UofT Summer Lectures - OK to Drop In Without Registering?

[Guest UofT Student]

Hi everyone, I have a question for all you UofT students out there.

 

If I'm interested in learning the information from a certain course that is offered in the summer, is it alright for me to drop into the lecture session, find a seat and listen, if I'm not registered in the course?

 

I'm assuming the course will have at least 50 students registered during the summer, so the professor probably won't know which student is registered and which isn't. I also realize that I won't be able to take advantage of tutorial sections, and I won't get to write the tests or final exam, but it is the knowledge from the course that I'm after.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Guest Ian Wong]

Moving out of the General Premed forum into the Toronto forum...

 

This is basically the definition of "auditing" a course, where you attend a course but aren't taking it for marks or credit (you don't write any quizzes, hand in any assignments, and get no recognition on your university transcript of having taken the course).

 

Usually, the university expects you to pay for this, but it definitely happens where students may attend classes surreptitiously.

 

Ian

UBC, Med 4

[Guest peachy]

Sometimes if you ask the prof then they'll let you sit in even though you aren't paying to audit it. I.e. instead of it being your fault for not paying to audit, it's their fault. I've done this.

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi there UofT Student,

 

It's courteous to ask a professor for permission to audit a course; however, I've been in a few courses where auditing has taken place without the professor's consent. I'm also in a few classes now where auditing is not permitted and is discouraged by the fact that the professors make efforts to know each students' name. (By the way, although I've never personally audited a course, it was news to me that students must pay to audit a course! Is that de rigeur among most schools?)

 

Also, just in case you didn't know, the updated list of summer courses offered by the UofT Faculty of Arts and Science has recently been posted. Check it out to see if there happens to be something that interests you.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest UofT Student]

Thanks for the info, Ian, peachy and Kirsteen! I'll look into it.

[Guest peachy]

I think that normally you wouldn't pay to audit a course if you're just sitting in on lectures. I think that when you pay you're given the privelege of being able to write tests, go to tutorials, etc -- get the whole experience of the course. Not sure, though.