What is a Petition?
A petition is a formal request for an exception to a Faculty or University rule, regulation or deadline, due to a documented extenuating circumstance. The University of Toronto acknowledges that students sometimes encounter unforeseen or uncontrollable circumstances that can severely interfere with their ability to fulfill their academic obligations. Students can submit a petition to seek a resolution for academic consequences that may have resulted from extenuating circumstances.
Petitions that arise from a failure to prioritize academic responsibilities or carelessness, as well as petitions without timely submission and proper documentation will not be considered.
Important Notes:
- All petitions require timely supporting documentation acquired at the time of impact.
- Petitions must be submitted by the deadline to receive consideration.
- New Deferred Exam Policy: Final exam petition accommodations are now, by default, deferred exams. Review further information about final exam petition decisions and deferred exams.
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 include:
- Medical circumstances (severe personal illness or injury)
- Illness or death of a close family member
- Personal or family emergency
- Co-curricular activities (academic conference, academic competition, etc.). Speak to your academic advisor before submitting a petition due to this circumstance.
- Significant student commitment to a U of T or recognized athletic association
- Other extenuating circumstances
Types of Petitions
There are three petition categories to support you if you are experiencing extenuating circumstances. Review each petition type for details on documentation requirements, deadlines and potential outcomes.
| Petition Type | When to Submit | Documentation | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term Work Petitions | When course work or assessments during the term are impacted. i.e., midterms, term tests, assignments, labs, quizzes, etc. | Required. Documentation must be acquired within the time of impact. Exception of one term-work petition per term if specific requirements are met. | Within seven days of the affected term work. |
| Final Exam Petitions | When a final exam or final assessment scheduled during the exam period are impacted. | Required. Documentation must be acquired within the time of impact. | Within seven days of the missed final exam. |
| Special Consideration Petitions | Relating to exemptions from an academic regulation, rule or deadline that is not categorized under term work or final exams. | Required. Documentation must be acquired within the time of impact. | No deadline. However, petitions must be submitted in a timely manner. |
Supporting Documentation
All petitions require timely supporting documentation acquired during the time of impact. Review your petition type for further details on the documentation requirements. Some examples of supporting documentation include:
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 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.
- 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.
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)
Fraudulent Documents
The Faculty may verify the authenticity of medical and non-medical supporting documents by contacting the service provider. Students who submit forged documentation are subject to academic penalties. Under the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters, the University of Toronto reserves the right to enact tribunal sanctions for students who are convicted of forging documents or providing false information.
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 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 when an appeal is submitted to be resolved.