Before submitting a petition request, consult with the Office of the Registrar and Student Services.
1. Petitions Students are responsible for observing sessional dates and deadlines, and for organizing their academic priorities accordingly. Only in cases of documented illness and/or legitimate conflict should a student submit a petition request. Not all requests are granted. Petitions based on travel, employment, or personal plans will not be considered
2. Counselling and Inquiries It is recommended that students seek advice and information from the Office of the Registrar and Student Services regarding petition procedures. While the ultimate decision to submit a petition rests with the student, staff in the Office of the Registrar and Student Services may on occasion discourage petitions that are unlikely to be granted due to insufficient grounds or lateness. All inquiries regarding a student’s petition should be directed to the Office of the Registrar and Student Services.
3. Filing a Petition Aside from filling out the petition form, you are required to write a clear and concise statement of no more than two (2) pages explaining the reasons why compliance with the rule(s), regulation(s) or deadline(s) is/was not possible, or why special consideration is being requested. ALL petitions must be supported by appropriate documentation and submitted to the Office of the Registrar and Student Services at the time of filing the petition form. If documentation is not submitted within three (3) weeks of initiation, the petition may not be accepted. All information in petition requests is treated confidentially. Students are encouraged to disclose their full situation at the outset to avoid the need for late and more complicated appeals.
4. Documentation The Daniels Faculty will accept only the University of Toronto Verification of Student Illness and Injury form in support of petitions that cite illness as the reason for the request. A copy of the form can be found online at www.illnessverification.utoronto.ca. Note that, by University policy, only five (5) identified groups of practitioners may sign this form: physicians, surgeons, nurse practitioners, dentists, and clinical psychologists. The Office of the Registrar and Student Services regularly follows up with physicians’ offices to validate medical documentation. Full contact information is required on the form.
5. Deadlines Specific deadlines have been established for filing petitions and will not be waived. 1. Term Work - Petitions must be filed before the end of the examination period. 2. Examinations - Requests of any type regarding examinations must be filed within a week of the end of the examination period. For December examinations, requests must be filed within five (5) working days of the start of the term in January. 3. Late Withdrawal without Academic Penalty - For Fall/Winter Session courses: requests must be filed by the following 15 November; for Summer Session courses: requests must be filed by the following 28/29 February.
6. Fees There are no fees incurred for filing petition requests. If a petition for an exam deferral is granted, there may be a fee associated with writing the deferred exam. Students will be notified of this fee where appropriate.
7. Response Time The Daniels Faculty can normally respond to most petitions within three (3) weeks of receiving the petition. If incomplete/delayed documentation or an insufficient statement has been provided, the Office of the Registrar and Student Services will contact the student. Please contact the Office of the Registrar and Student Services with questions or concerns if a decision seems to be unduly delayed. Petition decisions can take several weeks to be issued if they are returned to the student for lack of information, or if the course instructor has to be consulted. Petitions that must go to the full Appeals Committee may take somewhat longer.
Before submitting a petition request, consult with the Office of the Registrar and Student Services.