Petitions and Appeals

A petition is a student’s formal request for an exception to the deadlines, degree requirements and rules and regulations of the Faculty of Information. If you are a Bachelor of Information student who is experiencing academic difficulties due to circumstances outside of your control, you are eligible to submit a petition. If your petition is refused, you may be eligible to appeal that decision.

Petitions

Undergraduate students may petition with respect to any academic regulation of the Faculty of Information. These petitions must show the grounds on which they believe that the regulation should be waived or altered. Students should consult their academic advisor before proceeding with a petition.

Petitions are reviewed and decided by the Faculty Committee on Standing.

Petitions must be submitted to Student Services no later than one week in advance of the Committee on Standing meeting. Please check our Academic Dates & Deadlines for the specific date by which students must submit their petition each term in order for it to be considered by the Committee on Standing.

Petition scenarios: 

In your petition, you must include: 

  1. Appropriate petition request form
  2. A personal statement to explain the circumstances that led to your petition request (part of the request form)
  3. Supporting documentation that verifies the claims made in your personal statement (attached to request form)

Personal Statement 

Your personal statement should explain what you are requesting and the rationale for why you believe your request should be granted.  You must detail the academic effect your situation creates (e.g. missed exams or classes, extensions needed for major assignments, inability to participate in activity courses, etc.). Specific dates and expected lengths should be provided where possible.  

Answer the following questions in your personal statement: 

  • What happened or what is happening in your life that caused you to submit a petition?  
  • What was the duration and timing of your extenuating circumstances (i.e., dates/times impacted)?  
  • Did you seek help at the time? If not, why not? If so, what happened? 
  • If applicable, what other course work did you complete in the course? Explain how you were doing in the course overall. 

It is your responsibility to prove your case. You are asking to be exempted from a regulation with which other students are complying. 

Supporting Documentation 

Supporting documentation helps to confirm the details you have described in your personal statement. Documentation should relate to the nature of your circumstances. This can include medical documentation or other third-party documentation that verifies or vouches for your circumstances. If you have any questions about supporting documentation, talk to your academic advisor, as they can advise you on how to make your petition as strong as possible.  

Sometimes, a member of your community or another professional (e.g., lawyer, religious leader, Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner, physiotherapist, etc.) may have detailed knowledge of your circumstances. In that case, it is best to consider having them write you a letter of support on official letterhead.  

Petition Types Not Listed 

If you are hoping to submit a petition for something that is not listed, you should talk to your academic advisor. In some cases, you may not need a petition, and your advisor can guide you on your next steps. Your advisor can also reach out and ask questions or seek clarification on your behalf.

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 assign to the student the grade they have earned for completed work and zero for any incomplete work.

Students may appeal a denied petition to the Academic Appeals Committee. More information on appeals can be found below.

Quick links to frequent petition scenarios:

Appeals

Undergraduate students may dispute substantive or procedural academic matters, including grades; evaluation of comprehensive examinations and other program requirements; decisions about the student’s continuation in any program; or any other decision with respect to the application of academic regulations and requirements to a student.

An undergraduate student wishing to appeal a decision should submit an appeal in written form to the Faculty Academic Appeals Board via the Bachelor of Information academic advisor.

Students are eligible to submit an appeal within 8 weeks of the occurrence of the ruling they wish to appeal against.

The Academic Appeals Committee constitutes part of the overall academic appeals procedures available to Faculty of Information students at the University of Toronto. The Committee is advisory to the Faculty Dean who is not bound by the Committee’s recommendation.

Within the overall academic appeals procedure, this Academic Appeals Committee has a high level of discipline-specific academic expertise to judge the academic matters in an appeal. Therefore, this Committee plays a crucial role in the overall appeals procedure. This Committee may consider only academic matters. Decisions related to admission to an academic program, including admission to the doctoral program for current master’s students, are not subject to appeal. Issues relating to non-academic matters (for example, fees) are not considered by the Committee.

These guidelines will be made available to the Committee membership, and to all appellants. It is within the authority of the Dean to alter any of the procedures outlined herein, if circumstances warrant. However, members of the Committee and the appellant should be notified in writing as soon as possible of any changes in procedures and reasons for the changes.

Upon the recommendation of the Faculty Academic Appeals Committee or GDAAC, the Dean will make a final decision on the student’s appeal. The Dean’s decision is considered the final decision of the Faculty.