Petitions and Appeals

As a student, you are expected to be available during exam periods. If you are not able to write your in-person or online final exam at the scheduled time, you may submit a deferred exam petition. A deferred exam petition is a request to write your exam at a later date. 

Your request to defer your final exam must be due to extenuating circumstances outside of your control. Personal travel plans during the exam period or not feeling adequately prepared to write the exam are not valid reasons for a deferred exam petition. If you have required surgery scheduled during an exam, you may submit a deferred exam petition in advance of the exam.

If your petition for a deferred exam is granted, your deferred exam will be scheduled during a future final exam period. You are strongly encouraged to reduce your course load by the credit value of your deferred exam(s) during that session to help you prepare. 

When a deferred exam petition is granted, your academic record in ACORN will show a standing deferred (SDF) notation for that course until your exam marks have been uploaded. 

Deadline to Submit a Deferred Exam Petition

The deadline to submit a deferred exam petition is three business days after the exam date. If your exam is within the last three days of the December exam period, the days within the holiday break are not considered business days. Check the Academic Dates & Deadlines page for other petition deadlines. 

If you submit your petition late, it will be denied unless your personal statement includes compelling reasons for the delay. Documentation supporting the reason(s) you provide must also be included in your petition. If it is determined that your reason for submitting the petition late does not justify the delay or that the reason provided is not sufficiently supported by documentation, your petition will not be granted. 

Personal Statement for Deferred Exam Petitions

In addition to the recommendations listed in Preparing a Petition, your personal statement should explain what circumstances caused you to miss or will cause you to miss the final exam. 

The following information should be addressed in your personal statement, if relevant to your petition: 

• Why you were unable to write the final exam
• If you wrote any other exams on the day of or around the missed exam, explain why you were able to write those exams.
• If you sought any support (e.g. from your instructor, advisor or other staff member) related to the missed exam. If you did not seek out any support, explain why.
• If the date of the supporting documentation does not match up with the time of absence, explain why. For example, if you are seeking to defer an exam in August but your Verification of Illness or Injury (VOI) form shows that you were absent in July, explain why you do not have documentation dated in August.
• If you do not have documentation to support certain information reported in your personal statement, explain why such documentation could not be obtained. 

Supporting Documentation for Deferred Exam Petitions

You must submit supporting documentation when you submit your petition, i.e., within three business days after the date of the exam or deferred exam. This documentation should relate to your personal statement and explain what happened on the day of the exam. If your explanation describes an illness, the Verification of Illness or Injury form should speak to your health on the day of the exam and be completed on the day of the exam. If you do not have documentation to support information reported in your personal statement, be sure to explain why such documentation could not be obtained.

You can find a list of medical services available to you at Health & Wellness' website. For more information about supporting documentation, visit the Preparing a Petition page.

Deferred Exam Schedule & Fees

If you are approved for a deferred exam, you will be scheduled to write the exam during a future “regular” or “special” exam period. You cannot choose whether you are granted a special or regular deferred exam.

• A regular deferred exam takes place during a final exam period. If you are writing a regular deferred exam, you are encouraged to audit that course during the session when you will be writing the exam to ensure you are prepared for it.
• A special deferred exam is scheduled outside of a final exam period. 

Effective May 1, 2024, the fee to defer an exam is $73.50 CAD per course, up to a maximum of $147 CAD per session (for two or more courses).  To pay your fees, follow the instructions noted in the petition decision you receive.

You will not be able to write your deferred exam until you have paid the deferred exam fee or if you miss the payment by the deadline listed below. Failure to meet a payment deadline is not considered a valid reason to re-defer an exam. 

If you are planning on graduating in the Fall or Spring, make your payment as soon as possible. Not meeting your payment deadline could impact your ability to write the exam and to graduate on time.

If you are deferring an exam due to a disability and are registered with Accessibility Services, your fee may be waived. The deferred exam fees are also waived for religious accommodations.

If you miss a deferred exam, you will receive a mark of zero for that exam. In exceptional circumstances, you may submit a request to petition for a re-deferred exam. It is rare that a re-deferred exam petition is granted. 

