Undergraduate Academic Petitions

Petition Drop-off Location
103 Central Square
Centre for Student Success
Phone: (416) 650-8193
Email: lapspet@yorku.ca

What is a Petition?

A petition is a formal request for the waiver of a Faculty's regulation or deadline. Students have the right to petition on reasonable grounds for special consideration.

Petitions are submitted to a student's home Faculty. The Faculty's Petitions Committee will review the file, and make a decision on a case by case basis.

Before initiating a petition, students are advised to review University and Faculty rules and regulations as stated in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Calendar. Students must be able to identify the regulation or deadline that they are petitioning.

Frequently Petitioned Regulations

[View as a PDF]

Academic standing regulation waived

Examples

Graduate without minimum required Grade Point Average
Waiver of honours standing regulation
Additional credits beyond the maximum of 102 (the maximum is 12 credits beyond 90 credits)
Waiver of required withdrawal
Waiver of debarment
Academic Standing Waiver of Senate Policy on Repeating Passed or Failed Courses for Academic Credit

Requires relevant supporting documentation and the Academic Petition Form

Add course(s) past the published deadline dates

Requires Petition to Enrol Late Form

Course overload

Fall/Winter Session:

Normally, a full time course load is 30 credits in fall/winter session.
Students may take up to and including a maximum of 36 credits overall (18 credits per term) without permission.
Students who wish to take more than 36 credits during the fall/winter session (18 credits per term) must submit a petition to the Centre for Student Success.

Summer Session:

Normally, a full time course load is 15 credits in the summer session.
Students may take up to and including 18 credits without permission.
Students who wish to take more than 18 credits during the summer session must submit a petition to the Centre for Student Success.

Requires a personal letter, a detailed timetable including all courses enrolled in and courses requested, and the Academic Petition Form

Petition for course overload can be submitted after you have enrolled in the maximum number of courses permitted for the term.

Deferred Standing

Deferred Standing may be granted to undergraduate students who are unable to write their final examination at the scheduled time, or to submit their outstanding course work on the last day of classes. In order to apply for Deferred Standing, students must complete a Deferred Standing Agreement Form and reach an agreement directly with the course director for an alternate final examination date or for an extension to the deadline.

You should submit a petition for deferred standing if:

A course director does not agree to consider requests for deferred standing
You miss the deadline for submitting a completed Deferred Standing Agreement.

Petitions require relevant supporting documentation, Academic Petition Form

While awaiting petition results, the Committee assumes that students are continuing to complete unfinished course work and/or preparing for the final exam.

If the petition for deferred standing is granted, the student will be expected to meet deferred deadlines.

A student who has not completed/submitted any term work will normally not be granted deferred standing and should consider requesting a late withdrawal from the course.

Deferred standing petitions must be submitted NO LATER THAN 2 weeks after the formal exam period has ended (final exam) or 2 weeks from the published deadline for the submission of term work (as concerns term tests, essays and other written term work due at the end of the term of study).

After the 2 week deadline, petition must be accompanied by an additional letter outlining why the petition was not submitted on time.

The Deferred Standing Agreement Form facilitates the setting of an alternate date for writing a final examination or submitting a final assignment before the Faculty deadlines.

There is no provision for rewriting a final examination to improve a final grade.

Frequently Asked Questions about Final Exam/Assignment and the Deferred Standing Agreement may be viewed here.

Extension of Deferred Standing

Submission of Extension of Deferred Standing must be submitted NO LATER THAN ONE (1) WEEK from the date of the deferred exam or one (1) week from the due date of the deferred term work.

Extensions of Deferred Standing do not require a Course Performance Summary form.

Degree requirements waived or altered

Students must specify which degree requirement they are asking to waive.

Examples of Degree Requirements include but are not limited to major requirements, residency requirements, and elective requirements.

Requires relevant supporting documentation and the Academic Petition Form

Late Withdrawal

Drop course(s) past the published deadline(s)

Requires relevant supporting documentation, Student Course Performance Summary and the Academic Petition Form

The Senate policy on late withdrawal states:

"Normally petitions for late withdrawal from a course will only be considered if they are submitted within thirty days of the last day of classes [of the relevant course]. Such petitions may be considered for a period of up to one year if they are based on special circumstances."

Submissions beyond the one (1) year Senate deadline date must be accompanied by an additional personal letter (waiver) outlining the reason for the delay.

If you request to drop some (but not all) of your courses taken in the same term or session, explain selectivity.

Transition Difficulties for First Year Students

Courses Completed in a Student's First Two Terms of Study at York

The Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies recognizes that the transition to York can be difficult, and as a result some students are not able to perform to their potential. Further, students in their first two terms of study at York may not appreciate the importance of published withdrawal deadlines, and may not have the ability to accurately assess their progress in courses, or to exercise good academic judgment.

As such, the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies has a policy of special consideration for these students. If you had difficulties in your first two terms of study at York, you may petition to withdraw from the courses in which you did poorly on the basis of transitional difficulties.

