Lassonde School of Engineering

What can and can’t be petitioned?

Faculty rules can often be petitioned (e.g., drop deadline date or required withdrawal). Departmental rules (e.g., pre-requisites and enrollment policies) and accreditation rules for professional programs (e.g., E or Z section requirements for Engineering students) cannot be altered via a petition.

Submit a completed package online. The complete package will consist of:

1. A completed copy of the Undergraduate Academic Petitions Form

2. A petition statement letter (typed), organized under the following two headings:

   1. Regulation(s) being petitioned.

   2. Grounds for Petition: explain why your situation warrants special consideration. If you are trying to drop some but not all of your courses, explain why you are being selective.

3. Relevant supporting documents. See this chart for assistance in determining required documentation for common petition types.

You may submit your petition anonymously. If you are granted the opportunity to appear before the committee, you will have to then forego your anonymity. Regardless, the petitions process is confidential.

You will be given a receipt upon submission of your petitions package and will be able to track the status of your petition. A decision will be provided between 4 to 6 weeks of the date of submission. During the summer months this turnaround time might be extended due to high volume of requests.

The Lassonde School of Engineering Academic Petitions and Appeals Committee is made up of Panels, each consisting of two Faculty members and one student representative. In the case of an appeal, the Panel that reviews the appeal shall not be the same people who originally rendered the petition decision.

Decisions are delivered through e-mail via the email address on file with University student records.

Appeals are granted only on the following grounds:

• New Evidence: evidence that, through no fault of the appellant, could not reasonably have been presented at an earlier level (as a guide, events or performance subsequent to the decisions of the petitions committee and/or the committee on examinations and academic standing are not to be construed as new evidence);

• Procedural Irregularity: in the previous consideration of the case by the petitions committee and/or the committee on examinations and academic standing. This may be understood to include actions taken by the Lassonde School of Engineering, its officers, committees or members with respect to the case, which would violate or nullify any of the following:

  • normal and written procedures of the Faculty;

  • recognized custom of the Faculty;

  • the principles of natural justice and fairness.

Appeals by students and/or faculty members against rulings of the Petitions Committee and/or the Committee on Examinations and Academic Standards of the Lassonde School of Engineering (with the exception of appeals on academic honesty rulings - see below) must be filed in writing with the secretary of the appeals panel of the Executive and Planning Committee, 1012 Lassonde Building, within 15 calendar days of the date of notification of the decision.

Appeals against rulings of the petitions committee and/or the committee on examinations and academic standing will be heard by a panel of two faculty members of the executive and planning committee and one student member selected from student members of the Faculty council. In the rare event that a decision of a panel of the executive and planning committee, or of the Senate Appeals Committee, requires a completely new (de novo) hearing, the matter will be heard by a panel of three faculty members of the executive and planning committee and one student member selected from student members of the Faculty council. These panels will be constituted, as required, from available members, by the secretary of the appeals panel.

Members shall disqualify themselves if they are involved as a party or witness in the case, or believe that they could not be impartial. Where members disqualify themselves, alternate members will replace them.

Students and faculty members have the right to represent themselves at appeal hearings to hear and answer allegations and to present their arguments. Appeal hearings are not open to anyone not directly involved in the case being considered. The committee's decision is taken in camera. All appeal decisions are reported in writing to the students and the faculty members concerned, the Lassonde Student Services, the home Faculty and the Registrar’s Office.

Further appeals may be made to the Senate Appeals Committee. Enquiries about these appeals, and the grounds upon which they may be filed, should be directed to the Senate Secretariat, 1050 York Research Tower. Appeals on academic honesty rulings are also made directly to the Senate Appeals Committee. Appeals are heard only on the same grounds as cited above.

Students may, with sufficient academic grounds, request that a final grade in a course be reappraised. Students are normally expected to first contact the course director to discuss the grade received and to request that their tangible work be reviewed. Further information may be obtained from the department/division offering the course.

Students applying to have a grade reappraised in a Lassonde School of Engineering course should note the following:

• Requests for reappraisal must be filed with the unit offering the course within 21 calendar days of the release of the final grade in the course;

• Students may request the review of specific pieces of work, or the overall course grade. Normally, however, only written work can be reassessed;

• When a student asks for reappraisal, an original grade may be raised, lowered or confirmed;

• Students wishing to request the reappraisal of a final grade should fill out the appropriate form available from the department/division offering the course and submit it to the same office;

• The decision of the department/division may be appealed to the Lassonde School of Engineering Executive Committee only on grounds of procedural irregularity or new evidence

A student may request aegrotat standing, permission to write deferred examinations (in respect of final examinations only) or permission to submit a final assignment after the Faculty's deadline for submission of term work, on the grounds of sickness or misfortune.

It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that full documentation (medical or other) is provided in support of requests for deferred standing or aegrotat standing. A request submitted on the grounds of illness must include the attending physician's statement form completed by the petitioner's physician.

Deferred standing agreement.

In the Lassonde School of Engineering, deferred standing may be arranged with the course director by means of a form called a deferred standing agreement (DSA). The DSA form and supporting documentation must normally be submitted within one week following a missed examination or the last day to submit coursework.

Deferred standing petition.

A petition for deferred standing may be submitted if the course director indicates on the DSA form a refusal to approve deferred standing. The petition application, together with other written evidence to be taken into consideration, must normally be submitted to the Registrar’s Office within one week following a missed examination or the last day to submit coursework.

Aegrotat standing petition.

In exceptional circumstances, a petition for aegrotat standing may be submitted in cases where a student cannot be expected to complete coursework. If granted, the phrase AEG “aegrotat standing” (from the Latin for “she/he is ill”) is substituted for the grade on the transcript. Aegrotat standing is seldom granted in respect of final examinations; instead, the student may be granted permission to write deferred examination(s)

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

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