Your request to re-defer your final exam must be due to extenuating circumstances outside of your control. Personal travel plans during the exam period or not feeling adequately prepared to write the exam are not valid reasons for a re-deferred exam petition. If you have a required surgery scheduled at the same time as a deferred exam, you may submit a re-deferred exam petition in advance of the exam. 

If your petition for a re-deferred exam is granted, your re-deferred exam may be scheduled during a future final exam period. You are strongly encouraged to reduce your course load by the credit value of your deferred exam(s) during that session to help you prepare. 

You must seek academic advising support from your College Registrar’s Office for any re-deferral requests.

When a deferred exam petition is granted, your academic record in ACORN will show a standing deferred (SDF) notation for that course until your exam marks have been uploaded.  

Deadline to Submit a Re-Deferred Exam Petition

The deadline to submit a re-deferred exam petition is three business days after the deferred exam date. If your exam is within the last three days of the December exam period, the days within the holiday break are not considered business days. Check the Academic Dates & Deadlines page for other petition deadlines.

If you submit your petition late, it will be denied unless your personal statement includes compelling reasons for the delay. Documentation supporting the reason(s) you provide must also be included in your petition. If it is determined that your reason for submitting the petition late does not justify the delay or that the reason provided is not sufficiently supported by documentation, your petition will not be granted.

Personal Statement for Re-Deferred Exam Petitions

In addition to the recommendations listed in Preparing a Petition, your personal statement should explain what circumstances caused you to miss or will cause you to miss the deferred exam.

In addition, the following information should be addressed in your personal statement, if relevant to your petition:

• Why you were unable to write the deferred/re-deferred exam
• If you wrote any other exams on the day of or around the missed deferred exam, explain why you were able to write those exams.
• Did you reach out for support (e.g. from your instructor, advisor or other staff member) related to the reasons you missed the re-deferred exam? If you did not seek out any support, explain why.
• Your level of engagement in the course. This includes any re-weighing of missed work. Provide a breakdown of the grades received in the course.
• If the date of the supporting documentation does not match up with the time of absence, explain why. For example, if you are seeking to defer an August final exam but your Verification of Illness or Injury (VOI) form shows that you were absent in July, explain why you do not have documentation dated in August.
• If your circumstances are ongoing, explain why other solutions or petition types (WDR) are not appropriate. Explain how you plan to be successful on the exam given how long it has been since you took the course. Provide information about whether you reduced your course load, and if you did not, describe your plan to manage the extra work.
• If you do not have documentation to support certain information reported in your personal statement, be sure to explain why such documentation could not be obtained.

Supporting Documentation for Re-Deferred Exam Petitions

You must submit supporting documentation when you submit your petition, i.e., within three business days after the date of the deferred exam. This documentation should relate to your personal statement and explain what happened on the day of the exam. If your explanation describes an illness, the Verification of Illness or Injury form should be completed on the day of the exam. For more information, visit the Preparing a Petition page.

Re-Deferred Exam Schedule & Fees

If you are approved for a re-deferred exam, you will be scheduled to write the exam during a future “regular” or “special” exam period. You cannot choose whether you are granted a special or regular deferred exam.

• A regular re-deferred exam takes place during a final exam period. If you are writing a regular re-deferred exam, you are encouraged to audit that course during the session when you will be writing the exam to ensure you are prepared for it.
• A special re-deferred exam is scheduled outside of a final exam period.

Effective May 1, 2024, the fee to re-defer an exam is $73.50 CAD per course, up to a maximum of $147 CAD per session (for two or more courses).  To pay your fees, follow the instructions noted in the petition decision you receive.

You will not be able to write your re-deferred exam until you have paid the re-deferred exam fee or if you miss the payment by the deadline listed below.  Failure to meet a payment deadline is not considered a valid reason to re-defer an exam.

If you are planning on graduating in the Fall or Spring, make your payment as soon as possible. Not meeting your payment deadline could impact your ability to write the exam and to graduate on time. 

If you are re-deferring an exam due to a disability and are registered with Accessibility Services, your fee may be waived. The re-deferred exam fees are also waived for religious accommodations.