Submission of late withdrawal petitions after the one-year deadline must be accompanied by an additional letter outlining why the petition was not submitted on time.

Financial Petitions

Students who feel that they should not be financially penalized for dropping a course may submit a financial petition to the Office of Student Financial Services (OSFS) for consideration.

Financial petitions are available at OSFS. Please note that before a financial petition will be considered the course must be dropped from your academic record. Therefore, students who missed the academic deadline to drop a course must first submit an academic petition.

If an academic petition is granted then a financial petition may be submitted at that time. All questions regarding petitions should be referred to OSFS at (416) 872-9675.

What is an Appeal?

An appeal is a written request for the alteration of the decision taken on a petition generally made to the same level but to another person, panel or Committee. Appeals against decisions of the Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Committee on Student Academic Petitions will be permitted only on the grounds of:

new evidence, or
evidence of procedural irregularity in the committee's consideration of the case.

Every appeal must be accompanied by an Appeal Form.

For Grade Reappraisals Only

Decisions of the Faculty's Schools/Departments may be appealed to the Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Committee on Student Appeals and Academic Integrity only on the grounds of procedural irregularity.

Petition Deadlines

It is important that the petition be submitted immediately following the development of the circumstances that have prompted the petition.

Deadlines for Late Withdrawal

Senate legislation states that "Normally petitions for late withdrawal from a course will only be considered if they are submitted within thirty days of the last day of classes [of the relevant course]. Such petitions may be considered for a period of up to one year if they are based on special circumstances."

Deadline for Deferred Standing (a first request to defer a course)

Senate legislation states that "Normally requests for deferred standing must be communicated within one week following a missed examination of the last day to submit course work. The period during which the University is officially closed for December holidays is not counted in the determination of deadline days."

For circumstances arising after the withdrawal deadline, you would normally be expected to arrange deferred standing (more time to complete the outstanding final assignment or final exam). Even if you petition for late withdrawal, the committee may decide that your circumstances warrant deferred standing. Since you would then be subject to the deferred standing application deadline, it is important that you always petition immediately following the development of your circumstances.

Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies legislation states "that petitions for deferred standing will not be accepted more than 2 weeks after the last day of examinations for the term in question without evidence of circumstances which account for the delay."

Deadline for Extension of Deferred Standing (a request to extend a previously deferred course)

Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies legislation states "that petitions for an extension of deferred standing will not be accepted more than 1 week after the date of the missed deferred exam, or the deadline for completion of the deferred term work without evidence of circumstances which account for the delay."

The Drop Deadline is Important

It is the final day to use the enrolment system to drop a course. If you do not want a final grade in a course, then you must use the enrolment system to drop the course on or before the withdrawal deadline date. You are responsible for the accuracy of your enrolment record, and for the accuracy of any adjustments you make to your record. You should review your courses after every transaction (add, drop, or section change). It is important that you do not remain enrolled beyond the withdrawal deadline in any course for which you are not prepared to receive a final grade.

Graded Feedback

Senate legislation states that by the withdrawal deadline course directors normally must provide graded feedback of 15% of the overall grade for fall, winter or summer term courses, and 30% for "full year" courses. However, there are exceptions, including some upper level courses and courses which run on a compressed schedule. For a full explanation of York's graded feedback policy, please see "Grading Scheme and Feedback Policy" at: www.yorku.ca/secretariat/policies/ . Failure of the course director to provide the class with graded feedback prior to the drop deadline is grounds for late withdrawal ONLY IF you petition immediately after the required feedback was made available to the class.

Extenuating Circumstances

You may have circumstances that you believe justify waiving the drop deadline. You should be aware, however, that you are expected to assess your academic progress in each of your courses, and the impact that your personal, family, medical, financial, or employment circumstances are having on each course, before the withdrawal deadline. If you could have assessed the need to drop a course before the withdrawal deadline, then you must explain why you did not.

For further information on deadlines visit www.yorku.ca/univsec/senate/committees/sac/petguid.htm

Planning Your Petition

Submitting Your Petition

To initiate a petition, students must submit the following forms/information:

A completed copy of the Academic Petition Form;
A Personal Letter (typewritten or clearly handwritten statement);
This mandatory statement or personal letter must be an explanation of the problems and circumstances which have prompted the petition. It is imperative that the petition letter be carefully prepared and circumstances clearly documented.

The petition letter must be organized under the following two headings:
- Regulation(s) being petitioned:
  Clearly indicate the regulation(s) from which you are seeking exemption.
  Refer to the list of frequently petitioned regulations and deadlines.
- Circumstances or grounds for the petition:
  Explain in detail all the circumstances and problems which prompted your petition request. If you are requesting to drop some but not all of your courses in a term or session, explain your selectivity.
Any relevant supporting documentation, which may include:

Students are required to submit original documentation. Photocopies are not acceptable unless original documentation is presented in person at the time of submission to the Centre for Student Success. Photocopies will be stamped to confirm that Centre for Student Success staff viewed the original documentation.

