The academic regulations of the Faculty of Education have been carefully prepared to reflect the expectations of the programme. While the regulations apply to all candidates registered in the Faculty of Education, individual circumstances may justify the modification or waiving of regulations. In such a case the candidate is entitled to petition against the regulation in question. Candidates are also entitled to petition a judgment made by a Course Director, Instructor, or other staff of the Faculty of Education, including a Dean or Associate Dean's decision with regard to a grade reappraisal (see section on grade reappraisals).

(York University Calendar) 

 

Petition process 

1. Submit your petition to the Secretary of the Petitions Committee, Faculty of Education, Office of the Associate Dean, 108 Winters College.

The petition must be submitted in writing with the following information: your name, student number, the specifics of the petition and regulation you wish to have waived, relevant supporting documentation such as medical certificates, letters from employers, etc.

(You are advised to seek advice from a Faculty member or the Petitions Committee Secretary in preparing your petition.) 

2. Your petition will be considered by the Petitions Committee, generally within fifteen days of receipt of the petition, pending availability of Committee members.  

3. Only in exceptional circumstances will you be allowed to address the Committee and then, only at the invitation of the Chairperson, and only if both yourself and the other party involved are available to attend.  

4. You will be informed in writing of the results of your petition within seven working days of the meeting, and it will be delivered by Special Delivery or Registered Mail. Allow two days for delivery.  

5. If after the timelines have elapsed, you have still not been informed of the outcome of your petition you should contact the Secretary of the Petitions Committee. Information regarding your petition will not be released by phone.  

 

Appeals process

1. You are free to appeal a negative decision of the Petitions Committee, but only based on the following circumstances: 

• there is new evidence-generally speaking, events or performance subsequent to the Petitions Committee decision are not construed as new evidence

• there was procedural irregularity in the handling of your petition by the Committee

• substantive argument that the original petition decision constitutes gross injustice or error

2. The appeal or notice of appeal must be filed within fifteen working days of the date you were informed of your petition decision.  

3. Submit your appeal to the Office of the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs and Practicum (108 Winters College) for presentation to the Appeals Committee.

The appeal must be submitted in writing with the following information: your name, student number, the specifics of the decision being appealed, the grounds upon which the appeal is based, and all evidence in support of the appeal.  

4. Upon receipt, the Secretary of the Appeals Committee may solicit background information from various parties or may ask you for more specific documentation. You have the right to request access to all materials (except "third party documents") submitted and involved parties will be notified of this prior to submission of document- ation. You are also allowed one written rebuttal to mat- erial submitted prior to the meeting and will be given at least one week's notice prior to the Appeal Hearing in order to prepare. All written materials, with exception of your written rebuttal, must be in the file two days prior to

the meeting.  

5. Once complete, your appeal will normally be considered at the next meeting of the Appeals Committee. If the hearing is deferred to get more information, you will be informed of such a decision.  

6. You have the right to be present at the Appeals meeting for the purpose of presenting your appeal orally and also to answer Committee questions. Discussion of the decision and the vote will be taken in camera.  

7. Any member of the Committee with a conflict of interest shall declare it at the beginning of the proceedings, and absent themselves from the part of the

hearing when the decision is made.  

 

Third party documentation 

In certain instances "third party documentation" will be requested by the Committee, such as medical reports, or reports from the Counseling Centre. Under such circumstances you will be asked to choose between the following options: 

• such documents shall be requested and the concerns of the third party re:confidentiality shall be honoured; or,

• such documentation shall be requested only if the third party permits such documents to be open to you,

• should neither option be acceptable to you, the Committee will remind you of your right to go ahead with or withdraw your appeal/petition on the understanding that the Committee will not proceed in requesting the third party documents,

• should you choose option A, you will need to sign a statement of conditions which will be placed in your file. The request for information will be forwarded to the third party with a cover letter explaining the Committee's policy on confidentiality. The third party will be asked to indicate whether or not the document is to be kept confidential and their wishes shall be honoured,

• if you select option B, the third party shall be contacted regarding their position on confidentiality. If they desire confidentiality, the documents shall not be requested and a memo stating the reasons for the absence of the documentation shall be placed in your petition/appeal file. If the third party is fine with the documentation being open to you then it will be requested and placed in your file.

As with other Faculties, some of the more straightforward petitions may be handled administratively without having to go through the Committee process, though you are still required to fill out the proper petition forms. This applies particularly to late enrolment/withdrawal and deferral of final exam/term work, with the approval of the Course Director. 