If you start an exam and you suddenly become too ill or are impacted by extraordinary circumstances that cause you to abandon the exam, you may submit an exam rewrite petition. 

Please note, it is rare for an exam rewrite petition to be granted. You are expected to complete a final exam if you have started it, or to defer the exam if you are feeling unwell before the exam. Petitions to rewrite completed exams will not be granted. 

If your exam rewrite petition is granted, a standing deferred (SDF) notation will be applied to that course on your ACORN academic record and the mark obtained from the rewritten exam, whether higher or lower, will be considered your final mark. If you have been scheduled for an exam rewrite and you do not write the exam, you will receive a final mark of zero. 

In-Person Exams

If you are feeling ill before an in-person final exam, you should not go to the exam and instead, submit a deferred exam petition. If you begin the exam and suddenly experience an acute illness that prevents you from completing the exam, you can request another opportunity to write your final exam. 

At the exam, you are expected to immediately notify the Chief Presiding Officer (CPO) of your illness, sign the appropriate form and leave the exam room. If you do not notify the CPO and sign the form, your exam will be considered complete. After leaving the exam, see a licensed medical practitioner that day. If you have an evening exam, you are expected to see a licensed medical practitioner as soon as possible but no later than 24 hours after the end of the exam.  

Online Exams

If you experience extenuating circumstances out of your control during an online final exam, you may submit a petition to rewrite your exam.

While these situations are rare, below are the more common extenuating circumstances that may occur during online final exams and the steps you should take.  

• Computer/Technical Issues: If your computer stops working during your exam, remember to stay calm and contact the Information Commons help desk as soon as possible at 416-978-HELP (4357) or help.desk@utoronto.ca for technical support. Ensure you take screenshots or photos of your issue that include metadata, with the date and time. You should notify your instructor immediately. If writing on Quercus, your responses are automatically saved as you progress through the exam. You should write down what happened so you can recall the information later. If you have lost internet access, attempt to use another device (e.g., cellphone) to send your email and take a screenshot or photo of the email that includes the date and time. 
• Major disruption: Should you encounter a major disruption, such as a fire alarm, during an online final exam that prevents you from completing your exam, you must submit any work completed (e.g., save and log out of exam) and email your instructor as soon as it is safe to do so. Depending on the major disruption, supporting documentation may differ. Do your best to document the incident as much as you are able by writing down what happened, taking photos and obtaining a third-party letter that corroborates the incident (e.g., building supervisor, law enforcement). 
• Illness: If you are feeling ill before an online final exam, you should not start the exam and instead, complete a deferred exam petition. If you begin the exam and suddenly become too ill to write the exam and you must abandon the exam, you must submit any work completed (e.g., save and log out of exam) and email your instructor. After you leave the online exam, see a licensed medical practitioner that day. If you have an evening exam, you are expected to see a licensed medical practitioner as soon as possible but no later than 24 hours after the end of the exam

Deadline to Submit an Exam Rewrite Petition

The deadline to submit an exam rewrite petition is three business days after the final exam. 

If you submit your petition late, it will be denied unless your personal statement includes compelling reasons for the delay. Documentation supporting the reason(s) you provide must be included in your petition. If it is determined that your reason for submitting the petition late does not justify the delay or that the reason provided is not sufficiently supported by documentation, then your petition will not be granted. 

Personal Statement for an Exam Rewrite Petition

In addition to the recommendations listed in Preparing a Petition, your personal statement should explain what circumstances prevented you from completing the final exam. The following information should be addressed in your personal statement: 

• Explain what happened during your final exam.
• Did you seek support for your circumstances at the time or immediately after you left the exam? If you did not seek out support, explain why. 
• If you did not connect with a CPO (for in-person exams) or instructor (for online exams), explain why. 
• If you were aware of your circumstances prior to starting the exam, explain why you chose to attempt the exam instead of submitting a deferred exam petition.
• If you wrote any other exams on or around the same time as this exam, explain why you were able to do so.

