Special Consideration Petitions
Special consideration petitions are formal requests for an exception to a Faculty or University rule, regulation, or deadline that is not categorized under term-work petitions or final exam petitions. Submitting a petition allows students to seek a resolution for an academic consequence due to extenuating circumstances.
As special consideration petitions concern exemptions from a specific Faculty regulation, it is strongly recommended that students consult their academic advisor before submitting one.
Petitions that arise from a failure to prioritize academic responsibilities, as well as petitions without timely submission and proper documentation, will not be considered. The Faculty's rules and regulations are published in the Academic Calendar.
Important Notes:
- All petitions require timely supporting documentation. Documentation must be acquired during the time of impact.
- The Verification of Illness form must be submitted for medical circumstances and acquired during the time of illness.
Types of Extenuating Circumstances
Students are expected to make every effort to complete term work and final exams. However, the university understands that sometimes, things do not go as planned.
Some examples of reasons you may consider submitting a petition:
- Medical circumstances (severe personal illness or injury)
- Illness or death of a close family member
- Personal or family emergency
How to Submit a Special Consideration Petition
Step 1. Acquire Documentation
Students must acquire documentation in a timely manner, and documentation must be acquired during the time of impact.
The supporting documentation must be relevant to your situation. It should outline your situation and the dates you were affected. If the documents are in a language other than English, you will also need to provide notarized translations. Strong documentation typically equals a stronger petition case.
Medical Documentation:
- U of T Verification of Illness or Injury (VOI) Form is the only official method to document and verify an illness or injury. The VOI form informs the Faculty of how this affected a student’s ability to fulfill their academic obligations and the time involved. The Faculty takes the severity, duration and date of the illness into consideration when making a decision regarding a petition.
- The VOI form must be completed by a medical practitioner: physician, surgeon, nurse, dentist, pharmacist, psychotherapist, psychologist or social worker. Practitioners must be licensed in Ontario or hold an equivalent license in another Canadian province or territory. The Faculty may verify the form with the medical practitioner.
- If you are experiencing a medical circumstance, it is important to see a licensed health care practitioner as soon as possible. Students must have the form completed during the time of illness or injury. Forms completed afterward, including those in which a student informs a medical practitioner after the fact, are typically insufficient. VOIs signed after the impact of an acute illness will not be accepted.
- The Faculty does not accept “doctor’s notes”; students must submit the VOI form. Except in rare cases (such as becoming ill while out of the country), it is expected that the VOI be signed by a medical professional in Canada.
- It is inappropriate to upload photographs of injury or illness or to describe symptoms in an explicit manner to support a petition. Students are not permitted to upload these personal images, and doing so may result in the denial of the petition due to inappropriate or insufficient documentation.
Non-Medical Documentation:
- For non-medical emergencies, students may submit documentation with the writer’s official letterhead, including contact information and an official stamp (if available).
- Some examples include:
- A death certificate or funeral notice
- A police accident report
- A letter from an academic lead or employer
- A travel ticket, itinerary and/or email confirming the date of booking (only essential travel is eligible)
Step 2. Submit the Petition
- There is no deadline for special consideration petitions. However, petitions must be submitted in a timely manner.
- Sufficient reasoning must be provided for why a Faculty regulation should be waived or altered. Speak with your academic advisor before submitting a special consideration petition.
- Include proper supporting documentation. Documentation must be acquired during the time of impact.
- Special consideration petitions are submitted through the Engineering Portal.
Academic Advising
- Academic Advisors support students by clarifying the Faculty's rules and regulations. Students should reach out at the first sign of a problem that could impact their studies.
- If you are having difficulty with a course, you are encouraged to speak with your instructor. However, if your difficulties continue or if it's outside the scope of what your professor can assist with, please reach out to your Academic Advisor.
- Academic Advisors can also refer students to services that may assist with academic, personal or financial difficulties.
- Meetings with advisors are confidential.
Special Consideration Petition Outcomes
Special consideration outcomes may include probation relief, retroactive withdrawal (WDR), the extension of a deadline and exceptions to policy. While the Undergraduate Assessment Committee is mindful of your requests for a specific accommodation, the request is granted or denied based on the appropriateness of standard practice.
Appeals
If your petition is denied, you have thirty days to submit an appeal to the Faculty. Appeals should include additional documentation and/or information that was not submitted with the original petition.
If you are considering appealing a petition decision, speak to your Academic Advisor and review the appeal process. Appeals take up to 90 business days from appeal submission to be resolved.