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.
Early Return from Suspension
If you are on a one- or three-year suspension due to your academic standing, you can request an early return from the suspension using this petition. The early return from suspension petition is a request to not serve the full one- or three-year suspension and resume studies sooner.
This petition gives you the opportunity to show that after your suspension, you made good use of your time away and are ready to resume your studies. This petition is not intended to shorten a suspension imposed due to academic standing simply because you wish not to serve your suspension in full. This petition is not appropriate to appeal a suspension imposed due to academic misconduct.
It is not common for students to request early return from a one-year suspension. The Committee on Standing expects that it will take you a full year to reflect and consider an academic plan. If you have been suspended for one year and wish to return to your studies sooner, a better option would be a lift of suspension petition, which your College Registrar’s Office can help you with.
If you have been suspended for three years and wish to return to your studies before three years have passed, the Committee on Standing will consider how much of that suspension has been served when making their decision. The Committee will also consider what you have done while you have been away and the plan you have in place to set yourself up for success upon returning to your studies.
If a petition for an early return from suspension is granted, it does not reverse the academic standing of the one- or three-year suspension. Rather, it permits you to return to your studies on probation. If you do not meet the necessary minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) or Annual/Sessional Grade Point Average (A/SGPA), you will be refused further registration (i.e., permanently suspended from the University). See the Academic Calendar for a more detailed description of GPA and assessment of academic standing.
Deadline to Submit an Early Return from Suspension Petition
The early return from suspension petition should be submitted no later than the first day of the term/session in which you would like to resume classes.
Personal Statement for an Early Return from Suspension Petition
In addition to the recommendations listed in Preparing a Petition, your personal statement should explain three things:
- The circumstances that led to your current academic standing (i.e., one- or three-year suspension)
- How you will mitigate or reduce these circumstances if you are permitted to resume studies
- Your academic plan for moving forward successfully if you are permitted to resume studies
If you have served part of your suspension already, it is useful to explain the steps you have taken during your time away from U of T that contribute to the second and third points above. For example, you may include:
- Taking courses elsewhere in a discipline related to your area of study at U of T
- Working to save money for school, allowing you to free up time for your studies moving forward if your previous academic progress was hampered by a job
If you wish to petition for an early return from a one-year suspension, the importance of showing substantial activities and planning will be critical in making a strong case to the Committee on Standing.
If you wish to petition for an early return from a three-year suspension, keep in mind that when the Committee on Standing is reviewing your petition, they will assume that after your one-year suspension, you tried to change your approach to your academic responsibilities, including, but not limited to, engaging with academic support, learning skills development and/or comprehensive academic planning. In your personal statement, clearly explain what you have learned during the one-year suspension, or otherwise make clear what will be different this time if you are permitted to return early.
Answer these questions in your early return from suspension statement:
- What are the circumstances that led to your suspension? What impact did these circumstances have on you?
- If permitted to return early, what is your academic plan going forward in order to be successful? Consider addressing any patterns of unsuccessful terms/courses (e.g., repeated courses, credit/no credit or late withdrawal).
- Were there any extenuating (non-academic) circumstances that affected your performance? Have they been managed or concluded? If so, how?
- What would you change if you were permitted to return early? Consider addressing any campus resources or health supports you would access, or changes in your housing and/or financial situation.
Lift of Suspension
If you are on a one- or three-year suspension due to your academic standing, you can request to have the suspension reversed to allow you to continue with your studies through a lift of suspension petition.
A lift of suspension petition will allow you to highlight extenuating circumstances that led to your suspension and request to continue with classes. This petition is not intended to circumvent a suspension imposed due to academic standing simply because you do not wish to serve it. This petition is not appropriate to appeal a suspension imposed due to academic misconduct.
If a lift of suspension is granted, it reverses the academic standing of a one- or three-year suspension. Therefore, it will permit you to continue on probation. If upon your return, you do not meet the necessary minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) or Annual/Sessional Grade Point Average (A/SGPA), you will be suspended for one or three years (i.e., you will serve the same suspension as the one that was lifted). See the Academic Calendar for a more detailed description of GPA and assessment of academic standing.
Deadline to Submit a Lift of Suspension Petition
The lift of suspension petition should be submitted as soon as you learn about your suspension (at the end of the Fall/Winter session or the Summer session) and no later than the start of the term/session in which you would like to resume classes.
Personal Statement for a Lift of Suspension Petition
In addition to the recommendations listed in Preparing a Petition, your personal statement should explain three things:
- The circumstances that led to your current academic standing (i.e., one- or three-year suspension)
- How you will mitigate or reduce these circumstances if you are permitted to resume studies
- Your academic plan for moving forward successfully if you are permitted to resume studies
If you have served part of your suspension already, it is useful to explain what steps you have taken in the time away from U of T studies that contribute to the second and third points above. For example, you may include:
- Taking courses elsewhere in a discipline related to your area of study at U of T
- Working to save money for school, allowing you to free up time for your studies moving forward if your previous academic progress was hampered by a job
If you wish to petition to lift a one-year suspension, the importance of showing substantial activities and planning will be critical in making a strong case to the Committee on Standing.
If you wish to petition to lift a three-year suspension, keep in mind that when the Committee on Standing is reviewing your petition, they will assume that after your one-year suspension, you received support when you needed it and took steps to cancel any course that may have triggered a three-year suspension. In your personal statement, clearly explain the steps you took to avoid a three-year suspension and how extenuating circumstances led to your suspension despite your best efforts.
Answer these questions in your lift of suspension statement:
- What are the circumstances that led to your suspension? What impact did these circumstances have on you?
- If permitted to continue your studies, what is your academic plan going forward in order to be successful? Consider addressing any patterns of unsuccessful terms/courses (e.g., repeated courses, credit/no credit or late withdrawal).
- Have the extenuating (non-academic) circumstances that affected your performance been managed or concluded? If so, how?
- What would you change if you were permitted to continue your studies? Consider addressing any campus resources or health supports you would access, or changes in your housing and/or financial situation.
- If you are petitioning for a lift of a three-year suspension, what steps did you take after your first (one-year) suspension to prevent an additional suspension?