What is the best way to handle a 3:30 a.m. remotely taught class? Staying up all night? Starting your day that early? Sleeping before and after the class? Asking your instructor for available accommodations?
If you are an international student studying in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies from your home country, you may be eligible for a time zone accommodation. This is an arrangement between you and your instructor that would allow you to complete course requirements during regular daytime hours in your country of residence.
If you have a course where you are expected to attend a lecture or tutorial at the same time each week, you may follow the following steps to request a time zone accommodation from your instructor.
How to Request an Accommodation
Step One
Contact your instructor as early in the course as you can to request accommodation. Write your instructor a professional email that allows them to consider your request for a time zone accommodation. Your email should include the following:
- A clear subject line; and
- A clearly stated problem and request for help.
Step Two
Wait for your instructor to respond. Your instructor will let you know if your request has been accepted or not.
If you require accommodations for other reasons, including health, family status or disability, please contact Student Accessibility Services. They will assist you in ensuring your needs as a York student are met in each of your classes.
Sample Email
If you need an example, please review the template below for crafting your own email. You will need to fill in the blanks of the template (e.g., everything in square brackets), and add your own specific requests.
Subject line: [Course code]: Consideration for a time zone accommodation
Dear [if this is for your professor, use Professor [last name]; if this is for your tutorial leader, use their first name only],
I hope you’re well.
My name is [full name], and I am a student in [course code, section]. I currently live in [insert country], and I am trying to attend your live [lectures/tutorials] and fully participate in the course. Unfortunately, I experience the timing of your live [lectures/tutorials] on [day of the week] at [Toronto time] in my own time zone as [day of the week] at [your local time].
[Insert your actual request: You can request alternative arrangements to completing course work or participating in the course, that would allow you to do your course work during daytime hours where you are living.]
Thank you for taking the time to read my request. I hope you will consider it. It would mean a lot to me. If you need more details from me, I would be happy to make an appointment to discuss this further.
Sincerely,
[First name]
[Student number]