MOS 3321G Consumer Behavior

Course Outline: Winter 2020

1. Basic Course Information:

1.1 Scheduled Class Location and Time: Fridays 10:30am - 1:30pm, HC - W108

1.2 Contact Information:

Instructor: Matthew Maxwell-Smith, PhD
Office: A20
Office Hours: TBD
Phone: n/a
Email: mmaxweluwo@gmail.com
Website Address: http://owl.uwo.ca/portal

2. Calendar Description
2.1 Course Description:
This course focuses on understanding and predicting consumer behavior by integrating
theories from psychology, sociology, anthropology and economics. Emphasis will be on
how behavior is shaped by internal and external influences.

3 lecture hours, 0.5 course

Prerequisite(s): MOS 2320A/B or MOS 3320A/B and enrollment in 3rd or 4th year of
BMOS
2.2 Senate Regulations
Senate Regulations state, “Students are responsible for ensuring that they have
successfully completed all course prerequisites. If you do not have the prerequisites for this
course, and you do not have written special permission from your Dean to enroll in this
course, you will be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This
decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that
you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.”

3. Course Learning Objectives

Consumer decision-making is often complex and far from rational. This course focuses on
understanding and predicting consumer behavior by integrating theories from psychology,
sociology, anthropology and economics. Topics include the importance of consumer behaviour
and research; internal influences such as motivation and involvement, personality, self-image,
life-style, perception, learning, attitude formation and change, and communication; external
influences such as culture, subculture, social class, reference groups and family, and the
diffusion of innovations; and consumer decision making.

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

 Identify the key terms, concepts, and theories of consumer behaviour
 Evaluate the principal theories of consumer behaviour; critically assess strengths,
limitations and applications
 Apply consumer behaviour concepts to real world marketing problems and develop
better marketing programs and strategies to influence those behaviours
 Analyze the current trends in consumer behaviour; and apply them to the marketing of
an actual product or service.

4. Course Plan and Format

4.1 Course Plan
Welcome to Consumer Behaviour! Consumer
spending powers 70% of the Canadian economy, and
understanding consumer behaviour is critical to
successful marketing. Marketing begins and ends with
the consumer—from determining consumer needs
and wants and delivering consumer satisfaction.
Marketing would be relatively easy if all consumers
responded the same way. However, this is far from
being the case. In fact, even the same individual
consumer can behave in an inconsistent manner.
Consumer behaviour is complex, and predicting
consumer behaviour is rather difficult.
The course begins by investigating internal influences on consumer behaviours. Drawing
from psychology, we look at perception, theories of learning and motivation, self‐concept
and values, as well as personality and lifestyles. We then consider the key roles played by
attitudes on consumer behaviour, how attitudes are formed, and how attitudes can be
changed. Next, we examine individual decision‐making, including the decision‐making
process, and how other individuals, groups, families, as well as situational factors
 combine to influence the consumer. Incorporating theories and concepts from the
domains of sociology and anthropology, in the latter part of the course we shift our focus
to understanding consumer behaviour at the group level. Here we consider socio-
demographic predictors of behaviour, various subcultures of consumers residing within
and outside of Canada, and the critical roles played by culture on consumer behaviour.
The course will also touch upon the research methods and critical thinking skills used to
study consumer behaviour.

4.2 Course format

The lectures and readings are the base of knowledge

acquisition, which will be supplemented by class
discussions, presentations, assignments, games, and
other activities. Together, these tasks are designed to
provide students the opportunity to learn the theories and
concepts of consumer behaviour, and to practically apply
this knowledge to managerial contexts.
Students are expected attend all classes, and to remain in
attendance throughout the entire class. Class sessions
will be devoted to applying, extending and critiquing the
material in the assigned readings. Therefore, it is very
important that students be prepared to talk about the material under consideration, and that
means it is necessary to read and critically think about the assigned materials before
coming to class. Outline versions of lecture notes will be made available to students as a
courtesy, and it is expected that students download and use them to maintain the pace of
lectures. Moreover, the outline notes contain learning objectives that illustrate what each
student should grasp from the lecture and readings, and how they should prepare for the
midterm and final exams. Full versions of notes will NOT be provided to students under
ANY circumstances. All students are responsible for all course material, and should contact
their peers for notes of missed classes. Lecture notes may not be available for guest
speakers.

