While the information below is considered informal and unofficial, you are encouraged to review the material if you are unfamiliar with petitions, advising services, or potential petition outcomes. Official information regarding petitions may be found in the Academic Regulations chapter of the Academic Calendar. If you have any questions regarding petitions that are not addressed here, please contact the Office of the Registrar.
The following deadlines and timelines apply to all students and petitions:
The deadline to submit a Final Exam petition and supporting documentation is seven days after a student's final Engineering exam
The deadline to submit a Term Work petition and supporting documentation (to your course coordinator or instructor) is seven days after the missed or affected term work
A petition is a student’s formal request for an exception to a university rule, regulation, or deadline. The University of Toronto acknowledges that students sometimes encounter unforeseen or uncontrollable circumstances that can severely interfere with their ability to fulfill their academic obligations.
Through the petition process, students may seek a resolution for the academic consequences that may have resulted from extenuating circumstances; however, students are expected to make every effort to complete examinations and term work. Petitions that arise from a failure to prioritize academic responsibilities or carelessness may not be granted.
There are three types of petitions:
Petition of final examination (missed exam, issues affected your ability to perform on your final exam)
Petition for special consideration (Rules and Regulations)
Petition of term work (e.g. test, quiz, assignment, labs)
Please note that the process for petitions of term work differs from petitions for special considerations and final examinations.
Petitions for special considerations or final examinations should include all necessary supporting documentation. If it is a medical-related petition, the student must use the U of T Medical Certificateas supporting documentation. Minor illnesses, such as the common cold or minor allergies, are not ordinarily grounds for a petition.
A petition is not necessary or appropriate in every case; matters involving the conduct of a professor, grading practices and course organization should be dealt with at the department level as soon as the student is cognizant ofan issue.
Students should not hesitate to seek clarification on any of the rules or regulations in the Calendar from a counsellor. A counsellor can refer students to special services that may assist them with academic, personal or financial difficulties. Students in their first year of studies should contact the First Year Counsellor; all other students should contact their Undergraduate Academic Counsellor. Consultations with the First Year counsellor or undergraduate academic counsellors are confidential. Students are encouraged to contact their counsellors at the first sign of a problem that could potentially affect their studies.
Petitions that concern final examinations should be submitted within seven days of the student’s last examination. Please note that deferred examinations and re-writes for courses in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering is not standard practice. If a petition is approved, the Committee on Examinations will likely assign an assessed mark based on closely supervised term-work as compared to the closely supervised term-work of the rest of the class in relation to their final exam performance.
Please note that exam petitions cannot offer you exemption from writing exams. If you have a legitimate exam conflict (see the Office of the Registrar for a definition) you may be offered an opportunity to write the exam. No exemptions will be given for personal or travel reasons. Petitions for Final Exams are submitted through the Engineering Portal
Beginning in April 2012, petition decisions will also appear on the Engineering Portal. Students will receive email notice if there is a decision available on the Engineering Portal to view. 2. Petition for Special Consideration
A student may petition for exemption from specific academic regulation of the Faculty; however, he or she must provide sufficient reason why the regulation should be waived or altered. It is highly recommended that students first consult with their Departmental Counsellor before they submit a petition for special consideration.
Beginning in April 2012, petition decisions will also appear on the
Engineering Portal. Students will receive email notice if there is a
decision available on the Engineering Portal to view.
3. Petition for Consideration in Term Work
The process for petitions of term work differs from petitions for special considerations or final examinations.
A student who is unavoidably absent at any time during the session, and consequently misses any graded work, should discuss the matter with the appropriate instructor immediately and, if necessary, submit a Petition for Consideration in Term Work. Such a petition must be accompanied by appropriate documentation (e.g. U of T Medical Certificate) and must be submitted to the instructor within one week of the student's return to classes.
DO NOT SUBMIT A TERM WORK PETITION ONLINE. IT MUST BE MADE USING A PAPER FORM as the petition is submitted directly to your course coordinator/instructor and not to the Committee on Examinations.
If you are submitting a petition or an appeal, you must submit official supporting documentation to support your case. Official documentation is both a formal Faculty requirement and a necessary tool, which assists the Faculty in making a decision regarding your petition or appeal. Your official supporting documentation must outline your situation (e.g. illness) and the dates you were affected. Strong documentation typically equals a stronger petition or appeal case.
Types of Documentation
The supporting documentation that you need to attach to your petition or appeal must be relevant to your situation. For example, if you were in a traffic accident, you should submit the police accident report; if someone in your family passed away, you must submit a copy of the death certificate or funeral notice.
If you have been seeing someone regarding your situation who is not a doctor, please have the individual draft a letter on official letterhead, which you can submit to the Faculty to support your petition or appeal. If the person is not a doctor, they do not have to complete the U of T Medical Certificate; however, his or her letter should answer similar questions. Please note that letters from family members typically do not provide sufficient documentation to support your petition or appeal.
The most common piece of supporting documentation that the Faculty receives is the U of T Medical Certificate. A doctor’s note, which simply states that the “student cannot write exam”, is insufficient; however, the Medical Certificate asks specific questions that the Faculty needs answered to assist them with your petition. If possible, please have your doctor complete the U of T Medical Certificate at the time of your visit—a Certificate that indicates that the doctor was told of your illness after the fact is insufficient. You may obtain a copy of the U of T Medical Certificate from the following places:
Please do not take the Faculty’s request for supporting documentation personally. The Faculty requests supporting documentation from each student who submits a petition or appeal to help them meet the formal requirements outlined in the Academic Calendar.