Supporting Documentation for an Exam Rewrite Petition

You must provide supporting documentation related to your personal statement within three business days after the date of the exam.  

If you abandoned your final exam due to illness or injury, your supporting documentation should include the U of T Verification of Student Illness or Injury (VOI) form dated for the day of your exam. This form should be completed by a medical practitioner listed on the form. If you cannot meet with a medical practitioner on the day of the exam, you will need to explain in your personal statement. 

If you abandoned your online final exam due to any other reason, your supporting documentation should include any documentation corroborating that the incident took place. Such documentation may include, but is not limited to: 

• Screenshots and/or photos with metadata (including the date and time) of the issue(s) you encountered
• A copy of any correspondence with your instructor or anyone else you contacted for support in response to the circumstances
• A letter from a third party who witnessed the incident or can confirm the incident occurred, such as a building supervisor or law enforcement officer

Exam Rewrite Fees

Effective May 1, 2024, the fee to rewrite an exam is $73.50 CAD per course, up to a maximum of $147 CAD per session (for two or more courses).  To pay your fees, follow the instructions noted in the petition decision you receive.

You will not be able to rewrite your exam until you have paid the rewrite exam fee or if you miss the payment by the deadline listed below. Failure to meet a payment deadline is not considered a valid reason to defer an exam.

If you are planning on graduating in the Fall or Spring, make your payment as soon as possible. Not meeting your payment deadline could impact your ability to write the exam and to graduate on time.

If you are requesting to rewrite an exam due to a disability and are registered with Accessibility Services, your fee may be waived. The exam fees are also waived for religious accommodations.

You are expected to submit coursework, such as assignments, essays, and final assessments, by the deadline set by your instructor. If you miss a coursework deadline or term test, refer to your course syllabus and follow any late submission or missed test guidelines set out by your instructor. Your instructor, at their discretion, can grant an extension of up to five business days after the exam period. If you contact your instructor after the assignment deadline or test, do not expect to receive an extension. Make sure to contact your instructor about your issue as soon as possible and before the assignment deadline or test and provide appropriate documentation.

You should not expect to receive consideration from your instructor if you raise the issue after the assignment deadline or test and the issue was foreseeable, or if you don't provide appropriate documentation. You are always expected to raise the issue with your instructor as soon as possible before the assignment deadline or test.

If you need an extension beyond the five business days after the exam period, you will have to submit a term work extension petition. Discuss a proposed deadline with your instructor before submitting a term work extension petition. Through this petition type, you are requesting to complete the coursework after the original deadline and after any extensions permitted by the instructor.

The CHRM Program Coordinator will consult with the academic unit to determine the outcome. Depending on the outcome of the petition, the instructor or the academic unit may change the method of evaluation. You should be prepared for different methods of evaluation or reweighing of other term work. 

When a term work extension petition has been granted for work in a course, a notation of “SDF” (standing deferred) is placed on your transcript in place of a final mark.

The Faculty of Arts & Science reserves the right to limit registration or course load in a subsequent session for students who have outstanding academic obligations from a previous term. If you find yourself in this situation, you are strongly encouraged to contact the CHRM Program Coordinator.

Deadline to Submit a Term Work Extension Petition

The deadline to submit a term work extension petition is five business days after the end of the final exam period for the term in which you took this course. If you are unable to collect supporting documentation by the deadline, you can submit it up to three weeks after the petition is submitted.

Personal Statement for a Term Work Extension Petition

In addition to the recommendations listed in Preparing a Petition, your personal statement should explain what circumstances prevented you from completing your course work by the deadline provided by your instructor, including: 

• Whether you sought academic consideration from your instructor(s) during the term. Explain why or why not. If you requested an extension, explain the outcome. Did the instructor grant an extension?
• Your level of engagement in the course. This includes any reweighing of missed work. Provide a breakdown of the grades received in the course. 
• Include a reasonable expected submission date on which you will submit your term work. 
• If your extenuating circumstances are ongoing, explain why other petition types (such as WDR) were not appropriate. Explain how you plan to successfully submit the term work considering how much time has passed since the original deadline.
• If you have a CGPA of less than 1.50, provide an academic plan for the term to explain how you plan to complete the outstanding work and successfully manage your workload. 
• If the date of the supporting documentation does not match up with the time of absence, explain why. For example, if you are seeking an extension for term work that was due in February, but your Verification of Illness or Injury (VOI) form shows that you were absent in January, explain why you do not have documentation dated in February.
• If you do not have documentation to support certain information reported in your personal statement, be sure to explain why such documentation could not be obtained. 
• If your petition is being submitted after the deadline for a term work extension petition, provide all relevant information as to why it is being submitted late. More information can be found in Preparing a Petition.