5. Textbook
Required: Solomon, Michael R., Katherine White & Darren W. Dahl
(2015). Consumer Behaviour: Buying, Having, and Being (7th
Canadian Edition). Pearson Education Canada. ISBN: 978‐0‐13‐
395809-6.
Additional readings from academic journals, practitioners’ journals
and the popular press may be assigned periodically, to illustrate and
expand upon the concepts covered in the text. Class sessions will be
devoted to applying, extending, and critiquing the assigned reading
materials. Students must be prepared to talk about the material
under consideration, and that means that students must read and
critically think about the assigned materials before the scheduled
class.
Material covered in lectures will not always be the same as material covered in the textbook.
These two sources should be viewed as complimentary and not redundant. As such, students
who want to do well in this course are strongly encouraged to attend lectures on a regular
basis. Please note that the instructor will not be providing copies of lectures notes or overheads.
Therefore, if you miss a lecture, you should try to obtain this material from another student.

6. Evaluation

Summary of Evaluation Components

Components Points/Percentage of Course Grade

Midterm Exam 20

Final Exam 30

Attendance & Participation 15

Term Project 35

Students are REQUIRED TO COMPLETE ALL COMPONENTS of this course. There are no
exceptions to this. Extra assignments to improve grades will NOT be allowed. Grades will not
be adjusted on the basis of need. It is important to monitor your performance in the course.
Remember: You are responsible for your grades in this course.
Below is an abbreviated summary of the evaluation components, which will be described in
more detail as the course progresses.

6.1 Midterm Exam (20pts) and Final Exam (30pts):

There will be a mid-term and final exam in the course. These may include a combination of
multiple-choice, quantitative problem solving, qualitative appraisals, short answer questions,
cases, and/or short essay questions. Questions can pertain to any of the material covered
during the course, including those topics contained in video presentations, class
discussions/activities, and ALL assigned readings.
Both the mid-term and final exams are closed-book. Dictionaries are NOT allowed into the
examinations. The final exam will take place during the regular final examination period, and is
non-cumulative (100% post-midterm material). Exams will not be returned to students but may
be reviewed in the instructor’s office.
Instructions for attending exams:

 Bring student identification, a pencil, an eraser, and a pen. Nothing is to be on/at one's
desk during an exam except these items.
 Do not wear baseball caps to exams
 Do not bring music players, cell phones, or other electronic devices to exams

6.2 Attendance (5 pts) & Participation Mark (10pts):

Students are expected to regularly attend class, and participate in and make regular contribution
to class discussions. Merely attending class is not considered sufficient for “participating” in
class. Weak contributions reflect poor classroom etiquette, or little effort to contribute to the
discussion. Adequate contributions consist of responding to questions. Strong contributions are
those which reflect that the student has read the assigned materials before class and has an
accurate understanding of the content.
6.3 Term Project (35pts):
Throughout the term students can choose to work as individuals or in teams on a term project
that will be conducted outside of class. Term projects can take one of the following options:
Option #1 (academic literature review): conduct a research review that examines and discusses
the results of multiple studies regarding one broad topic.
Option #2 (academic research proposal): propose a new research study that outlines a
proposed methodology for collecting data that will addresses a specific information gap for a
variety of business-to-consumer companies/industries
Option #3 (applied brand analysis): analyze background information on a current brand from
the perspective of 2-3 concepts and theories discussed in this course. Your analysis should
include an explanation of the relevant consumer behaviour concepts or theories, how the brand
relates to/applies to these concepts or theories, and an evaluation on the effectiveness of
applying these concepts or theories.
For either of these options, you will be expected to prepare a memo due Week 2 that describes
your interests and intentions for the project, a progress report (5 points) due Week 5, then a
final report (15 points) due Week 11 and a 10-15 minute presentation (10 points) to be
delivered on Week 12. More details on each option and each evaluation component of the
project will be provided later in the term. During the course of the semester, you are encouraged
to meet with the professor at least once for advice.
If you decide to work as a team on the term project, your peers’ evaluations will also be taken
into account and your grade(s) on the project may be adjusted if the evaluations in the team
indicate an uneven distribution of contribution and effort. If, for example, a student’s team
received a 85% grade on an assignment but the student only earned 80% of the possible points
from this assignment based on evaluations from his or her teammates, s/he will earn only 80%
of that mark, i.e., s/he will finish with a 68% grade.
7. Lecture and Examination Schedule
The schedule is subject to change at the discretion of the course instructor. Additional readings may be assigned
periodically throughout the term.

