed certificates for Dean's Honour Roll.
President's Honour Roll
The President’s Honour Roll is for graduating students only with a cumulative average of 80% or better. The transcript notation and email notification of President's Honour Roll will follow your notification of degree conferral.