The details referenced above must be provided, where relevant, for each piece of term work for which an extension is requested. 

Supporting Documentation for a Term Work Extension Petition 

In addition to the guidelines listed in Preparing a Petition, you must submit documentation that supports the information provided in your personal statement. For example, a term work extension petition should include supporting documentation explaining the reason for missing the test or term work deadline. Your supporting documentation should also support your requested submission date.In addition to the supporting documentation you provide, the faculty will review other relevant documentation it has access to, such as your marks breakdown for the relevant course(s) and your academic transcript. They may also contact your college or course instructor for further information. 

You have the option to drop a course in ACORN by the drop deadline. If you are facing extenuating circumstances that impacted your academic progress and you did not drop the course by the drop deadline, you can submit a petition for withdraw without academic penalty petition. Typically, a withdrawal without academic penalty petition is used when no other type of petition request (like term work extension or a deferred final exam) is appropriate.

An example of extenuating circumstances would be if you were diagnosed with a debilitating or life-threatening chronic illness during the term for which you were receiving treatment.

A withdrawal without academic penalty petition is not granted if you have completed the course (i.e., you submitted the final assignment or attempted the final exam). If you choose to finish the course, you have decided to accept the outcome despite the circumstances you experienced. 

If you have been sanctioned for an academic offence under the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters, you are not eligible for a withdrawal without academic penalty petition. 

If your petition is granted, your transcript will show a WDR notation instead of a grade. Courses with a WDR notation do not count towards your GPA or number of credits. Neither LWD nor WDR entitles you to a tuition fee refund.

Deadline to Submit a Withdrawal Without Academic Penalty Petition

The deadline to submit a petition for withdrawal without academic penalty (WDR) depends on the session.

• For Fall/Winter Session courses, the deadline is the following November 15. For example, the deadline to submit a petition for WDR for a course taken in Fall 2024/Winter 2025 is November 15, 2025.
• For Summer Session courses, the deadline is the following February 28/29. For example, the deadline to submit a petition for WDR for a course taken in Summer 2024 is February 28/29, 2025.

All supporting documentation must be submitted within three weeks after the petition submission or the petition deadline, whichever is later.

Personal Statement for a Withdrawal Without Academic Penalty Petition 

In addition to the recommendations listed in Preparing a Petition, you should explain in your personal statement the extenuating circumstances that prevented you from dropping the course by the drop deadline and include the following:

• Explain the precise timeline of events, including when your extenuating circumstances started and steps you took leading up to preparing your petition.
• Outline any support you sought to remedy these circumstances (e.g., connecting with your College Registrar, Accessibility Services, a mental health professional, etc.) and what the outcome was. 
• Mention if you stopped engaging in the course (e.g., when you stopped going to classes, submitting assignments, writing tests, etc.).
• Outline any special consideration provided by your instructor(s) (e.g., make-up tests or extensions) during the course.
• Explain why you did not seek another remedy (e.g., LWD, term work extension petition, deferred exams petition, etc.).  
• If you completed the final assignment or attempted the final exam, explain why you made this decision given the circumstances you were facing.
• If your documentation is not dated during the time of the extenuating circumstances, explain why.
• If you do not have documentation to support certain information reported in your personal statement, be sure to explain why such documentation could not be obtained. 