Week 1 (Jan 10):

Introduction to Consumer Behaviour
 Introduction to the course, review of course syllabus, discussion of team assignments
 What is consumer behaviour, marketing strategy and consumers, needs and wants,
the dark side of CB
 Research methods
Readings: Chapter 1

Week 2 (Jan 17):

The Cognitive Consumer: Perception, Learning and Memory
 Sensory systems, exposure, attention, interpretation, biases,
 Learning theories and process, memory
Readings: Chapter 2, Chapter 3
ASSIGNMENT DUE: MEMO for term project

Week 3 (Jan 24):

Motivation and Affect
 Critical thinking about consumer behaviour
 Needs and wants, motivation process and strength, involvement
 Preparation for Progress Report 1
Readings: Chapter 4; article TBD

Week 4 (Jan 31):

The Self, Personality, and Lifestyles
 Perceptions on the self, self‐concept, gender roles and body image
 Personality and brand personality, lifestyles and psychographics, values
Readings: Chapters 5 & 6

Week 5 (Feb 7):

Attitudes: Formation & Change
 Formation of attitudes, attitudes as predictors of behaviour, modifying attitudes,
communication effects on attitudes
 Modifying attitudes, communication effects on attitudes
Readings: Chapters 7 & 8
ASSIGNMENT DUE: Term Project Progress Report 1

Week 6 (Feb 14): *no class – meet with instructor for feedback on progress report and
update on term projects

Feb 21: *no class – Winter Reading Week

 Work independently on Term projects
Week 7 (Feb 28): MIDTERM EXAM
 Corresponding to topics covered during Weeks 1-5.

Week 8 (March 6):

Decision‐Making: Individuals and Situations
 The stages in consumer decision‐making, situational effects on behaviour
 buying and disposing
 Post‐purchase satisfaction and behaviour
Readings: Chapters 9 & 10

Week 9 (March 13):

The Social Consumer: Group Influences and Families
 Reference groups and conformity, W.O.M, opinion leaders, family decision making
and roles
 Income and consumer spending patterns, social class and status symbols
Readings: Chapter 11, Chapter 12

Week 10 (March 20):

The Social Consumer: Subcultures; Cultural Influences on Consumer Behaviour
 Subcultures and consumer identities by age, regions
 What is culture, characteristics of culture, culture and consumption, Myths and rituals
Readings: Chapters 13 & 14

Week 11 (March 27):

The Social Consumer: Creation and Diffusion of Culture
 Cultural selection and diffusion, meaning transference
Readings: Chapter 15
ASSIGNMENT DUE: Term Project Final Report due beginning of class

Week 12 (April 3):

 Special topics:
o Sustainable consumption trends
o Big Data
 Exam review
ASSIGNMENT DUE: Term Project Presentations

During final exam period (April 6-26): FINAL EXAM

 3 hours, closed book. Location, time, date: TBA
 NON-CUMULATIVE Corresponding to topics covered in weeks 7-12. This includes
assigned text chapters, assigned supplementary materials, and classroom discussions.

