Students may occasionally need to ask for special consideration in their academic work or for exceptions to be made to academic regulations. Such requests normally arise as a result of their being affected by something outside their control, such as illness, an accident, or the death of a family member. Very occasionally students may find themselves in a situation not foreseen by the regulations or feel they have been unreasonably affected by a deviation from University Policy or approved practice. If you find yourself in such a situation, it is important you follow identified procedures and meet all published deadlines.

Students should seek special consideration only when there are circumstances that are truly beyond their control, which they could not reasonably have anticipated or overcome, and which have seriously affected their studies.

Students who take courses at another campus should refer to the FAS and/or UTM Calendars for regulations regarding their courses. Students are responsible for observing the regulations governing any courses they take on other campuses. However, all UTSC students must adhere to UTSC deadlines for petitions and appeals, irrespective of the campus on which the course is taken.

For complete information on special consideration, including petitions and appeals, visit the Petitions section of the Office of the Registrar website.
 

Exceptions Regarding Submission of Term Work

Students should speak with their instructor as soon as possible to request special consideration, if:

• They are unable to write a term test;
• Their performance on a test is adversely affected by illness or other extenuating circumstances; or
• They cannot submit term work by the instructor's deadlines.

In these instances, special consideration will be granted at the instructor's discretion. If students wish to appeal the instructor's decision they should address the issue with the Chair or Director of the academic unit offering the course.

If it is close to the end of the session and a student needs an extension of time to complete term work or to write a term test, the course instructor, jointly with the Chair/Director of the academic unit, has the authority to grant an extension for up to a week after the last date to submit term work, which typically will be one week following the last day of classes. If students need more than a week's extension for term work, they will normally will submit a formal petition.
 

Deferring Final Examinations

Students who miss a final examination can petition through the Office of the Registrar online service portal for a deferred exam. Complete information regarding how to submit a petition is available in the Petitions section of the Office of the Registrar's website.

• Petitions will be considered only for cases of illness or extreme emergency at the time of an examination. Petitions based on vacation, employment, or personal plans will not be considered.
• Petitions must provide supporting documentation.
• Petitions and all supporting documents are to be submitted within 3 business days from the date of the missed examination. While documents are submitted online, the Office of the Registrar may request to see the original documents and may validate the authenticity of the documents.
• Late petitions will not be accepted.

Students who choose to write an examination may not petition to rewrite it, except in circumstances such as a significant illness that suddenly manifests itself during an examination. In this instance, the claim of illness requires both corroborations from the examination invigilator and documentation from a health care professional.

Deferred examinations may be held within the same session or in the subsequent session.

Students must pay a fee by the given deadline to write a UTSC deferred examination. The payment deadline and instructions are indicated in the petition decision message in the Office of the Registrar online service portal. Failure to pay the fee will result in a loss of privilege to sit the examination.

Students writing deferred examinations are strongly advised not to exceed a credit load of 2.5 credits in the session leading up to the deferred examinations.

Students are given only one opportunity to sit a deferred exam and are expected to be available for the entire deferred examination period.

Students who miss a deferred examination will receive a mark of zero for the examination. Only under exceptional circumstances (e.g., hospitalization or severe personal emergency), which are supported by strong and compelling evidence, will a petition for a second deferral of the examination be considered. After a third missed deferred exam, students will not be permitted to write the exam and may receive a WDR for the course.

Under truly exceptional circumstances, students who are unavoidably outside the Toronto area during the deferred examination period may petition for permission to write their exam at an outside centre. The petition must detail the reasons for the request and must be submitted at least three weeks prior to the beginning of the deferred examination period. Late requests cannot be accommodated, and fees in addition to the fee to write a deferred examination will apply.

Notes:

• Deferring a final examination may affect students' ability to gain access to courses and/or limited enrolment programs since they may not enroll in any course listed as a prerequisite in the course for which they have deferred the examination.
• Deferred examinations in the other arts and science divisions of the University may be scheduled at times other than those for UTSC.
   

Disagreements Regarding Marks and Grades

Grades in Term Work

To review a mark on a term test or assignment that may have been calculated incorrectly, students should ask the course instructor to check the mark as soon as possible, and certainly before the end of the session.

Students who wish to appeal an instructor's decision about the grading of term work should speak with, or write to, the Chair/Director of the academic unit offering the course.

Students who believe a mark should be reviewed on term work returned after the end of term, and after the instructor has submitted grades for the course, may submit a formal petition within 90 days of the relevant examination period.

