Petitions & Appeals

Students talking to each other in the Sidney Smith Commons

A petition is a student’s formal request for an exception to the deadlinesdegree requirements and rules and regulations of the Faculty of Arts & Science. This page outlines the different petition types and the process for preparing, submitting and appealing the outcome of petitions.

Learn About Petition Types

Learn About Eligibility for Petitions 

Learn About the Petitions Process

Submitting a Petition

 

The University has made changes to the applicability of the ACORN Absence Declaration Tool. As of the Fall 2023 term, the Absence Declaration Tool will no longer be considered as supporting documentation for petition requests.

Petition Types

Petitions are usually related to the following deadlines or regulations. Click on the petition type to learn more. 

Petition Type Description
Deferred Exams Request to write a final exam at a later date.  
Re-deferred Exams Request to write a deferred exam at a later date. 
Exam Rewrite Request to rewrite an exam that you were unable to complete. 
Term Work Extension Request to submit course work after the term has ended.
Withdrawal Without Academic Penalty  Request to withdraw from a course after the late withdrawal deadline. 
Early Return from Suspension Request for an early return to your studies (i.e., to reduce the length of your suspension) if you are on suspension due to your academic standing. 
Lift of Suspension Request to have a suspension removed so you can continue your studies. 
Exception to Degree Requirements Request for an exception to degree requirements when you are unable to complete them but cannot postpone graduation. 
Late Application/Removal of Credit/No Credit Request late application or removal of the CR/NCR course notation.
Aegrotat Standing Request for credit in a course that you could not complete due to medical circumstances. 
Taking a Course for a Third Time Request to take a course for a third time to obtain the necessary marks for a program requirement or a prerequisite for a different course.
Petition Types Not Listed Other requests that your College Registrar's Office can help you with.

 

Petitions cannot address course-related issues such as a course’s organization, grading practices, late penalties or marking schemes. For course-related requests, see the Special Consideration Requests to Academic Department(s) section of the Academic Calendar. Other issues which cannot be addressed through petitions to the Faculty of Arts & Science include late fee refunds, course prerequisite exceptions, late enrolment in a course, exceptions for program requirements or OSAP appeals. Speak to your College Registrar’s Office or an academic advisor for help choosing the best option for your request.


Eligibility for Petitions 

If you are a Faculty of Arts & Science undergraduate student who is experiencing academic difficulties due to circumstances outside of your control, you are eligible to submit a petition. 

Whether you are submitting a petition for an Arts & Science course or a course at another faculty/division (e.g., Faculty of Engineering or UTM), your petition must be submitted through the petition system in consultation with your College Registrar’s Office.

If you are not an undergraduate student registered with the Faculty of Arts & Science, you will need to submit a petition through your divisional Registrar's Office.


The Petitions Process

As an Arts & Science student, you will submit your petition request through the online petition system. Before submitting your petition, connect with your College Registrar's Office to ensure you are choosing the best petition option for your request and to confirm that a petition is the right avenue for you. 

After your petition is submitted in the petition system, it is reviewed by your College Registrar's Office and the Faculty of Arts & Science petitions unit. In most cases, the petitions unit will make a decision and inform you of that decision within five weeks. If your petition was refused, you may have an option to appeal the decision. Follow the steps below to learn how to prepare and submit your petition, check the decision (outcome) and submit an appeal if necessary.