8. Special Instructions & Frequently Asked Questions

Plagiarism is an academic offense and will be treated as such. Students who are
in doubt as to the nature of this offence should consult their instructor,
Department Chair, or Dean’s Office, as well as the Huron University College
 Statement on Plagiarism, available at the Reference Desk in the Huron University
College Library and at www.huronuc.on.ca~. In addition, students may seek
guidance from a variety of current style manuals available at the Reference Desk
in the Huron University College Library. Information about these resources can be
found at www.huronuc.on.ca/library&computing~styleguides. Plagiarism detection
software will be used in this course. Students will be required to submit their work
in electronic form.

9. FASS APPENDIX

Appendix to Course Outlines: Academic Policies & Regulations 2019/2020

Prerequisite and Antirequisite Information

Students are responsible for ensuring that they have successfully completed all course
prerequisites and that they have not completed any course antirequisites. Unless you have
either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it
without them, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. If
you enrol in this course despite having already taken an antirequisite you may be removed from
this course and it will be deleted from your record. Removals for these reasons may not be
appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a
course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites or for having already taken the
antirequisites.

Conduct of Students in Classes, Lectures, and Seminars

Membership in the community of Huron University College and Western University implies
acceptance by every student of the principle of respect for the rights, responsibilities, dignity and
well-being of others and a readiness to support an environment conducive to the intellectual and
personal growth of all who study, work and live within it. Upon registration, students assume the
responsibilities that such registration entails. The academic and social privileges granted to
each student are conditional upon the fulfillment of these responsibilities.

In the classroom, students are expected to behave in a manner that supports the learning
environment of others. Students can avoid any unnecessary disruption of the class by arriving in
sufficient time to be seated and ready for the start of the class, by remaining silent while the
professor is speaking or another student has the floor, and by taking care of personal needs
prior to the start of class. If a student is late, or knows that he/she will have to leave class early,
be courteous: sit in an aisle seat and enter and leave quietly.

Please see the Code of Student Conduct at:

www.huronuc.on.ca/sites/default/files/pdfs/Code%20of%20Student%20Conduct.pdf.
Technology

It is not appropriate to use technology (such as, but not limited to, laptops, cell phones) in the
classroom for non-classroom activities. Such activity is disruptive and is distracting to other
students and to the instructor, and can inhibit learning. Students are expected to respect the
classroom environment and to refrain from inappropriate use of technology and other electronic
devices in class.

Attendance Regulations for Examinations

A student is entitled to be examined in courses in which registration is maintained, subject to the

following limitations:

1) A student may be debarred from writing the final examination for failure to maintain
satisfactory academic standing throughout the year.

2) Any student who, in the opinion of the instructor, is absent too frequently from class or
laboratory periods in any course will be reported to the Dean of the Faculty offering the
course (after due warning has been given). On the recommendation of the Department
concerned, and with the permission of the Dean of that Faculty, the student will be debarred
from taking the regular examination in the course. The Dean of the Faculty offering the
course will communicate that decision to the Dean of the Faculty of registration.

Short Absences: If you miss a class due to a minor illness or other problems, check your
course outline for information regarding attendance requirements and make sure you are not
missing a test or assignment. Cover any readings and arrange to borrow notes from a
classmate. Contact the course instructor if you have any questions.

Extended Absences: If you have an extended absence, you should contact the course
instructor and an Academic Advisor. Your course instructor and Academic Advisor can discuss
ways for you to catch up on missed work and arrange academic accommodations, if appropriate
and warranted.

It is important to note that the Academic Dean may refuse permission to write the final
examination in a course if the student has failed to maintain satisfactory academic standing
throughout the year or for too frequent absence from the class or laboratory.

Please see the policy on Attendance Regulations for Examinations here:

https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/exam/attendance.pdf.