 

Petitions process 

In the Faculty of Environmental Studies the Program and Admissions Committee hears petitions relating to the following items: 

• deferred standing petitions which come after the deferred standing deadlines
• late enrolment
• non-routine applications for late withdrawal from a course
• reinstatement after required withdrawal
• temporary suspension of Faculty policies e.g. exemption from breadth or depth requirements

The Committee is comprised of two elected teaching faculty, the Undergraduate Program Director and the Undergraduate Program Assistant. Due to the size of the Faculty there is no student representation. The membership of the Program and Admissions Committee is determined by FES's Committee of Instruction and approved by Faculty Council, both of which have undergraduate and graduate student representation. 

 

Procedure 

1. Pick up and fill out a petitions form from the Office of Student and Academic Services, Room 137, Health Nursing and Environmental Studies Building. 

2. Upon completion, return the form along with any supporting documentation. 

3. The Program and Admissions Committee meets every two weeks to hear petitions, and they will inform you of their decision as well as of your right to appeal a negative decision of the committee to the Faculty Petitions Committee.

If you wish to petition within the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies you must get a Petitions Package from LA&PS Faculty Council Office located in Room 150 Atkinson Building. You can also download the relevant forms at www.yorku.ca/laps/council/students/petitions. Upon completion; return it to the office to the attention of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies' Committee on Student Academic Petitions. Some petitions are ‘routine' and may be dealt with administratively by the Petitions Officers, being approved without even going to the Petitions Committee. What makes a petition ‘routine' is established by the Petitions Committee and is therefore subject to being changed by that Committee. The examples of petitions listed below are categorized into routine and non-routine petitions.  

‘ROUTINE' OR ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVED PETITIONS

Following are some examples of late withdrawal petitions and the minimum guidelines/circumstances under which they may be administratively approved. Keep in mind however, that these are only guidelines and your circumstances may not fit neatly under any of these areas. Just because you believe your circumstances match the pre-requisite conditions, does not mean that the department will agree with you. The timeliness of the petition's submission will also impact on whether or not it is considered routine. While petitions generally are heard up to a year after grade submission, you will find the longer you wait the more likely it is to go through the official Committee.  

Withdrawal without Academic Penalty based on non-attendance

Conditions: Professor confirms that to their knowledge you never attended the course, and you have never previously petitioned on the same grounds, or received prior written warning regarding withdrawal deadlines. This petition must be submitted within one year of the end of the course.  

Withdrawal without Academic Penalty due to no academic feedback prior to deadline

Conditions: Probably the most basic of all petitions, all you need is to file promptly after the return of the first graded work in the course and get confirmation from the course director that feedback was not given prior to the drop deadline. Keep in mind that late feedback caused by your late submission of course work will not be excusable. If you waited until you get a second mark just to see how you were doing, your petition will be denied. If you chose to do more work after the grade feedback deadline passed, then you will be deemed to be completing the course and will be treated in the same fashion as students who received feedback in a timely manner.  

OTHER GENERAL WITHDRAWAL CIRCUMSTANCES

Regulations are meant for the smooth running of the Faculty as a whole, but at times do not work for the individual. Provided you have never applied for late withdrawal prior to your petition, the Faculty may allow for consideration of a variety of circumstances. These include first year overload and general adjustment problems, a ‘blip' in your record that may be explained by family/personal circumstances, or possible if it is just that you have missed the deadline by a day or two. However, do not rely on this as a rule, as they are only circumstances which may be considered at the discretion of the Faculty.  

NON-ROUTINE PETITIONS

Petitions that cannot be administratively approved are forwarded to the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies' Committee on Student Academic Petitions. This Committee consists of 12 faculty and 6 students. A Committee "panel" normally consists of 3-6 members, but may be as few as 2, in which case the 2 must agree on the decision. Where there are 4 or more members on the panel and there is a tie, the petition is granted.  

Generally the committee will hear petitions up to one year after the completion of the course for the session to which the petition relates (petitions for deferred standing or waiver of required withdrawal have their own specific deadlines which are earlier, see section on Deferred Standing).  

Petition process 

1. You cannot petition to create new legislation.  

2. 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).  

3. The quicker you get a petition in the better. While you may have up to a year after the end of the course they will generally receive your petition more favourably if you submit it within 48 hours. 

4. 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.  

5. 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.  

6. 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.  

7. 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.

8. 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: 

1) additional relevant information,  

2) procedural irregularities in the way your petition was handled,

 

3) if you think that the Committee has shown bias or prejudice in considering your petition. You must file your appeal as well as all other written documentation through the Faculty Council Office (150 Atkinson Building), and they will forward the information to the Petitions Committee for reconsideration. 

