During your time as a student, you may experience challenges that impact your academic performance or receive an academic decision you disagree with. At the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ, Policy 70 states a student may request that a decision maker review and potentially change an academic decision by filing a petition or filing a grievance.
In a petition, a student admits the rules were applied fairly but asks for an exception. For a grievance, the student believes a decision or action by the University was unfair or unreasonable.
When considering your options, you first need to determine if the circumstances related to your concern or complaint warrant a petition or a grievance. ÌýHere is a list of examples, however this list is not exhaustive.Ìý
¸é±ð³¾±ð³¾²ú±ð°ù:ÌýÌýConcerns that are under Policy 33 - Ethical Behaviour follow the procedure listed in Policy 33.Ìý
Petition
- adding or dropping a course after the deadline
- removing a WD/WF grade for late dropÌý
- increased or reduced course load
- reconsideration of an end of term promotion decision or other academic decision
Grievance
- an error in academic judgment on the part of an instructorÌý
- an error or injustice on grounds other than the academic judgement of work;
- the method of evaluation was not fair and reasonable in the circumstances;
- a decision of a University authority or an action of a University faculty or staff member in relation to his/her University life, not necessarily related to courses or to program or degree requirements, has been unfair or unreasonable.
Grounds
Grounds are the terms on which your petition or grievance are founded and the basis of your concern. Petitions and grievances require grounds to be clearly identified that support and justify your request. Ìý
- For petitions, grounds are generally related to extenuating or medical circumstances.Ìý
- Extenuating circumstances represent situations that have impacted your ability to perform or participate in academic activities. This may include the death or illness of a relative, or a distressing event.Ìý
- Medical circumstances encompass long or short-term illness or medical condition that you experienced which impacted your ability to perform or participate in academic activities.Ìý
- For grievances, grounds state a decision was unfair, unreasonable, and/or bias.Ìý
- Unfairness is when the decision is procedurally, substantively and/or relationally unfair. ÌýTo learn more, visit What Is Fairness.Ìý
- Unreasonable grounds speak to actions or decisions that deviate from the normal requirements of a course or program. This can include deviations or changes from the course outline without reasonable notice or applicationÌý
Examples
Jillian, an undergraduate student in Physics, fell ill during the last 3 weeks of the term. One of her courses was more heavily impacted as she not only missing the final exam but also a culminating project that accounted for 20% of her final grade. Jillian wishes to withdraw from the course without academic penalty.
This is an example of a petition where the grounds for the petition are medical.
Alex, a graduate student in French, has been struggling in one course that is required for their degree. They have reached out for assistance from the professor but feels the professor has not taken their concerns seriously and has been dismissive in their interactions, which differs from the professor’s treatment of their peers. Alex has personally witnessed the professor being engaged and open to help other students in the course. After utilizing the help of their peers and a tutor, Alex submitted an assignment that they were confident was an improvement on past work. ÌýWhen Alex received their grade, they were shocked to see that not only had the mark not increased, but this was the worst marks they had received in the course. No feedback or breakdown of the grading was provided to explain the mark. ÌýAlex attempted to speak to the professor about their mark but was again dismissed without an answer. ÌýAlex feels the grading in this course, especially on this work, was biased and wishes to have their work regraded. Ìý
This is an example of a grievance where the grounds of the grievance are bias.Ìý
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Preparing your petition
Before submitting your petition, it’s important to ensure you have engaged the appropriate resources, gathered your relevant documentation, and understand the implications of your request should your petition be successful.Ìý
- Speak to your academic advisor or graduate officer to discuss your plan and if alternative solutions exist. ÌýIf your petition is regarding Co-op, speak to your co-op advisor.Ìý
- Gather all relevant documentation electronically. This may include medical notes, proof of an event, verification of disability or illness, or something else. ÌýRemember that documentation should be official and verifiable.Ìý
- Consider your desired outcome that you are seeking and if the outcome is relevant to the grounds and awardable based on your evidence.Ìý
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Submitting your petition
Once you have decided a petition is the correct path for you and have organized your supporting documentation, you’re ready to submit your petition.
When a petition is submitted, you will receive acknowledgement of the submission. The path your petition takes for review depends on your grounds and the type of petition you have submitted. Ìý
- Your petition is collected by a single office - For Undergraduate students, petitions are received by the Office of the Registrar. Graduate students submit petitions to Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs.Ìý
- Medical documentation is validated and reviewed by AccessAbility Services. Your medical documentation is not shared with the decision makers to ensure your personal medical information is kept confidential. Instead, AccessAbility Services provide a report with recommendation based on your medical documentation to the decision makers.Ìý
- The Petition package, after documentation is reviewed and recommendations issued by on-campus partners, is passed for consideration to the Petition Committee in your home Faculty.Ìý
- Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis as each petition is unique. Once a decision is made, it is communicated confidentially by email.
- Petitions cannot be appealed; however you can request a re-evaluation if you have new documentation that wasn’t available for your first submission.Ìý
Understanding the grievance process
The grievance process encompasses three stages, with each stage having its own requirements. As the stages progress, the grievance process becomes more formal.Ìý
1. Request
This is the first stage of the grievance process. A student starts this process by going directly to the individual or committee chair whose action or decision is being questioned.Ìý
A request can be made in person or in writing, however the content of the request should be the same.Ìý
- Describe the action or decision in question
- Provide an explanation of your concerns or questions regarding this action or decision
- Explain your desired outcome and why you feel this is a fair outcome.Ìý
- When considering your desired outcome, think critically about what you are seeking.Ìý Consider what is reasonable given your concerns, the action or decision, and if the desired outcome is possible to be granted.Ìý
This step is required before any further action can be taken.Ìý
2. Challenge
After making a request has been made, a student may still be dissatisfied with the outcome of their request and the student may choose to formally challenge the decision.Ìý
The path a student takes for proceeding with a challenge depends on if the grievance is in an academic setting (such an instructor's actions in a course or the Associate Dean's decision on academic progression) or theÌýgrievance is in an academic support settingÌý(such as a decision made by an academic advisor).Ìý ÌýLastly, when a student is grieving the accuracy of a grade they may be seeking a reassessment of the work.Ìý
Reassessment
Remember - a reassessment is a complete and unbiased reassessment of your work. It is important to approach this process without a predetermined outcome or grade.
The new grade, regardless of if it is higher, lower or unchanged, will replace your previous grade.Ìý
3. Appeal
Once a student has completed both step one and step two of the grievance process without a satisfactory outcome, they have the option to appeal.Ìý Appeals are the final stage and the last opportunity to challenge a decision at the University.Ìý
At the University, there are two appeal bodies.ÌýThe appropriate appeal body is determined by the type of grievance a student is engaged in.ÌýÌý
- Faculty Committee on Student Appeals
- Grievances in an academic setting are heard by the Faculty Committee of the faculty where the decision was made
- University Committee on Student Appeals
- Grievances in an academic support setting
For more information about appealing, visit Appeals.
Deadlines
All stages of the grievance process have deadlines that must be adhered to - they reinforce a fair process by ensuring your concerns are addressed within a reasonable timeframe.
Remember:
Before engaging in any procedure, check the policy first:Ìý
- Check that your concern falls within the scope of the policy and that you're following the correct procedure for your circumstances
- Understand the steps necessary within the procedure
- Take note of all deadlines - both those that apply to you and to the decision make