Class Cancellations

In the event of a cancellation of class, every effort will be made to post all relevant information
on the OWL class site at: https://owl.uwo.ca/portal, and on the Huron website at
www.huronuc.on.ca/about/accessibility .

Academic Student Support Services

For advice on course selections, degree requirements, and for assistance with requests for
medical accommodation, students should email an Academic Advisor in Huron’s Student
Support Services at huronsss@uwo.ca. An outline of the range of services offered is found on
the Huron website at: www.huronuc.ca/student-life-campus/student-services/academic-advising.

Department Chairs and Program Directors and Coordinators are also able to answer questions
about their individual programs. Their contact information can be found on the Huron website at:
www.huronuc.ca/student-life-campus/art-social-science and at
www.huronuc.ca/student-life-campus/management-and-organizational-studies .

Adding / Dropping Courses

If you think that you are too far behind to catch up or that your work load is not manageable, you
should consult your Academic Advisor. If you consider reducing your workload by dropping one
or more courses, this must be done by the appropriate deadlines. Please refer to the Huron
website, huronuc.ca/student-life-campus/student-services/academic-advising or review the list
of official Sessional Dates on the Academic Calendar, available here:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/SessionalDates.cfm.

You should consult with the course instructor and the Academic Advisor who can help you
consider alternatives to dropping one or more courses. Note that dropping a course may affect
OSAP and/or Scholarship/Bursary eligibility.

Mental Health & Wellness Support at Huron and at Western

Students who are stressed, emotionally distressed or in mental health crisis please refer to:
huronuc.ca/student-life-campus/student-services/health-wellness for a complete list of options
about how to obtain help, or email Huronwellness@huron.uwo.ca to access your wellness staff
directly.
Additional supports for Health and Wellness may be found and accessed at Western through
www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/.

Huron is committed to providing a safe, welcoming campus for students, staff and faculty by
providing confidential assistance to those who have personal safety concerns. Providing a safe
and welcoming campus for students, staff and faculty is one of Huron’s top priorities.

The Student Emergency Response Team (SERT) provides medical response to 9-1-1 calls on
Main, Brescia and Huron campuses which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during the
academic year. SERT is dispatched through the campus community Police Service (CCPS) to
any medical emergency on campus at (519) 661-3300. For more information about SERT
please visit: sert.uwo.ca/about-sert/about-sert/.

Statement on Academic Integrity

The International Centre for Academic Integrity defines academic integrity as "a commitment,
even in the face of adversity, to five fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and
responsibility. From these values flow principles of behaviour that enable academic
communities to translate ideals to action." (CAI Fundamental Values Project, 1999).
A lack of academic integrity is indicated by such behaviours as the following:
 Cheating on tests;
 Fraudulent submissions online;
  Plagiarism in papers submitted (including failure to cite and piecing
together unattributed sources);
 Unauthorized resubmission of course work to a different course;
 Helping someone else cheat;
 Unauthorized collaboration;
 Fabrication of results or sources;
 Purchasing work and representing it as one’s own.

Academic Integrity: Importance and Impact

Being at university means engaging with a variety of communities in the pursuit and sharing of
knowledge and understanding in ways that are clear, respectful, efficient, and
productive. University communities have established norms of academic integrity to ensure
responsible, honest, and ethical behavior in the academic work of the university, which is best
done when sources of ideas are properly and fully acknowledged and when responsibility for
ideas is fully and accurately represented.

In the academic sphere, unacknowledged use of another’s work or ideas is not only an offence
against the community of scholars and an obstacle to academic productivity. It may also be
understood as fraud and may constitute an infringement of legal copyright.

A university is a place for fulfilling one's potential and challenging oneself, and this means rising
to challenges rather than finding ways around them. The achievements in an individual’s
university studies can only be fairly evaluated quantitatively through true and honest
representation of the actual learning done by the student. Equity in assessment for all students
is ensured through fair representation of the efforts by each.