 

Any further appeals must go to the Senate Appeals Committee.  

General 

The Committee on Administrative Affairs (CAA) hears petitions in Fine Arts. Membership consists of one faculty member from each of the seven departments, a representative from the Dean's Office (usually the Associate Dean), the academic services manager, and two students. Frequently, however, students don't fill these positions and there has rarely been more than one at any given time. If you are interested, talk to the Creative Arts Students Association (CASA).  

 

Petitions Process 

1. You may request access to your petition file either before or after the petition is heard. To view your complete file, you must make an appointment with the

Associate Registrar. This can be arranged at the front counter of the Student Client Services Office. To view your petition submission and supporting documentation 

only, you must complete a Student File Request Form, which can be picked up at the front counter of the Bennett Centre for Student Services.  

2. Fine Arts petitions are handled according to the standard petition form available from the Registrar's Office.These petitions need to be submitted back to the Registrar's Office, and then they will be forwarded to Fine Arts after it has been ensured that all the required information has been submitted.  

3. You may not appear before the Committee except at their discretion.  

4. The CAA meets every three weeks. Occasionally the Committee will require more information in which case they may delay hearing the petition while this information is gathered.  

5. All petitions are strictly confidential.  

 

Appeals Process 

1. Should your petition be unsuccessful, the Committee on Administrative Affairs will inform you by a letter which will also include the appeals procedures.  

2. Acceptable grounds for appeals include new inform- ation or procedural irregularity. In general the Committee is willing to hear an appeal of any of their decisions should you request it. 

3. Generally, appeals are heard by the Committee on Administrative Affairs, however, if an appeal has policy implications, or if the grounds include a complaint against the Committee itself, the appeal would be referred to the Faculty Executive Committee for resolution.  

4. Appeals may be submitted simply by writing a letter stating clearly your grounds for appeal and the facts of your case.  

Glendon has two levels of committees dealing with petitions and appeals. The Committee on Academic Standards, Teaching and Learning of Glendon College considers petitions against any of the published regulations of the Faculty, with the exception of petitions for deferred standing or make-up examinations, retroactive withdrawal without penalty and aegrotat standing. The Petitions Committee reviews these specific categories of petitions.  

 

Petitions Process:

Note: the following guidelines apply to both petitions and appeals heard by the Petitions Committee and the Committee on Academic Standards, Teaching and Learning.  

1. You cannot petition to create legislation.  

2. The petition must be filed by yourself and generally will not be considered if someone filed it on your behalf.

3. The petition must include a clear statement of what is being requested, the circumstances surrounding the request, and all evidence in support of the petition.  

4. Prior to or at the time of submitting the petition, you may request an interview with the secretary of the Committee to obtain clarification of petition procedures or to discuss your case.  

5. Upon receipt of the petition, the secretary of the Petitions Committee may solicit background information from the teaching units or department, may request additional information from you, or may request that you provide more specific documentation of the circumstances described in the petition. The individual/teaching unit/department is to be informed of your right of access to the material submitted and they will be requested to forward you a copy of the material submitted to the committee.  

6. Once the petition file is complete, it is forwarded to the Committee for review. Each case is dealt with individually and anonymously. You may request to appear before the committee but such requests are rarely granted and any appearance will be strictly at the discretion of the committee. Requests must be in writing, indicating why a personal appearance is requested and why consideration of the written material is not sufficient in your view.

7. If the members of the committee require clarification of the details of the petition or additional information, they will request this information from you through either the secretary of the committee or the chairperson. The case will then be tabled until the information is available for the committee's review.  

8. In instances where a member of the committee is directly involved with the case or has a conflict of interest for other reasons, he/she shall absent him/herself entire- ly from the committee's consideration of and decision in the case.

9. You will be informed in writing of the committee's decision and in instances of a negative decision, of the reasons for the decision and of the conditions of appeal. 

10. You shall, upon request, be permitted access to all relevant documentation considered by the Petitions Committee, with the exception of confidential medical or other information where you have expressly waived your right of access.

11. If information is submitted to your file before the person submitting was made aware of your right of access they will be subsequently informed. If they do not wish you to have access you will be asked to waive your right to see all documents. If you choose not to waive that right the material must be returned to the originator and may not be considered by the Committee. 

 

Appeals process 

Appeals are considered by the Petitions Committee only on the grounds of additional relevant information. You may request to appear before the Committee but such requests will rarely be granted and permission is strictly at the discretion of the Committee. Requests to appear must be submitted in writing, indicating reasons why a personal appearance is requested and why your submitted evidence will not speak for itself. A simple desire to meet the Committee in person will not be sufficient grounds.  

