Petitions & Appeals
Faculty of Health
Refer to the link below for detailed information about the Faculty of Health Academic Petitions Process:
Petitions Process
Detailed instructions regarding how to submit a petition and which forms are required are available on the Faculty of Health website.
Your petition must be submitted by yourself and not by any agent acting on your behalf (except in very exceptional cases, where the agent has your written consent).
Petitions can be considered by the petitions Committee for up to a year after the release of final grades for the session to which the petition relates. As a rule of thumb, it is always wise to file a petition as soon as is reasonably possible.
Petitions are held in the strictest confidence, and brought anonymously to the committee.
Prior to, or at the time of submission of the petition you may request an interview with the Petitions Officer or their assistant regarding procedures or to discuss your case.
Upon receipt of your petition, the Petitions Officer may solicit background information from both yourself and the teaching units. Once all information is gathered and the file is complete it will be brought to the Petitions Committee and dealt with anonymously.
The Committee does not allow you to come and submit your petition in person. You must make your case in writing, and provide with the petition any and all information, which may be considered support for your case.
You are permitted access to all relevant documentation which is to be considered, with the exception of confidential medical or other information where you have expressly waived your right of access.
You will be informed in writing of the Committee's decision, and in instances of a negative decision, you will also be informed of the reasons for the decision and the conditions under which you may file an appeal.
Appeals Process
Once a decision is made you will be informed in writing and a copy of the letter will be kept in your student file. Requests for reconsideration of negative decisions must be made within one month of date on your notification letter.
These requests will only be considered on the following grounds:
- NEW EVIDENCE: Relevant information or documentation that you were not able to produce at the original review of the petition.
- PROCEDURAL IRREGULARITY: evidence that the Faculty did not properly follow its procedures in the consideration of your case; they handled your case differently then other similar cases; there is evidence of obvious bias or prejudice in the handling of your case.
You must file your appeal as well as all other written documentation through Student Client Services and they will forward the information to the Petitions Committee for reconsideration. Any further appeals must go to the Senate Appeals Committee.
Grade Reappraisal
First you must complete reappraisal procedures at the teaching unit level within 21 calendar days of the release of the final grade in the course. Each department has different procedures and you must pick up the grade reappraisal form at the Department Office for the course involved.
You may challenge the mark on specific pieces of work, or the overall course grade. Normally, however, only written work can be reassessed. However, if you have a low participation mark and have had full attendance you should still launch a challenge.
If you are not successful at the Department level you may appeal to the Faculty Executive Committee. The appeal must be filed to the secretary of the Executive Committee within 15 working days of notice of denial of your grade reappraisal. This may be waived under extreme circumstances.
Your appeal must be typed and limited to four double spaced pages.
You need to state the specific decision being appealed, the specific grounds on which the decision is being appealed, and provide all evidence to support your appeal.
If the Committee defers decision to get more information, both yourself and the teaching unit will be informed.
Any person who is in a conflict of interest or who also heard the case at the teaching unit level will remove herself or himself from the process.
Deferred Or Aegrotat Standing
Deferred Standing is a request for additional time to complete course work after the published deadline for submission of term work, or to postpone an exam. The deadline for completion of term work is usually the same as the first day of exams. For most departments it is granted due to illness or misfortune and will require documentation as proof of your situation.
While applying for deferred standing the University assumes that you are continuing to complete the work. Using the standard Deferred Standing Agreement (DSA) Form, it is your responsibility to make arrangements with the course director to complete the course and file the form with the appropriate departmental/unit office by the deadline specified on the form. Course directors have the option not to consider requests for deferred standing; in such cases you must file a petition with the relevant Faculty-level committee for consideration within the established deadline. DSA forms must be handed in with a Course Performance Summary Form, which also needs to be completed by your professor.
You will often find that if you are applying for deferred standing you should apply for a few of your courses as opposed to just one. First, if you need the time then you should take it. Trying to push yourself at a time when you are already under stress never makes sense. Also, if it is just for one course it begins to look like you just didn't do your work in that course. Document well and ask for what you need.
