There may be situations that arise during your studies where you need to seek options to meet your academic obligations and/or be given extra time or consideration for your performance.
In these cases, there are options for extenuating circumstances.
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Short-term absences
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Religious or creed-related absences
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Verification of Illness (VIF)
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Extenuating circumstances (all other non-health related issues)
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Students in Computing and Financial Management follow the academic rules and regulations outlined by the Faculty of Mathematics.
Short-term absence declaration
This type of absence may be used to miss two days of classes during the formal lecture period.
It can be used once per term and does not require documentation to request.
Verification of Illness (VIF)
If an illness or injury prevents you from participating in an assessment, you must obtain a Verification of Illness that has been filled out by a medical professional.
The form must be submitted within 48 hours of the missed assessment and documentation is required. All submissions will be reviewed prior to approval.
Campus Wellness offers these services for students, though the form can also be completed by any practitioner.
Religious or creed-related absence
If you observe any religious or creed practices that require you to be away from your studies, you may request an absence. No documentation is required, though it must be submitted within 2 weeks of a deadline being published or announced. It cannot occur during the pre-examination study days or final exam period.
Extenuating circumstances
If you are experiencing a circumstance that has been detrimental to your ability to complete academic requirements but is not related to illness or injury, then an extenuating circumstance can be declared. Supporting documentation related to your absence must be submitted within 48 hours of the missed assessment, if you are well enough to do so. Context and documentation is needed for consideration.
If you believe your circumstance(s) may affect you for more than a week, you should consider contacting your academic advisor.
Incomplete (INC) grade process
If you are unable to complete your course(s) due to documented absence(s), you can request academic consideration in the form of an Incomplete (INC) grade. This grade indicates that your instructor has granted you an extension for outstanding course elements to be completed in a future term.
Your instructor will determine the deadline for you to complete the outstanding elements. Typically, students complete these elements and clear the INC in their next academic term. The maximum time period for clearing an INC grade is one year from the term in which the course was originally taken.
Petitions
A petition is a request by a student seeking exception to or relief from normal faculty or University rules and regulations. Typical examples include, but are not limited to, adding or dropping a course after the deadline, removing a WD/WF grade for late drop, increased or reduced course load and reconsideration of an end of term promotion decision or other academic decision.
The rules and regulations that govern petitions are outlined in Policy 70. A petition can be submitted at any time, though decisions may take up to five weeks.
It is recommended that you contact your academic advisor before submitting a petition for additional support — know that you do not need to disclosure any information that you intend to include in the petition and that any information shared is confidential.
Grievances
While in a petition a student acknowledges that the rules were applied fairly and he/she is asking that an exception be made, the fundamental criterion for initiating a grievance is that a student believes that a decision of a University authority or the action of a faculty member or staff member of the University affecting some aspect of his/her University life has been unfair or unreasonable.
There are three different types of grievances:
- Notice of Challenge
- Notice of Reassessment Challenge
- Report of Grievance Decision
The rules and regulations that govern grievances are outlined in Policy 70. There are time-sensitive deadlines for each of the grievances above.
It is recommended that you contact your academic advisor before submitting a grievance for additional support — know that you do not need to disclosure any information that you intend to include in the petition and that any information shared is confidential.
Office of the Ombusperson
The Office of the Ombudsperson is dedicated to providing confidential, impartial, and independent assistance to students. They work to informally resolve concerns and complaints related to university policies, rules, and procedures.
If you are looking for advice on the information to include in a petition or grievance, you can reach out for support.