If you feel that the Petition Committee showed bias or prejudice in reaching a negative decision, or that there were procedural irregularities in the handling of the original petition by the Petitions Committee, the appeal will then be considered by the Committee on Academic Standards, Teaching and Learning of Glendon College.  

Any appeal must be filed in writing with the Office of Student Programs within 21 days of the date of the letter advising you of the Committee's decision. The Office of Student Programs will forward the statement of appeal, along with the original petition and all relevant documentation, to the appropriate committee for review.  

 

Late withdrawal petitions

Glendon has a specific petitions form for withdrawing from a course after the drop deadline. The grounds upon which you may withdraw after the deadline are: 

• Illness
• Personal Misfortune
• Academic Misfortune

• Unforeseeable economic hardship 

Petitions for Exemptions from Regulations 

Academic regulations all you to develop your interests and talents to the fullest in ways consistent with the philosophy and standards of the Faculty. In establishing academic regulations, the Faculty also recognizes that instances will arise where it makes sense, in the context of a student's academic career, to waive regulations which would otherwise apply. 

Petitions Committee 

The Faculty of Health, Petitions Committee considers requests for exceptions to all Faculty regulations, including petitions to continue without interruption from students who have been required to withdraw or debarred. 

** excerpt from the Faculty of Health New Student Handbook. 

 

 

Initiating a Petition

To initiate a petition, you must obtain an Academic Petitions Package from Student Client Services. You can also download the package from www.yorku.ca/roweb/services/petitions. 

Petitions must be mailed or hand delivered to: 

Faculty of Health Petitions Committee c/o Student Client Services, Bennett Centre for Student Services. 

 

Petition Process 

1. You cannot petition to create new legislation (for example: a degree program). 

2. 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). 

3. 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. 

4. Petitions are held in the strictest confidence, and brought anonymously to the committee. 

5. 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.  

6. 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.  

7. 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.  

8. 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.

9. 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: 

1) Additional relevant information,  

2) Procedural irregularities in the way your petition was handled, 

3) If you think that the Committee has shown bias or prejudice in considering your petition. 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.

Click Here for a the pdf regarding Osgoode Policies.

SSB refers to the petition process as the "appeal process", and what other faculties identify as an appeal SSB refers to as "further appeals".  

 

Grounds for appeal

You may appeal debarment or withdrawal resulting from a failure to comply with York regulations and standards concerning: 

• Academic performance
• Residency or continuous registration requirements
• Time limitations to complete the program of studies

 

Procedures 

1. You must write a formal appeal to the Schulich Executive Director of Student Services and Internal Relations within fifteen days of the date you received

your debarment or withdrawal. You should state clearly all the specific information which supports the grounds for your appeal.  

2. The Executive Director will investigate the information which you provided and may collect other relevant information from people involved, including contacting area coordinators, program chairs, and members of faculty and/or staff.  

3. The Executive Director will contact you by letter which will do one of the following things: 

• grant or reject the appeal if the appeal is based solely on an administrative or clerical error,
• refer the appeal to the Schulich Student Affairs Committee if it concerns academic or substantive matters.

 

Order of appeal at Appeals Committee  

The Schulich Student Affairs Committee will review any appeal referred to it by the Executive Director and will take the following action: 

1. Promptly inform you of your right to appear in person before the Committee.  

2. Set a date, in consultation with yourself, for hearing the appeal.  

3. Ensure quorum for the meeting consisting of the Chair, two members of faculty, and two student members of the Committee.  

4. Request that anyone in a position of conflict of interest remove themselves from the Committee.  

 

5. Ensure that you are given access to all relevant documents, receive copies of any information you will be presenting and attempt to ensure the accuracy of your information.  

 

6. Hold the hearing and inform you, by registered mail, as soon as a decision is made.  

Order of Appeal within Student Affairs Committee  

The following lists the order of an appeal where the parties are present. The Committee may alter the order of the hearing in the interest of fairness to any or all of the parties.  

1. The Chair shall: 

• identify the parties and members of the committee
• clarify any procedural requirements.

 

2. You or your representative shall: 

• briefly describe the case to be presented
• provide factual support for your case through documentary evidence and testimony, if relevant
• any witnesses who testify may also be questioned by the respondent.

 

3. The respondent or representative shall: 

• briefly reply and make main arguments
• provide factual support for his/her case through documentary evidence and testimony of respondent or witness, if relevant
• you may ask questions of each witness at the close of that person's testimony.