Final Grades

Students who think there is an error in the calculation of their final grade can, within 90 days of the relevant examination period, request a clerical check through the Office of the Registrar online service portal. A clerical check is arithmetical only; final exams will not be re-read or re-marked. Students are cautioned that a fee is charged for this service. If an error is discovered which results in a change of the final letter grade, the fee will be refunded. If the clerical check results in a grade change, the amended grade will stand whether it is higher or lower.

Students should be aware that before submitting any failing grade, instructors are required to recheck the calculation of term and final marks.

Final exams will not be returned to students. Students who wish to view their final exam may submit a request for an exam copy/viewing through the Office of the Registrar online service portal. If, after reviewing a copy of a final examination, a student wishes to request it be re-read, they can submit a petition for re-reading within 90 days of the relevant examination period. When approved by petition, re-reading is arranged by the academic unit offering the course, which also authorizes any change in grade. Normally the re-reading is done by the course instructor, unless the student makes a convincing argument that the work should be re-read by another faculty member. Claims of prejudice must be supported in detail and wherever possible confirmed by a third party. Whenever a grade is changed, the amended grade will stand whether it is higher or lower. The exam copy/viewing fee is not refundable even if the petition results in a grade being amended.
 

Violations of the University Assessment and Grading Practices Policy

Students who believe an instructor has violated the University Assessment and Grading Practices Policy (2020) should discuss the complaint with the instructor. If the violation relates to the announced schedule of assignments or the marking scheme, students must do this no later than the fourth week of classes. If it relates to changes in or divergence from the announced marking scheme, students must do this before the end of the final examination period.

If discussion with the instructor does not result in a satisfactory solution, students may appeal the instructor's decision to the Chair/Director of the academic unit offering the course. If this appeal does not resolve the problem, students may appeal to the Associate Dean Undergraduate Programs and Curriculum.

Students who wish to withdraw from a course after the last day to withdraw without academic penalty on the grounds of a violation of the University Assessment and Grading Practices Policy must submit a formal petition. If the petition is granted because a violation of the policy has occurred, no record of registration in the course will appear on the transcript. Students cannot petition to withdraw from a course on the grounds that no work was returned before the last day to withdraw without academic penalty if this is the result of their having been given an extension to complete the work for reasons relating to the individual student and not the rest of the class.
 

Petitions

The University is governed by a series of rules and regulations to ensure that all students are treated fairly and equitably. A petition is a formal request made to the University asking to be exempted from an academic regulation or policy. Students must have good reason to make such a request and must show they have acted responsibly and with good judgment in observing the academic regulations. In particular, students are expected to seek support when needed and to make informed academic decisions proactively. The University understands that, in some instances, students may have valid reasons to ask for special consideration.

While students have the right to petition, the University reserves the right to grant or deny requests. Students are cautioned that some academic matters cannot be petitioned, although they can sometimes be resolved by working directly with the instructor or academic unit offering a course.

Where a petition is justified, it must be filed by the appropriate deadlines, and with the appropriate documentation.

When they file a petition, students effectively authorize the release of relevant aspects of their University record to be reviewed by authorized members of the University (staff and/or faculty). Such information is held in strictest confidence.

Students should submit their petition online via the Office of the Registrar online service portal. If the issue is simple and the solution straightforward, students may not need advice or assistance with their petition. However, if there are more complex academic issues involved, students may want to speak first with their instructor, program supervisor, or discipline representative. If serious personal problems are involved, students should meet with an academic advisor in the Academic Advising & Career Centre or a personal counsellor in the Health & Wellness Centre. Students should not let this recommendation interfere with submitting their petition by the deadline. Students must submit whatever documentation is necessary to support their request.

Petitions for re-reading of final examinations and of term work returned after the end of a term or session and after the instructor has submitted grades for the course will be granted only if students:

• Articulate clear grounds for reconsideration, addressing the substance of an answer in relation to the mark given it or otherwise identifying the nature of the alleged misevaluation;
• Show that the alleged misevaluation is of a substantial nature: in an objective answer, that a correct response has been counted as incorrect, or in a subjective or essay answer, that the response has been under-evaluated substantially; and Support their argument with evidence or documentation that must be submitted with the petition along with a photocopy of the final examination (when available).

Petitions to withdraw from courses without academic penalty (WDR) after the published deadline must be accompanied by a strong petition statement and substantive supporting documents that indicate why action was not taken within the academic dates. These petitions and the supporting documents need to be submitted within six (6) months of the end of the session in which the course was taken.