There are certain things, which will help you in applying for deferred status:
- Your professor supports the application
- You have been active in the course and have good attendance and record of completing work prior to the situation causing your deferred standing application
- The cause of your application is well documented
- It is your first time asking for deferred status
- The period of time of your hardship is clearly documented
Aegrotat Standing, from the Latin for "she/he is ill", excuses students from completing the required work for their studies, and AEG is entered on transcripts instead of a grade. Aegrotat standing is very rarely granted in any but the last year of a program, and even then only in the most exceptional of cases, such as a terminal illness.
Rules For Reaching A Deferred Standing Agreement
Deferred Standing must be agreed upon for reports, assignments, essays, tests, final exams and other work assigned in the course, but may not be used for supplementary work, or assignments that are outside the formal marking scheme announced in class. There is no provision for rewriting a final exam to improve a final grade. The Course Director must agree that the circumstances warrant deferred standing. You must come to an agreement with your Course Director as to when the due date is for outstanding work.
If the faculty member does not agree to approve the deferred agreement form, or if you require an extension to an original deferral, then you must file a formal petition. Petitions relating to enrolment status or academic standing must be submitted within thirty days of the release of final grade reports for the session. Such petitions may be considered for a period of up to one year if they are based on special circumstances.
This petition must be submitted to the Student Client Services Office and should include the Undergraduate Academic Petition Form, your written petition letter, and a Student Course Performance Summary Form. All of the above named forms are available at the Registrar's Office.
DEADLINES: Requests for deferred standing must be made within one week following a missed examination or the last day to submit course work. This must allow enough time for grading to be completed and submitted before faculty submission deadlines.
Sample Petitions Letter
Current Date
Petitions Committee,
Faculty of ____ Room # and Building,
York University 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3
Dear Members of the (Petition/Appeal) Committee:
I am writing this letter in order to petition for (state the regulation that you are petitioning) in (course name, number, tutorial/lab, term) based on the following grounds (compassion, medical, extenuating circumstances). My petition makes references to the following supporting documents (list them in order):
The circumstances surrounding my petition are (describe your situation in as great detail as possible, outlining everything from beginning to end, using specific dates). Make it overtly obvious as to how the circumstances have affected your academics. Refer to your evidence and use it to strengthen your case. (Note: this information is kept confidential.)
As a result of this situation (summarize your arguments), I would appreciate your approval of my petition.
Thank you for your kind attention to this matter,
Your Name
Student Number
Mailing Address
Sample Senate Appeals Letter
Current Date
Student Name
Student Number
Home Faculty
Mailing Address
Telephone Number/E-mail Address
If you have missed the application deadline, state why that deadline should be waived and provide supporting documentation. Explain clearly what Faculty Committee decision you are appealing, what you are asking SAC to do for you, and what the grounds are for your appeal (new evidence or procedural irregularity). Provide the new evidence and explain why you were unable to provide it an earlier stage in the process. Or provide evidence of which procedure was not followed correctly. State whether or not you will attend the hearing if leave to appeal is granted, and whether you will bring a representative.
Example
I am appealing the decision of the Faculty of _ on (date of decision letter) denying my request for (retroactive withdrawal/ deferral of examinations/ waiver of debarment, etc.)I was unable to meet the 30-day deadline for appealing because (state reasons clearly and provide documentation to establish a case of ‘special circumstance’).The grounds for my appeal are (new evidence: medical note that I was unable to obtain previously due to ..., or procedural irregularity: the Faculty did not follow the procedure as stated in the undergraduate calendar, pg. 72 etc. ...)
I am attaching a (medical form for .../ death certificate for ... / travel documents showing that ...) I would like SAC to (grant retroactive withdrawal / allow me to repeat AS/ECON XXXX, etc.) If leave to appeal is granted (I will not be able to attend / I would like to attend the hearing.)
Sincerely,
Signature