Please note that students are responsible for retaining, for their own records, a copy the petition letter, form and any supporting documents.

Treat Your Petition Letter Like an Essay

You Should:

State the regulation for which the waiver is requested
Outline the circumstances impacting your performance
Address each circumstance in a separate paragraph
Refer to any supporting documentation included
Acknowledge responsibility for performance
Outline the steps you have undertaken to improve performance, and those you will undertake if your petition is granted
Edit and proof-read the letter for errors and grammar prior to submission

Document Your Circumstances

The Centre for Student Success does not solicit supporting documentation. You must submit any supporting documentation that you wish to have considered with your petition. It is very important to provide date-specific evidence of the grounds of your petition.

Submission Delays

A student may not delay submitting a petition on the grounds of a delay in obtaining the required supporting documentation or forms. If a supporting document or form is unavailable, the student remains responsible for submitting the petition no later than the deadline, and should include with the petition an explanation of the document that is missing and to follow.

The student will be held responsible for the consequences of any delay in the processing of a petition that is a consequence of documentation submitted late, unless the evidence shows that the documentation was submitted through no fault of the student.

There are no Guarantees

The support of your course director or tutorial assistant is helpful, but does NOT guarantee the success of your petition. Centre for Student Success staff cannot predict the outcome of your petition. If your course is in progress, you must decide whether or not to continue in the course.

Selectivity

Requesting to drop some but not all of your courses in a term or session is being selective, and requires an explanation. Even when your circumstances are otherwise considered compelling, selectivity may be an issue.

Notification of the Results of Your Petition

Students are notified by mail of the Committee's decision. Under normal circumstances petitions can take from 6 to 8 weeks; however some petitions may take longer to be processed depending on the type of petition submitted and the time of year. If your petition is denied, information regarding appeal procedures will be enclosed with the decision letter.

Petition Confidentiality

At the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, the petitions process is confidential and anonymous. Information and documentation submitted in relation to a petition is restricted to office staff and Committee members involved in the decision-making process. It is the Faculty's normal practice, however, to seek the opinion of course directors and/or other employees should students present petition grounds which include allegations about the actions or preparations of an employee, or office of the university, the employee (faculty or staff) or a representative of the office.

Students may request, by appointment, to review the information in their file.

Guidelines for the Consideration of Petitions/Appeals by Faculty Committees can be found on the Senate Appeals Committee Website at www.yorku.ca/univsec/senate/committees/sac/petguid.htm

Petition Forms

To initiate a petition, students must submit the following forms/information:

Academic Petition Form;
A Personal Letter (typewritten or clearly handwritten);
Any relevant supporting documentation (E.g. petitions submitted on medical grounds require an Attending Physician's Statement.)

Submit originals only, photocopies are not acceptable. Please note that you must retain a copy of your petition and any documents you will be submitting with your petition.

For all Liberal Arts & Professional Studies students please drop off your academic petition to 103 Central Square - Centre for Student Success. It is also advisable for you to speak with the Liberal Arts & Professional Students Petitions Assistant before dropping your academic petition off, the Assistant is available to speak with you from 9:00am - 4:00pm Monday through Friday.

Academic Petition Forms are available below or in person.

Academic Petition Form

(Mandatory)

This mandatory form summarizes the information that you have included, and the courses that are involved (if any).

[Download PDF]

Statement of Grounds (Personal Letter)

(Mandatory)

This mandatory statement or personal letter must be an explanation of the problems and circumstances which have prompted the petition. It is imperative that the petition letter be carefully prepared and circumstances clearly documented.

The petition letter must be organized under the following two headings:

Regulation(s) being petitioned:
Clearly indicate the regulation(s) from which you are seeking exemption.
Refer to the list of frequently petitioned regulations and deadlines.
Circumstances or grounds for the petition:
Explain in detail all the circumstances and problems which prompted your petition request. If you are requesting to drop some but not all of your courses in a term or session, explain your selectivity.

Student Course Performance Summary Form (CPS)

This form must be completed in full by the Course Director for each course in which special consideration is being requested. If the Course Director is not available, the School or Undergraduate or Program Director/Chair may complete this form if they are acting on behalf of the Course Director. This form is required only for certain types of petitions (see the list of frequently petitioned regulations and deadlines).

[Download PDF]

Attending Physician's Statement Form (APS)

Petitions submitted on medical grounds must include an Attending Physician's Statement form. Only original medical documentation is acceptable. This form is to be completed and signed by your physician.

[Download PDF]

Statement By Counselling & Development Counsellor Form

If you are a CDC client and are petitioning on medical grounds, you may also want to have your counsellor fill out this form. This form is not meant to replace the Attending Physician's Statement form. Only original medical documentation is acceptable. This form is to be completed and signed by your CDC counsellor. The CDC form will be filled out by a CDC counsellor only if you are already a "client".

[Download PDF]

Petition To Enrol Late Form

Students who are petitioning to enrol in a course after the last date to add the course with the permission of the course instructor has passed must complete this form, and obtain the approval of the course director and the school.