Acting with integrity at university constitutes a good set of practices for maintaining integrity in
later life. Offences against academic integrity are therefore taken very seriously as part of the
university’s work in preparing students to serve, lead, and innovate in the world at large.

A university degree is a significant investment of an individual’s, and the public’s, time, energies,
and resources in the future, and habits of academic integrity protect that investment by
preserving the university’s reputation and ensuring public confidence in higher education.

Students found guilty of plagiarism will suffer consequences ranging from a grade
reduction to failure in the course to expulsion from the university. In addition, a
formal letter documenting the offence will be filed in the Dean’s Office, and this
record of the offence will be retained in the Dean’s Office for the duration of the
student’s academic career at Huron University College.

Statement on Academic Offences

Scholastic offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate policy,
specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, as per the Academic
Calendar:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCa
tegory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#SubHeading_189 .

Turnitin.com
All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial
plagiarism detection software under license to the University for a detection of plagiarism. All
papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference
database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the
system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western
University and Turnitin.com.

Computer-Marked Tests/exams

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams may be subject to submission for

similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that
may indicate cheating.

Clickers

Personal Response Systems (“clickers”) may be used in some classes. If clickers are to be
used in a class, it is the responsibility of the student to ensure that the device is activated and
functional. Students must see their instructor if they have any concerns about whether the
clicker is malfunctioning. Students must use only their own clicker. If clicker records are used to
compute a portion of the course grade:
 the use of somebody else’s clicker in class constitutes a scholastic offence
 the possession of a clicker belonging to another student will be interpreted as an attempt
to commit a scholastic offence.

Policy on “Special” Accommodation

Students who require special accommodation for tests and/or other course components must
make the appropriate arrangements with the Student Development Centre (SDC). Further
details concerning policies and procedures may be found at:
http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/ssd/index.html .

Policy on “Academic” Accommodation - Medical / Non-Medical Grounds

Students who require academic accommodation for tests and/or other course components must
make the appropriate arrangements with the Student Development Centre (SDC). Further
details concerning policies and procedures may be found at:
http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/ssd/index.html.

(a) Medical Grounds for assignments worth 10% or more of final grade: Go
directly to Huron Support Services/ Academic Advising, or email
huronsss@uwo.ca .

University Senate policy, which can be found at,

https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/accommodation_medical.pdf ,
requires that all student requests for accommodation on medical grounds for assignments worth
10% or more of the final grade be made directly to the academic advising office of the home
faculty (for Huron students, the “home faculty” is Huron), with supporting documentation in the
form (minimally) of the Senate-approved Student Medical Certificate found at:
https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/medicalform.pdf .
The documentation is submitted in confidence and will not be shown to instructors. The advisors
will contact the instructor when the medical documentation is received, and will outline the
severity and duration of the medical challenge as expressed on the Student Medical Certificate
and in any other supporting documentation. The student will be informed that the instructor has
been notified of the presence of medical documentation, and will be instructed to work as
quickly as possible with the instructor on an agreement for accommodation.

The instructor will not normally deny accommodation where appropriate medical documentation
is in place and where the duration it describes aligns with the due date(s) of assignment(s).
Before denying a request for accommodation on medical grounds, the instructor will consult with
the Dean. The instructor’s decision is appealable to the Dean.

(b) Accommodation on Medical Grounds for assignments worth less than 10% of
final grade: Consult Instructor Directly

When seeking accommodation on medical grounds for assignments worth less than 10% of the
final course grade, the student should contact the instructor directly. The student need only
share broad outlines of the medical situation. The instructor may require the student to submit
documentation to the academic advisors, in which case she or he will advise the student and
inform the academic advisors to expect documentation. The instructor may not collect medical
documentation. The advisors will contact the instructor when the medical documentation is
received, and will outline the severity and duration of the medical challenge as expressed on the
Student Medical Certificate and in any other supporting documentation. The student will be
informed that the instructor has been notified of the presence of medical documentation, and will
be instructed to work as quickly as possible with the instructor on an agreement for
accommodation.