Supporting Documentation for a Withdrawal Without Academic Penalty Petition 

In addition to the guidelines listed in Preparing a Petition, you must submit documentation that supports the information provided in your personal statement. For example, if your personal statement reports that you were diagnosed with a chronic illness during the course preventing you from engaging in the work, you must provide a Verification of Illness or Injury (VOI) form dated during the course, or doctor’s note indicating a diagnosis that impacted your academic progress. 

In addition to the supporting documentation you provide, the faculty will review other relevant documentation it has access to, such as your marks breakdown for the relevant course(s) and your academic transcript. They may also contact your college or course instructor for further information.

Note that any information or documentation included in your petition request may be verified by the petitions unit. If any information or documentation is found to be untrue, fabricated, altered or falsified, an allegation of academic misconduct will be forwarded to the Office of Student Academic Integrity in accordance with the university’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters.

Personal Statement

Your personal statement has to be submitted on the same day as your petition and should explain what you are requesting and why you believe your request should be granted. Describe in detail how extenuating circumstances outside of your control negatively impacted your academic progress. Explain if you sought support (i.e., your instructor, College Registrar's Office, Accessibility Office, etc.). Explain how the petition, if granted, will support your academic goals.In addition, your personal statement should include the following:

• The start and end dates of when your extenuating circumstances took place and impacted your academic progress. Your extenuating circumstances must have occurred at the time of the course, exam or academic assessment in question. If your supporting documentation is not dated at the time the circumstances occurred, explain why.
• The dates when you sought support, who you sought support from, and what happened. If you did not seek out support, explain why.
• If applicable, what other work (assignments, tests, attending lectures, etc.) did you complete in the course? Explain how you were doing in the course overall.
• Explain how the extenuating circumstances impacted your academic progress in the other courses you were taking during the same period as the course in question. If your grades in one or more of the other courses do not suggest a similar pattern, explain why. The petitions unit will review your academic record in addition to the supporting documentation you provide.
• If you are unable to provide documentation in support of one or more relevant piece(s) of information reported in your personal statement, explain why such documentation could not be obtained.

Please note, each petition type may have additional requirements for your personal statement. Make sure to review the information specific to your petition request before completing your submission. Your personal statement should be at most two pages and double-spaced, and your personal statement should only convey information relevant to the request.

Supporting Documentation

Supporting documentation has to be submitted on the same day as your petition and will help to confirm the details you described in your personal statement. All petitions must include:

• Documentation that verifies the information reported in your personal statement
• A copy of the course syllabus for all course-based petitions, such as term work extensions, deferred exams, exam rewrite, late withdrawal, late withdrawal without academic penalty, late application or removal of Credit/No Credit

Any documentation provided in a language other than English must be accompanied by an official translation of that document.Sometimes, a member of your community or another professional (e.g., lawyer, religious leader, traditional Chinese medicine practitioner or physiotherapist) may have direct or indirect knowledge of your circumstances. In that case, consider having them write you a letter of support on an official letterhead.

If you have any questions about supporting documentation, contact the CHRM Program Coordinator, as they can advise on how to make your petition as strong as possible.

Supporting documentation for health issues:  If you are submitting a petition due to health-related issues, you will need to include medical documentation that speaks of the impact the illness had during the relevant academic event or period.

You can submit a Verification of Illness or Injury (VOI) form, or if outside Ontario, a letter from a licensed practitioner in the region you are living in. You should seek assistance from your medical care provider as soon as possible to validate the relevant day(s) of illness or injury on the VOI form.

If the reason for your petition is related to a disability, health concern or injury for which you are registered with Accessibility Services, you should submit a letter from your accessibility advisor.

Supporting documentation for death of a loved one:If you are submitting a petition due to a death, provide a death certificate or other proof of passing (e.g., newspaper article or obituary).

Supporting documentation for automobile collision:If you are submitting a petition due to an automobile collision, provide a collision report or police report.

If you chose not to report the incident to the police, you could provide a photo of the collision with the license plate of your vehicle visible and a copy of your provincial vehicle/license permit that includes your name, vehicle description and license plate number. The photo of the collision must be the original photo file that includes metadata with the date the photo was taken and the camera information. Please ensure that all supporting documentation is in English or that an official translation is included.