 

4. You and/or your witnesses shall be allowed to offer testimony or other evidence in reply to new issues raised in the respondent's presentation.  

 

5. The Committee may require and ask for other documents or witnesses.  

 

6. The hearing may be adjourned after both parties have been allowed to speak to the adjournment. After this, no new evidence or arguments may be introduced.  

 

7. Closing arguments are made by both sides, beginning with the respondent, briefly summarizing the main points of their case.  

 

8. The Committee will move in camera to make their decision.  

 

9. The written decision of the Committee shall include: 

• the names of the Committee and all who appeared
• a brief summary of the cases of both parties
• the Committee's findings of fact, decision and reasons
• the route of further appeal

 

Throughout this process Committee Members may ask questions of any of the parties at any point. This includes witnesses.  

 

Appealing Decisions of the Student Affairs Committee 

 

You, the Executive Director or any concerned faculty member may apply for leave to appeal the decision of the Student Affairs Committee to the Executive Committee of Faculty Council of the Schulich School of Business. This must be done within fifteen days of receipt of the original appeal decision by registered mail.  

 

Further Appeal at the Executive Committee Level 

 

Further appeals will only be permitted on the following grounds: 

 

• new evidence (i.e. evidence relevant to the decision made but through no fault of yours was not presented). Generally speaking, events or academic performance subsequent to the decision of the Committee are not accepted as new evidence.
• evidence of procedural irregularity (see Glossary).

Procedure for Further Appeal  

 

The leave for appeal will be considered by an Appeals Panel of the Executive Committee of Faculty Council, composed of the Chair of the Executive Committee, the BBA, MBA, ad PhD Programme Directors, and the Dean (ex- officio). Anyone with a conflict of interest will remove themselves from the panel and three members will constitute quorum.  

 

The application for leave to appeal should contain a succinct statement of the grounds upon which you intend to rely, as well as all relevant documentation. Upon written request you shall be given, without charge, copies of all York documents which may support this summary of evidence.  

 

Determination of prima facie case 

 

The Appeals Panel will consider the documents submitted to determine whether or not a prima facie case has been established on the grounds allowed. Parties are not present at this hearing.  

 

If the Appeals Panel determines that a prima facie case has not been established it may deny leave to appeal at which point you will be advised of this decision by registered mail.  

 

If the Appeals Panel is satisfied that a prima facie case has been made, it will allow the appeal to be heard by the Executive Committee. The chair in consultation with the concerned parties shall establish a date for this hearing.

Petitions process 

 

The Faculty of Science and Engineering says that you may petition any Faculty regulation, "on reasonable grounds". Their forms are centralized through the Student Lient Services Office and should be picked up and submitted there. Your petition should be addressed to the attention of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Petitions Committee, along with a letter explaining the reasons for submitting a petition (as noted in the general section on Petitions). The Faculty of Science and Engineering Petitions Committee does not allow for students to present their petitions in person.  

The Petitions Committee is comprised of four Faculty Members, one student, one Associate Dean (ex-officio), and one petitions officer (non-voting).  

 

Appeals process 

Appeals of the Petitions Committee must be given in writing to the Secretary of the Executive and Planning Committee, 108 Steacie, within 15 calendar days of the date of notification of the decision on your original petition, and are only heard on the following grounds:

• there is new evidence which you could not reasonably have presented in your first petition. This does not refer to any changes in performance or any events which may have occurred after the decision of the Petitions Committee.

• Procedural Irregularity during the petition hearing by the original committee.

  This includes violations of: 

• normal and written procedures of the Faculty
• recognized custom of the Faculty
• the principle of natural justice and fairness

At this stage you have the right to represent yourself, as does any faculty member who may be involved in the petition. You may hear and answer allegations, and present your argument. Other than this appeal, hearings are not open to anyone not directly related to the case. Final decisions are taken in camera, which means you may not be present while the committee has final deliberations and votes.  

 

Appeals panel 

Appeals will be heard by a panel of three people: two faculty members from the Executive and Planning Committee and one student from the Faculty Council. In addition, an associate dean is an ex officio member, and there is a non-voting secretary.  

The panels are chosen from available members of the Executive and Planning Committee by its secretary, and have alternate members should any member declare conflict of interest or feel unable to be impartial.  

Results of the final decision are conveyed in writing to yourself, the faculty involved, the Office of Science Academic Services, the Faculty you are enrolled in, and the Registrar's Office.  

Any further appeal must go to the Senate Appeals Committee.