The instructor will not normally deny accommodation where appropriate medical documentation
is in place and where the duration it describes aligns with the due date(s) of assignment(s).
Before denying a request for accommodation on medical grounds, the instructor will consult with
the Dean. The instructor’s decision is appealable to the Dean.

(c) Non-Medical Grounds: Consult your Instructor directly.

Where the grounds for seeking accommodation are not medical, the student should contact the
instructor directly. Late penalties may apply at the discretion of the instructor. Apart from the
exception noted below, academic advisors will not be involved in the process of accommodation
for non-medical reasons.

Where a student seeks accommodation on non-medical grounds where confidentiality is a

concern, the student should approach an academic advisor with any documentation available.
The advisors will contact the instructor after the student’s request is received, and will outline
the severity and duration of the challenge without breaching confidence. The student will be
informed that the instructor has been notified that significant circumstances are affecting or have
affected the student’s ability to complete work, and the student will be instructed to work as
quickly as possible with the instructor on an agreement for accommodation. Before denying a
request for accommodation where documentation has been submitted to an academic advisor,
the instructor will consult with the Dean. The instructor’s decision is appealable to the Dean.

Requests for Academic Consideration Using the Self-Reported Absence Form

The full Policy on Academic Consideration for student Absences – Undergraduate Students in
First Entry Programs is available at:
https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_abse
nces.pdf .

Students who experience an unexpected illness or injury or an extenuating circumstance (48

hours or less) that is sufficiently severe to temporarily render them unable to meet academic
requirements (e.g., attending lectures or labs, writing tests or midterm exams, completing and
submitting assignments, participating in presentations) should self-declare using the online Self-
Reported Absence portal. This option should be used in situations where the student expects to
resume academic responsibilities within 48 hours or less.

The following conditions are in place for self-reporting of medical or extenuating circumstances:

a. students will be allowed a maximum of two self-reported absences between

September and April and one self-reported absence between May and August;

b. any absences in excess of the number designated in clause a above, regardless of

duration, will require students to present a Student Medical Certificate (SMC), signed
by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner, detailing the duration and severity of
illness, or appropriate documentation supporting extenuating circumstances to the
Academic Counselling unit in their Faculty of registration no later than two business days
after the date specified for resuming responsibilities. Please see section 4 below for
more details.

c. The duration of the excused absence will be for a maximum of 48 hours from the time
the Self-Reported Absence form is completed through the online portal, or from 8:30 am
the following morning if the form is submitted after 4:30 pm;

d. The duration of the excused absence will terminate prior to the end of the 48 hour
period should the student undertake significant academic responsibilities (write a test,
submit a paper) during that time;

e. The duration of an excused absence will terminate at 8:30 am on the day following the
last day of classes each semester regardless of how many days of absence have
elapsed;

f. Self-reported absences will not be allowed for scheduled final examinations; for
midterm examinations scheduled during the December examination period; or for final
lab examinations scheduled during the final week of term;

g. Self-reporting may not be used for assessments (e.g. midterm exams, tests, reports,
presentations, or essays) worth more than 30% of any given course.

h. students must be in touch with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end
of the period covered by the Self-Reported Absence form, to clarify how they will be
expected to fulfil the academic expectations they may have missed during the absence.

Important Dates and Directory at Huron and Western

For a current and up-to-date list of important dates and campus directories, please visit:
 Huron – Important Dates: https://huronuc.ca/important-dates-and-deadlines
 Western – Academic Calendar & Sessional Dates:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/SessionalDates.cfm
 Huron Directory – Faculty, Staff and Administration:
https://huronuc.ca/index.php/contact/contact-directory
 Western Directory – Faculty, Staff and Administration: https://www.uwo.ca/directory.html