Students will be notified online via the Office of the Registrar online service portal of the decision on their petition. The Petitions Office attempts to respond as quickly as possible but petition decisions can take many weeks, depending on the type of petition, complexity, and timing of the submission.

If a petition is granted, the following will be recorded on the student's transcript (academic record):

• Withdrawal from courses after the published deadline (LWD or WDR depending on the circumstances);
• Allowed to return early from suspension;
• Deferral of suspension (“suspension deferred”);
• Award of aegrotat standing (AEG); or
• Deferred examinations (SDF).

In cases of an error on the part of the University, including violations of the University Assessment and Grading Practices Policy (2020), withdrawal from courses is not recorded on the transcript.

Petition Deadlines

The following deadlines apply only to UTSC. Deadlines and policies for courses taken on other campuses may differ.

Term Work

Requests for special consideration on term work, including term tests, within the jurisdiction of the instructor: deadline is the last day of classes

Petitions to complete term work after the last day to submit term work: deadline is the last day of the examination period.

Students must complete outstanding work as soon as possible after the end of the session and within the next consecutive session. In certain exceptional circumstances where health concerns continue and there is strong supporting documentation and support from UTSC academic advisors or counsellors, outstanding term work can be completed within an additional session but not longer than this time period. Students unable to complete term work within two sessions will receive a WDR for the course.

Students submitting late-term work in a session subsequent to the original due date are strongly advised not to exceed a credit load of 2.5 credits in that session.

Final Examinations (Summer, Fall and Winter Sessions)

Petitions to write deferred examinations: 3 business days after the missed examination.

Missed Deferred Examinations

Students who miss a deferred exam will receive a mark of zero for the exam in the calculation of the final grade.

Only under exceptional circumstances (e.g., hospitalization or severe personal emergency), and when supported with strong and compelling evidence, will a petition for a second deferred exam be considered.

Petitions to write a deferred examination, which has been missed: 3 business days after the missed examination.

Checking of Marks and Appeal of Grades

Requests for checking of marks on term tests, essays and other term work made to the instructor of a course: deadline is the last day of classes.

Petitions for reconsideration of term work returned to students after the end of term: deadline is 90 days after the relevant examination period.

Requests for a photocopy of a final examination: deadline is 90 days after the relevant examination period.

Requests for recalculation of marks through the Office of the Registrar: deadline is 90 days after the relevant examination period.

Petitions for re-reading of a final examination: deadline is 90 days after the relevant examination period.
 

Appeals

Tier 1: The Office of the Registrar

Petitions are reviewed at the Office of the Registrar, where they are granted or refused. The petition will be reviewed by additional University Committees and Councils as follows:

Tier 2: Review by the Dean's Advisory Committee

If a petition has not been granted, students can request a review of this decision, Students must submit a “Request For Review of Petition Decision” no later than 90 days after the petition has been denied by the Office of the Registrar. Obtain a Request for Review of Petition Decision form from the Office of the Registrar. It is recommended that students consult with an Academic & Learning Strategist at the Academic Advising & Career Centre before submitting this request. Students will be notified via the Office of the Registrar online service portal when a decision has been made. Students do not attend this meeting.

Tier 3: The Subcommittee on Academic Appeals

If a “Request For Review of Petition Decision” to the Dean's Advisory Committee is denied, students may appeal to the Subcommittee on Academic Appeals.

Students must submit their request no more than 90 days after the second refusal of the petition has been communicated to them. Students must file a Notice of Appeal, which is available via email, to academic.integrity.utsc@utoronto.ca.

Students will be notified in writing as to when their appeal will be heard. Students are not required to attend in person, but it is to their advantage to do so.

Final Tier: Academic Appeals Committee of Governing Council

If an appeal to the Subcommittee on Academic Appeals is denied, a final appeal may be made to the Academic Appeals Committee of Governing Council. This is the most formal panel, and is chaired by a legal expert. The normal time frame for a hearing and response at this level may extend anywhere from several months to a year.

Students must submit their request for an appeal no more than 90 days after the refusal of the Appeal described in Tier 3 has been communicated to them.

An appeal is commenced by filing a Notice of Appeal form to the Director or Coordinator of the Academic Appeals Committee of Governing Council.

For complete information on petitions and appeals, including deadlines and guidelines for submission, please consult the Petitions section of the Office of the Registrar website.