***ALWAYS make copies of your documentation for your personal records BEFORE submitting them as evidence to support your appeal.***
(For Final Exam or Special Consideration Petitions)
Deferred examinations and re-writes (for courses offered by the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering) in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering are not standard practice (see "Defer" below). If your petition is granted, the Committee on Examinations will likely select one of the following options to calculate your final grade or standing: Assessed Mark
If the student did not write the exam, an assessed mark is calculated according to a Faculty-endorsed formula. The assessed grade formula considers the student’s closely-supervised term work (mid-terms, quizzes, etc.) and the class average on term work and the exam. If the student did write the exam even though he or she was under duress, due to illness or other circumstances, the exam mark will be factored into the final decision.
Retroactive Withdrawal
A retroactive withdrawal is a withdrawal from the session after the published deadline for withdrawals has passed. This remedy is considered very rarely and only when evidence is shown that the student was unable to drop their courses at deadline because of severe impairments. Please note that when late withdrawal without academic penalty is granted, a permanent notation of “WDR” is placed on the academic record in lieu of a course grade. No changes can be made to the academic record after a degree is conferred.
Aegrotat Standing
Aegrotat standing (AEG) is granted based on a review of the student’s term work and reason for the petition. The Committee on Examinations upon approval of the student’s petition assigns Aegrotat Standing, which carries credit for the course, but is not considered for averaging purposes. Aegrotat standing will be considered when three or more final exams were missed or extraordinarily encumbered and the student was clearly passing the course as a substitute for assigning assessed marks.
Defer
A standard to a accommodation for Arts & Science, UTM or UTSC exams. If your petition is granted, you may be given a chance to defer the exam to a later regular/special exam. Please check with the Faculty of Arts and Science, UTM or UTSC regarding their policies on petitions.
In rare circumstances, a deferred exam may be assigned where a student was absent from an Engineering exam due to severe and documented injury, illness or bereavement in accordance with Faculty Council Report #3287 (Revised).
Note: While the Examinations Committee will be mindful of a student's request for a certain accommodation, remedies are granted based on appropriateness and standard practice, not a student's request.
An academic appeal is an appeal to an
un-accommodated petition decision. Appeals must be handed in person, with a completed "Intention to Appeal Form" to the Office of the Registrar with new supporting documentation no later than 30 days after receiving a petition decision.
DO NOT use the online petition submission system to a petition. You must follow proper procedure to pursue an appeal. Any appeal submitted through the online petitions system will not be reviewed by the Examinations Committee and may lead to an automatic refusal of your appeal. For more on appeals.
Whatever documentation can verify the facts of assertions in your case. Medical documentation will only be accepted on the U of T medical Certificate. You will be sent back to the doctor to have the Certificate completed if you do not provide one, so you should pick it up or download it before you go.
Other documentation is certainly relevant. The more “professional” the person providing the documentation, the stronger it is, i.e., someone not related to you and bound by professional standards of ethics is in a better position to provide formal documentation than, say, your cousin or your best friend. If you have any questions about what might be useful, consult the Registrar’s Office or your undergraduate academic counsellor.
Why can’t I appear in person to argue my own case?
The Faculty reviews hundreds of petitions a year. The Examinations Committee uses written materials to consider petitions in order to expedite the process and to create a record of activities. If the Academic Appeals Board requests a hearing for your appeal, you may be asked to appear to answer questions about your case.
How long does it take to get a decision?
Even with the large number of petition requests the Faculty receives each session, most are dealt with promptly. The simplest petitions, such as those for missed exams that are accompanied by appropriate documentation, are answered almost immediately. Others take a little longer, but the vast majority of petitions are answered in a very timely way. The Faculty makes a firm endeavor to deal with all petitions within 90 days of receiving the petition and all documentation from the student. If a response seems to be taking a long time, you can follow up with the Registrar’s Office.
Should I wait to view my final marks before submitting a Final Examination petition?
No. A stronger petition is submitted before viewing final marks as it shows evidence the petition is based on circumstances or impairments and not a particular result.
How will I receive notice that my petition request has been decided?
Beginning in April 2012, petitions for special consideration and final examinations will appear on the Engineering Portal, the place where you filed your petition. You will receive an email notification telling you a petition decision is available to view and inviting you to go to the Engineering Portal. If you have any difficulties navigating the Engineering Portal, please see the Office of the Registrar in person, in GB 157.
I've received a petition decision but I don't understand what it means. Who can help?
Petition decisions will state if a remedy was granted or if the request is denied. If you require additional information about your petition circumstances, please see your undergraduate academic counsellor. For help understanding remedies and petition procedures, please see the Office of the Registrar in GB 157.
Will the Examinations Committee "give me more marks?"
There is no approved remedy that awards higher final marks. If the Examinations Committee grants an assessed mark, your final mark may change according to an assessed mark formula. All other final exam remedies involve non-grade symbols. While the Examinations Committee invites you to state the desired outcome for your petition and takes your request under consideration, it grants remedies based on appropriateness and standard practice.
I just received "official" final marks but I have a final exam petition pending. Does this mean my petition was denied?
No. Petitions are reviewed after marks become "official." If the Examinations Committee offers you an accommodation that impacts your final mark, that change will be made at a later date. Unless you receive a petition decision, consider your petition still under review.
