Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
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Are the four courses listed in the guidelines required to be all upper level courses?

Yes, all four courses must be 3000 level or above.

Should I make corrections to the original report?

The faculty expects to see a clean copy of any text. Do not submit a copy with faculty comments or grades. Students are expected to re-read reports and correct obvious mistakes. You are allowed to submit revised reports.

Can I include a project from a course that I am currently taking, but will not complete by the deadline to turn in my final portfolio?

No, given that only four projects are required for the portfolio, it should be complete prior to the scheduling of a faculty panel.

Will I be required to submit a CD-ROM version of my portfolio and will training on CD-ROM be offered?

Yes, students will be required to submit a CD-ROM version of their final portfolio. A CD writing workshop will be held for students.

How is my faculty panel selected?

Panel membership is organized by the course facilitator. While students may not request specific members of the faculty for their panel, they may invite any faculty member to attend. All departmental faculty may participate in the question-and-answer portion of the presentation and participate in the panel deliberations at the conclusion of the presentation.

Who is allowed to attend the presentation?

The session is open to the university community, including any family or friends the student wishes to invite. Students taking our Foundations course are required to attend some sessions.

What questions do the faculty ask? What do I say when I don’t understand the question, or if I don’t know the answer?

The questions and statements in the suggestion section provide a good idea of what kind of questions are asked. When asked a question, it is a good idea to paraphrase the question and, if no clarification is offered by the questioner, to continue to an answer. When one doesn’t understand the question, it shows good communication skills to ask for a re-statement. When one doesn’t know the answer, saying something like “I don’t know” or “I would need to refresh my memory” is sensible.

What are the most common reasons for unsatisfactory results and what are the consequences?

(1) Failure to submit the portfolio on time is the most common problem. We have had a few cases of sloppy and/or incomplete portfolio. Infrequently, we have seen failures to prepare the opening speech, or a demonstration of an indifferent or disrespectful attitude when answering questions.

(2) The student may be required to sign up for COMM 4000 for the next term, or given an incomplete which must be completed by a certain date early in the next term. When the student fails to meet the deadline for submitting the portfolio (including the digital copy), or turns in a sloppy or incomplete portfolio, the facilitator will exclude the student from the course. The faculty panel sometimes allows a re-hearing of the presentation, or may assign a faculty to supervise corrections prior to accepting the portfolio and/or presentation.