Supporting documentation for rationale for lateness:You must provide documentation to support your rationale for lateness. Being unaware of the deadline or being unfamiliar with the petition process are not acceptable reasons for lateness.

Supporting Documentation

Supporting documentation has to be submitted on the same day as your petition and will help to confirm the details you described in your personal statement. All petitions must include:

• Documentation that verifies the information reported in your personal statement
• A copy of the course syllabus for all course-based petitions, such as term work extensions, deferred exams, exam rewrite, late withdrawal, late withdrawal without academic penalty, late application or removal of Credit/No Credit

Any documentation provided in a language other than English must be accompanied by an official translation of that document.

Sometimes, a member of your community or another professional (e.g., lawyer, religious leader, traditional Chinese medicine practitioner or physiotherapist) may have direct or indirect knowledge of your circumstances. In that case, consider having them write you a letter of support on an official letterhead.

If you have any questions about supporting documentation, contact the CHRM Program Coordinator, as they can advise on how to make your petition as strong as possible.

Supporting documentation for health issues:  If you are submitting a petition due to health-related issues, you will need to include medical documentation that speaks of the impact the illness had during the relevant academic event or period.

You can submit a Verification of Illness or Injury (VOI) form, or if outside Ontario, a letter from a licensed practitioner in the region you are living in. You should seek assistance from your medical care provider as soon as possible to validate the relevant day(s) of illness or injury on the VOI form.

If the reason for your petition is related to a disability, health concern or injury for which you are registered with Accessibility Services, you should submit a letter from your accessibility advisor.

Supporting documentation for death of a loved one:If you are submitting a petition due to a death, provide a death certificate or other proof of passing (e.g., newspaper article or obituary).

Supporting documentation for automobile collision:If you are submitting a petition due to an automobile collision, provide a collision report or police report.

If you chose not to report the incident to the police, you could provide a photo of the collision with the license plate of your vehicle visible and a copy of your provincial vehicle/license permit that includes your name, vehicle description and license plate number. The photo of the collision must be the original photo file that includes metadata with the date the photo was taken and the camera information. Please ensure that all supporting documentation is in English or that an official translation is included.

Supporting documentation for rationale for lateness:You must provide documentation to support your rationale for lateness. Being unaware of the deadline or being unfamiliar with the petition process are not acceptable reasons for lateness.

Petition to write a final exam at a later date:  The deadline to submit an examination-related petition with supporting documentation  is three (3) business days after the examination date.

Petition to write a deferred exam at a later date: The deadline to submit an examination-related petition with supporting documentation  is three (3) business days after the examination date.

Petition to rewrite an exam that you were unable to complete:  The deadline to submit an examination-related petition with supporting documentation  is three (3) business days after the examination date.

Petition to submit coursework after the term has ended:  The deadline to submit a petition for a term work extension is five (5) business days after the last day of the examination period for the term in question. The deadline to submit a petition for a further extension on term work is five (5) business days after the deadline outlined in the original petition decision. 

Petition to withdraw from a course after the late withdrawal deadline:  The deadline to submit a petition for WDR depends on the session. For Fall/Winter Session courses, the deadline is the following 15 November. For Summer Session courses, the deadline is the following 28/29 February. All supporting documentation must be submitted as soon as possible, and no later than three (3) weeks after the date the student submits the petition.

Special consideration requests to academic department(s)/unit(s) (sometimes called Academic Appeals) concern issues arising within a course that relate to the pedagogical relationship of the instructor and the student, such as the organization of a course, or grading practices. These fall within the authority of the academic unit sponsoring the course and are not under the purview of Faculty petitions. Students are encouraged to discuss any issues regarding the academic aspects of a course first with the instructor. It is recommended that such discussions be documented in writing where possible. The successive stages of special consideration request after the course instructor must be submitted by the student in writing. These successive stages are: 1) the Associate Chair, Undergraduate (or equivalent); 2) the Chair or Program Director of the Academic Unit; 3) the Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts & Science. A special consideration request must have been reviewed at the academic unit level before being referred to the Dean’s Office; requests to the Dean’s Office must be in writing.