Student absences

During the academic year, as you work towards your degree, there may be circumstances that impact your ability to meet your academic obligations. If you are experiencing challenges (personal, academic, financial or other), please contact an advisor here at the Faculty of Information.  Advisors are available for pre-booked one on one appointments as well as drop in appointments both virtually and in person. You can contact us via email at: inquire.ischool@utoronto.ca, or visit us at the Welcome Desk on the 4^th floor in the Learning Hub, during regular business hours.

Effective Fall/Winter 2023–24 Session

During the academic term, if you are absent from your studies and unable to complete course work, you should follow the missed term-work policy outlined in your course syllabus. This policy will normally outline what a student should do if they miss a deadline, term test or a class activity such as a studio or lab.

Your instructor may indicate that documentation is required to support your request for academic consideration (e.g., extension, make-up test, re-weighting). The following are recognized forms of documentation:

• Absence declaration via ACORN (see below for important information on eligibility)
• U of T Verification of Illness or Injury Form (VOI)
• Registrar’s letter
• Letter of Academic Accommodation from Accessibility Services

If you submit the above documentation to your instructors, you do not need to submit additional supporting documentation. The following documentation should not be requested or accepted by instructors:

• Detailed medical information beyond the Verification of Illness or Injury Form (VOI)
• Letters from friends, parents or other family members

For extended absences and for absences due to non-medical reasons, make sure to contact the Office of the Registrar & Student Services at: inquire.ischool@utoronto.ca. We can help you decide between a request for an extension or other types of academic consideration. Advisors will be able to assist you in determining the best course of action, contacting your instructor and/or connecting you with other helpful resources on campus.

If you suspect or know that you have a disability that is affecting your studies, we encourage you to connect with Accessibility Services.  You may also connect with our Faculty’s on-location advisor, Michael Mercer.  A disability can be a physical disability, sensory disability, a learning disability, mental health disorder or a short-term disability like an injury. Accessibility Services strives to provide equitable access to education for University of Toronto students with disabilities, health conditions, and diverse ways of learning. If you are not sure whether you have a disability, you can confidentially contact Accessibility Services with your questions.

If you observe religious Holy Days that might conflict with academic activities (e.g., a class or test), see U of T’s religious accommodations policy for more information.

Additionally, there are many other
U of T resources available to guide you:

• Health & Wellness
• Student Mental Health Resource
• Student Life Programs & Services
• Accessibility Services

As a Faculty of Information student, if you miss an academic obligation and wish to seek academic consideration, you may declare an absence using the Absence Declaration Tool in ACORN. Students who declare an absence in ACORN should expect to receive reasonable academic consideration from their instructor without the need to present additional supporting documentation.

The ACORN Absence Declaration Tool is intended to be used in the following circumstances:

• A health condition or injury (e.g., illness, serious physical harm, mental health issue, scheduled surgery)
• A personal or family emergency (e.g., unanticipated and unavoidable familial incident beyond the student’s control)
• Bereavement (e.g., the death of a student’s immediate family member or close friend)

The ACORN Absence Declaration Tool is not intended to be used in the following circumstances:

• Personal social obligations
• Travel not related to your academic program
• Technological issues
• The avoidance of deadlines or tests

Visit the ACORN how-to page for a step-by-step guide on how to submit an absence declaration. If for any reason you are unable to submit your declaration, please contact the Office of the Registrar & Student Services at inquire.ischool@utoronto.ca

Follow the links below to learn about your options for absences due to the following circumstances:

• Religious observances: Multi-Faith Centre
• Athletic obligations: Varsity Blues
• Chronic and ongoing health conditions: Office of the Registrar and Student Services
• Mandatory legal obligations (e.g. jury duty): Office of the Registrar and Student Services

Review the following main considerations and eligibility criteria for declaring an absence through the Absence Declaration Tool on ACORN. In addition, visit the University Registrar’s Office website for the complete absence declaration policy.

