The university policy that describes in detail your rights and responsibilities is Policy 70 – Student Petitions, Grievances and Requests for Reassessment.
A petition is a request by a student seeking exception to normal faculty or University rules and regulations. A grievance is requested when a student believes that a decision of a university authority or the action of a faculty member or staff member of the university has been unfair or unreasonable. A reassessment is requested when a student believes a course element was marked incorrectly.
Some basic questions to ask yourself before going in this direction:
- Is this a short-term situation that you will be able to work out with the instructor, in which case you should start by contacting your instructor,
- is the problem related to some extenuating circumstance that may have impacted your term decision, or
- has there been a mistake (or error) at some point that you have not been able to resolve with the instructor or within the department?
If you are unsure at any step in this process you should contact your academic advisor.
Petitions
Extenuating circumstances such as an illness or other medical condition, death in your close family, living circumstances beyond your control that affected your work in the term, are all considered under the petitions portion of policy 70. Often you would have been in contact with Counselling Services with respect to these issues during the term. If any such issues do arise during the term, and you feel they may impact your academic performance, it is best to contact Counselling Services at that time as they can provide you with assistance.
Petitions are accepted on an ongoing basis, ideally within two months of the end of the term. If you feel that you may wish to file a petition, contact your academic advisor as soon as possible to discuss your options.
You cannot be present at committee meetings. The committee deliberates in private. You are expected to clearly communicate your case through the Policy 70 form with supporting documents.
Grievances
In situations where you perceive unfairness in some aspect of a decision by a faculty or staff member, you should try to seek a resolution with the person (the instructor or staff member) that you believe has made the mistake. You can do this directly or through your Associate Dean at your request and at the discretion of the Associate Dean. If the issue affects multiple students, one decision may apply to all. If the informal approach does not reach an acceptable conclusion, you may file a grievance. Please note, you must provide evidence and submit a Notice of Grievance Form to the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies within 20 Working Days of the decision. Form, requirements, and procedure details can be found in Policy 70.
Requests for Reassessments
If you believe that a course element (e.g., assignment, test, exam) was graded incorrectly, please first try to resolve it with the person (or persons) who made the decision in question. If the matter cannot be resolved informally, you may submit a Request for Reassessment.
Requests must be submitted within 20 Working Days of receiving the original assessment by completing a Notice of Request for Reassessment and specifying whether the request applies to all or part of the work. The Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies will review the request and determine whether it meets the criteria to proceed. Form and procedure details can be found in Policy 70.