Coursework Extensions

COVID-19 related updates regarding upcoming Term(s) and more can be found on the COVID-19 Information for Students page.

Overview

Extension requests during the term are typically negotiated between students and their instructors directly.

However, if an extension is needed to go beyond the end of the term, then students need to petition to the Committee on Standing for an official coursework extension. It is important for students in such a situation to request and arrange an appointment with your academic advisor, from the Student Services team. An academic advisor can help with academic planning based on your unique circumstances.

The Committee on Standing convenes at the following time periods for each term’s petition review:

• • Summer Term Petitions: Beginning of September
  • Fall Term Petitions: Beginning of January
  • Winter Term Petitions: late May

Petition Deadlines

Required Documents for the Petition

• • Complete an Extension to Complete Coursework Form (NOTE: Your instructor must complete Section 2 on the form):
    • Undergraduate Students: Faculty of Information (FI) — Extension to Complete Coursework Form (PDF)
    • Graduate Students: School of Graduate Studies (SGS) — Extension to Complete Coursework Form (PDF)
  • Provide a statement on (maximum of 1 page):
    • The extenuating circumstance(s) that negatively impacted your ability to complete the coursework on time.
    •         How the extenuating circumstance(s) were beyond your control
    • If the extenuating circmumstance(s) still persists, how do you plan to overcome the circumstances to complete the missed coursework?
  • Provide any supporting document(s):
    • For instance, if the student was negatively impacted by a medical situation, the student is required to provide documentation: Verification of Illness (PDF).
    • If the student is registered with the Accessibility Services, a letter from the student’s accessibility advisor will suffice as supporting document.
  • Submit the above documents to Student Services through your academic advisor.

Legitimate reasons for an extension can be academic in nature (e.g. unexpected problems of research in a course) or non academic (e.g. illness, personal, etc.). The Committee may or may not support the request based on the reasons submitted by students and supporting documentation. Generally, the Committee will only consider documented, extraordinary, unexpected circumstances as valid reasons for wanting to request for coursework extension into a subsequent term.

The student needs to demonstrate that:

• • They were in a situation that was unforeseeable and that was sufficiently serious that it prevented the them from completing the coursework on time.
  • They would not be placing in jeopardy the normal and satisfactory completion of new course work (if their coursework extension request were approved). The Committee on Standing may determine that new course work should not be undertaken until the outstanding course work is completed, or that an extension should not be provided given the amount of new coursework the student may undertake.
  • They have a reasonable chance of completing outstanding requirements within the time to be allotted.

Petition Results

The Committee on Standing will communicate with students who have requested an Extension to complete course work. There are only two possible outcomes: Approved or Denied.

• • Approved petitions for an extension will identify the new deadline.
  • Denied petitions will be assigned the grade the student has earned for completed work and zero for any incomplete work. Students may appeal a denied petition to the Academic Appeals Committee.