DIS Course Outline Notes
Disability Studies Course Outline Notes – Spring 2026
1. Your course outline should be considered a guideline only. Time constraints and other unforeseen factors may require that some of the topics listed in the course outline may be omitted, covered in an order other than which they appear, or covered in less detail than indicated. A permitted or necessary change in mode of delivery may require adjustments to important aspects of course outlines, like class schedule and the number, nature, and weighting of assignments and/or exams.
2. In order to ensure a safe and comfortable learning environment for everyone, we kindly ask that all students refrain from wearing or using scented products while attending class.
3. Students are reminded that they have a responsibility to regularly check their UWinnipeg email addresses to ensure timely receipt of correspondence from the University and/or their course instructors. If requested by your instructor, please communicate via Nexus email or by their preferred mode of communication.
4. The voluntary withdrawal (VW) date, without academic penalty:
June 17, 2026 for 8-week courses which begin on May 4, 2026 and end on July 1, 2026
Please note that withdrawing before the VW date does not necessarily result in a fee refund.
PLEASE speak with the course instructor before withdrawing. There may be alternatives to you losing your money and the work you have done. To withdraw from one course or more, students must notify the Student Records Office by email. Withdrawals will not be processed on the basis of telephone calls. See the University of Winnipeg Resource Guide or Course Drop Information for more details.
5. Important Dates: for 8-week Courses Beginning May 4 and ending July 1:
- Lectures Begin: Monday, May 4, 2026
- Lectures End for Regularly scheduled classes: Wednesday, July 1, 2026
- Make-up day for Victoria Day (Monday schedule): Monday, June 1, 2026
- Make-up day for Canada Day (Wednesday schedule): Thursday, July 2, 2026
- No Lectures: Tuesday, June 2, 2026, Wednesday, June 3, 2026 & Wednesday, July 1, 2026
- Final Withdrawal Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2026
- Exams: July 6 & 7, 2026
See the full calendar of important dates.
6. The University is closed for the following holidays:
- Monday, May 18, 2026 – Victoria Day
- Wednesday July 1, 2026 – Canada Day
- Monday, August 3, 2026 – Terry Fox Day
7. Students may choose not to attend classes or write examinations on holydays of their religion, but they must notify their instructors at least two weeks in advance. Instructors will then provide opportunity for students to make up work or examinations without penalty. A list of religious holidays can be found in the Academic Calendar.
8. Accessibility Services: Students with documented disabilities, temporary or chronic medical conditions, requiring academic accommodations for tests/exams (e.g., private space) or during lectures/laboratories (e.g., access to volunteer note-takers) are encouraged to contact Accessibility Services (AS) at 204.786.9771 or email accessibility@uwinnipeg.ca to discuss appropriate options. All information about a student’s disability or medical condition remains confidential.
9. Academic Integrity and AI Text-generating Tools
Please refer to your course outline for your instructor’s policy on Academic Integrity and AI Text-generating Tools.
10. Regulations, Policies, and Academic Integrity. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Regulations and Policies found in the 2026-27 Academic Calendar. Particular attention should be given to subsections 8 (Student Discipline, including Academic Misconduct Policies and Procedures), 9 (Senate Appeals), and 10 (Grade Appeals). Please be mindful of the importance of maintaining academic integrity and the potential consequences of engaging in plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic misconduct. Even unintentional plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct. Similarly, uploading essays and other assignments to essay vendor or trader sites (filesharing sites that are known providers of essays for use by others who submit them to instructors as their own work) is a form of misconduct, as it involves aiding and abetting plagiarism. An updated and expanded U of Winnipeg library site outlining principles of Academic Integrity can be found at https://library.uwinnipeg.ca/borrowing-and-services/help-with-research/academic-integrity.html.
Concerning plagiarism, cheating, and other academic misconduct, please note that as a general rule a penalty of zero or “F” will be the grade recommended by the DS/WGS Departmental Review Committee (DRC) to the University’s Senate Committee on Academic Misconduct.
11. Students facing a charge of academic or non-academic misconduct may choose to contact the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association (UWSA) where a student advocate will be available to answer any questions about the process, help with building a case, and ensuring students have access to support. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit the UWSA website.
12. Sexual Violence and Human Rights Advisor (SVHRA)
Students who have experienced Sexual Violence can access support from the SVHRA. The SVHRA receives disclosures and can support students with on and off-campus reporting. In collaboration with the Sexual Violence Response Team (SVRT), the SVHRA also provides fast-track referrals to Student Wellness, academic accommodations, security support, and other on and off campus supports. The SVHRA and SVRT operate within a confidential, survivor-centered, and trauma-informed framework.
Disclosures may be made in-person, email, by text, by phone, or Zoom/Teams.
5Ri55, 5th Floor (Rice Centre)
204.230.6660 – call or text (confidential line)
uwinnipeg.ca/respect/sexual-violence/
13. Copyright and Intellectual Property. Course materials are the property of the instructor who developed them. Examples of such materials are course outlines, assignment descriptions, lecture notes, test questions, and presentation slides—irrespective of format. Students who upload these materials to filesharing sites, or in any other way share these materials with others outside the class without prior permission of the instructor/presenter, are in violation of copyright law and University policy. Students must also seek prior permission of the instructor/presenter before, for example, photographing, recording, or taking screenshots of slides, presentations, lectures, and notes on the board. Students found to be in violation of an instructor’s intellectual property rights could face serious consequences pursuant to the Academic Misconduct or Non-Academic Misconduct Policy; such consequences could possibly involve legal sanction as indicated in the Copyright Policy.
Learn more about Copyright by visiting the UWinnipeg Copyright Office website, or see some of the most common copyright mistakes.