• Students may submit one absence declaration per academic term, e.g., the Fall (F) term.
  • Students taking any Y-courses may declare one absence in the F-term and one absence in the S-term.
• The Absence Declaration Tool can be used to declare an absence for a maximum period of seven consecutive calendar days.
  • The seven-day declaration period can be retroactive for up to six days in the past, or up to six days in the future.
  • For absences that extend beyond the seven-day period, a VOI form will also need to be submitted.
  • If you need to declare an absence outside of the seven-day period, please contact the Office of the Registrar & Student Services.
• Absence declaration will only be available to students on ACORN from the first day of classes to the last day of classes during each term. It will not be available in the following periods:
  • During the final exam period
  • On study days
  • On any discretionary teaching day after classes end (as make up for a class missed due to a holiday)
• Absence declaration must cover the period in which the missed academic obligation occurred.
• After an absence declaration is submitted in ACORN, it cannot be cancelled.
• Students seeking to correct information in the declaration may modify the absence declaration until the end of the submission day (11:59 pm ET). Students are granted the ability to update the absence end date, courses selected, notes and email addresses within this period.
• Students seeking to modify an absence declaration after this period should contact the Office of the Registrar & Student Services.
• It is the student’s responsibility to let their instructor(s) know that they have used the absence declaration so that they can arrange for academic consideration specific to the missed academic obligation (e.g., deadline, term test, essay submission).
• Evidence of an absence from the ACORN Absence Declaration Tool cannot be used to seek academic consideration for matters that require a petition (e.g., missed final exam).

Any student considering taking some time away from their degree program should make an appointment with their advisor to discuss available options. Students can book appointments with their academic advisors, or contact inquire.ischool@utoronto.ca.

Faculty of Information students are able to request time away (i.e., a leave of absence) from the Faculty/University without having their time away count towards their degree duration if they experience one of the following:

• Health or personal problems which temporarily make it impossible to continue in the program; or
• Parental leave by either parent at the time of pregnancy, birth or adoption, and/or to provide full-time care during the child’s first year. Parental leave must be completed within 12 months of the date of birth or custody. Where both parents are graduate students taking leave, the combined total number of sessions may not exceed four. Learn about the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) Parental Grant program.

Students on an approved leave of absence are not required to pay fees for the period in which they are away. Since students on leave are not considered registered students of the University, they are not eligible to receive University of Toronto financial assistance. In the case of other graduate student awards, the regulations of the particular granting agency apply.

Students may request a leave of absence by completing the Leave of Absence Form (PDF) and submitting it to the Faculty at inquire.ischool@utoronto.ca. The form is then sent to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) for processing. Any student considering taking some time away from their degree program is strongly encouraged to book an advising appointment with their academic advisor to discuss all available options before making a final decision.

An approved leave of absence will pause a student’s academic progress and time allowed to complete degree requirements. The termination date of the degree program will be extended by the duration of the leave taken. Students may request up to three terms (one academic year) per leave request. If students require additional time away (i.e., more than 3 terms of leave) they must submit an additional leave request. This additional request will be subject to review and approval by the School of Graduate Studies (SGS). Please review the School of Graduate Studies’ (SGS) policy on Leave of Absence carefully. Except for parental leave or in exceptional circumstances, it is not expected that a student will be granted more than one leave under the terms of this policy.

Graduate students on leave may request continued access to University of Toronto library services by sending an email to graduate.information@utoronto.ca. The School of Graduate Studies (SGS) will review the request and contact the library to allow access to library services if the request is approved.

Master’s students who wish to be away from the Faculty for reasons outside of the scope of a Leave of Absence (above) may request to temporarily stop-out and re-register within 12 months without re-applying to the program. Temporary stop-outs require the approval of the Faculty. Unlike a leave of absence, the stop-out period is included in the time period for completion of your degree.

To request a temporary stop-out from your program, complete the Program Temporary Stop-Out Form (PDF) and submit it for consideration to the Student Services team at inquire.ischool@utoronto.ca.

Due to various personal circumstances, students may wish to fully withdraw from their program of study. In that case, the student must complete the Program Withdrawal Form (PDF) and submit it to the Faculty at inquire.ischool@utoronto.ca. Any student considering taking some time away from their degree program is strongly encouraged to book an advising appointment with their academic advisor to discuss all available options before making a final decision

Students who withdraw from the program must return their fobs and clear their belongings from their lockers.

Withdrawn students must re-apply for admission, and will be in competition with other applicants.

Depending on when you withdraw, you may receive a fee rebate. A refund schedule is available at Student Accounts. You may be required to refund all or a portion of your funding and/or awards to the University.