14. Respectful Learning Environment. All students, faculty, and staff have the right to participate, learn, and work in an environment that is free of harassment and discrimination. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful manner on campus and in the learning environment irrespective of platform being used. Behaviour, communication, or acts that are inconsistent with a number of UW policies could be considered non-academic misconduct. See the Respectful Working and Learning Environment Policy and Acceptable Use of Information Technology Policy. More detailed information is outlined in the Non-Academic Misconduct Policy and Procedures.
15. Research Ethics. Students conducting research interviews, focus groups, surveys, or any other method of collecting research data from any person, including a family member, must obtain ethical approval before commencing data collection. Some activities, such as supervised learning exercises outside the classroom, may be exempt if designed for educational or professional skill development (see UHREB Guidance Document 1 for more information). If you are unsure whether an activity requires ethical approval, please consult your course instructor, Departmental Ethics Committee, or the University Human Research Ethics Board before commencing the activity (Human Ethics).
16. Privacy A guide to the basic requirements for the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information may be found here. The Privacy and Policy Procedures may be found here. Students should be aware of their rights in relation to the collecting of personal data by the University, especially if Zoom is being used for remote teaching and testing/proctoring.
17. Work submitted for evaluation must be submitted in the format requested by the instructor (e.g., typed, printed, and submitted in person and/or on Nexus using file submission [not text submission]).
It is the student’s responsibility to retain a digitized copy of ALL assignments submitted for grading; in the event the file is lost, a duplicate copy is required.
18. Cellular phones and other electronic devices MUST be turned off and put away during classes unless the instructor explicitly authorizes otherwise. No unauthorized material or equipment may be used during tests or exams.
19. When it is necessary to cancel a class due to exceptional circumstances, instructors will make every effort to inform students via a posting on the classroom door (for in person classes) and via Nexus and/or their University emails or preferred method of communication, as indicated on the course outline.
20. Indigenous students seeking additional supports, academic or other, are encouraged to contact the Indigenous Student Services Centre (ISSC). The ISSC offers a variety of support services, and was created to maintain a safe, educational, and culturally sensitive environment for all Indigenous students (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) as they pursue their academic studies at The University of Winnipeg.
21. Attendance. Please refer to the Regulations and Policies section of the Course Calendar, paragraph 3a which reads in part: “Students are expected to be regular in their attendance at lectures and in the completion of work required in each course. Absence may be excused by instructors on the grounds of illness, physical disability, or adverse domestic circumstances. The instructor may require a medical certificate or other evidence. Poor attendance may result in loss of term marks.”
If you need to leave a class early, please inform the instructor before class begins. No accommodation will be provided to students who book or have booked any travel that takes place during the course.
22. Late Assignment Penalties: Individual instructors will have their own late assignment policies and penalties. Generally speaking, all assignments are due on the dates specified in the course outline. If your assignment is going to be late, make alternative arrangements with the instructor prior to the due date. The instructor may decide that no late assignments will be accepted after the last day of classes.
23. Students are advised that the UW Bookstore may run out of textbooks early in the term. Also, the bookstore ships textbooks back to the publisher if they are not purchased within the first few weeks of term. Students are responsible for communicating directly with the bookstore if they need to order texts or ask for texts to be held for them. Visit the Bookstore’s website, call 204-258-2909, or email 0915mgr@follett.com.
24. Academic Advisors can provide information about programs, courses, and university requirements in the Faculties of Arts, Science, Business & Economics, Kinesiology; provide feedback on your course selection and assist with the registration process; and help you with the appeal process.
Career Services offers a wide range of supports to students and alumni of The University of Winnipeg, including assistance with career planning and job search.
25. Personal Counsellors are available to advise you on any dilemma impinging on your sense of well-being while you are at University. Appointments with a counsellor are available via zoom or phone or in-person.
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (except holidays)
First floor, Duckworth Centre
204-258-3809
uwinnipeg.ca/student-wellness/
26. For more information regarding the Disability Studies program, please refer to our website. Our site includes a section about Online DIS Courses.
The Disability Studies Program Coordinator is Dr. Michelle Owen, m.owen@uwinnipeg.ca, and the Administrative Coordinator is Angela McGillivray, ad.mcgillivray@uwinnipeg.ca. The DIS Program office is 4G09.
The University of Winnipeg is located on Treaty One Territory and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis, in Wiiniibak, Manido Abi. We acknowledge these are the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anisininew, Ininiwak/Nehethowuk, Oceti Sakowin/Dakota Oyate, and Michif (Métis) Peoples. This territory is also a place of significance for the Denesuline and the Inuit, some of whom have been living here for generations.
Serving as stewards since time immemorial, Elders and First Nations have highlighted that these ancestral lands remain unceded and that the Treaties are agreements to share, not surrender, the land. Remembering the original spirit and intent of the treaties can serve as a foundation to better all our relationships.
We acknowledge that our water is sourced from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation (Shoal Lake 39 is also impacted) in Treaty Three Territory, and that most of our hydro-electricity comes from Treaty Five Territory in northern Manitoba. Through the land, we recognize our connection and commitment to working with the Red River Métis, all First Nations Peoples across Turtle Island, and the Inuit of Canada.
As an academic institution, we have a responsibility to build and nurture relationships with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit and strive to respect, value, and incorporate Indigenous knowledges and perspectives in our curricula and classrooms, in the research we conduct, and in our governance. As individuals, we have a responsibility to listen, learn, and grow on our paths towards truth and reconciliation.
As such, our land acknowledgement is not meant to be static but, rather, may shift, expand, and deepen as we continue to learn and nurture our relationships.
Updated April 23, 2026
Download course outline notes from previous terms: