Academic Advocacy
Need academic advice? TMAPS is here to help
TMAPS’ Student Rights Coordinator can assist with grade appeals or standing appeals, issues related to academic integrity or findings of academic misconduct or other concerns to do with the internal processes of Toronto Metropolitan University. The Student Rights Coordinator is an Advocate for students and is recognized by TMU in this capacity. Seek guidance from the Student Rights Coordinator to help you navigate the university’s policies and to protect your student rights.
Have a concern you would like some help with?
Book an appointment with the Student Rights Coordinator during the weekly drop in hours:
If there are no available time slots during the drop in hours and you have an urgent issue, email or call to request the earliest opportunity for an appointment.
Contact TMAPS’s Student Rights Coordinator at studentrights@tmaps.ca, or call 416-979-5000 x1-557056
Contact studentrights@tmaps.ca with your questions or to book an appointment.
Academic Issues Webinars
Worried about your Grades or Standing?
Appeals deadlines for Winter 2023 courses and academic standings for undergraduate students is Tuesday, May 23rd at 4 pm.
Need to appeal? Speak to your instructor or program director and check out the following webinars:
Academic Standing Issues: What are my options?
Academic Standing Issues: What are my options?
Are you concerned about being on Academic Probation, Required To Withdraw (RTW), Standing Variation Withdrawal (SVW), Permanent Program Withdrawal (PPW), or Withdrawn? This webinar will cover the basics about TMU’s academic standings and the various options available to students who find themselves facing academic challenges. Qualifying for Fresh Start and the benefits of that program will be explained, reinstatement and transfer processes, as well as a brief overview of appeal options will be covered. Facilitators will be from Student Learning Support, TMSU, TMAPS, TMGSU, and the Ombudsperson’s Office.
Wednesday, Aug 30th from 12 – 2 pm EST
Tuesday, Sept 5th from 5 – 7 pm EST
How to Write a Strong Appeal
How to Write a Strong Appeal
Do you disagree with a final grade or academic standing recently assigned to you? Did you face extenuating circumstances or experience an unfair barrier that caused you to do poorly in your academic performance? If these questions are relevant to you, then this webinar will help you determine if you should file a grade appeal or a standing appeal, or both. Tips on writing a strong appeal will be discussed. Facilitators are the Advocates from TMAPS, TMGSU and TMSU.
Tuesday, Aug 29th from 12 – 2 pm EST
Thursday, Aug 31st from 5 – 7 pm EST
For more information, e-mail TMSU’s Student Issues & Advocacy Coordinator or TMAPS Student Rights Coordinator.
Academic Success
Understanding online/hybrid learning with Zoom, D2L and Google Suite
Welcome to Toronto Metropolitan University! Are you enrolled in an online or hybrid course and concerned with learning digitally? This session will provide an introduction to studying online at Toronto Metropolitan University and how to access your coursework ahead of class. Through this session we will discuss how to access your course shells on D2L and the different Google Programs you have access to through your university email. Additionally, we will discuss online etiquette related to participating in Zoom classrooms, communicating with your instructors and how to meaningfully engage in a digital learning environment.
Navigating Academic Integrity and Student Rights
Accessing Online Learning Support & Accommodations Support
Welcome to Toronto Metropolitan University! As a student you may encounter barriers to accessing education or face a few challenges with particular requirements in your curriculum. This workshop will cover the various resources available through Student Learning Support and explain some basics about Academic Accommodation Support (AAS), which is available for students with disabilities. Remember, academic accommodations are more than just physical barriers and this is a stigma-free space.
Prioritizing and Maintaining Mental Health & Wellbeing in Academic Consideration
Welcome to Toronto Metropolitan University ! Taking care of mental health while navigating uncertainties of life during COVID, school and other responsibilities is not easy. In this workshop, the Health Promotion coordinator shares strategies for self-care, and resources available for TMAPS students such as peer support and Wellness workshops in the upcoming year. We are also joined by our Student Rights coordinator at TMAPS for how to acquire academic consideration on grounds of mental health when things do get overwhelming.
Know your Rights
If you feel you are being discriminated against or harassed, you should consult with the Human Rights Services office of Toronto Metropolitan University. Everyone at the university should feel safe and be treated with dignity. If you feel you are being treated unfairly based on any of the protected human rights grounds – your race, ethnic background, age, citizenship, religion, sex, sexual identity or expression, marital status, family status, disability, etc., you should check in with Human Rights Services for assistance.
Human Rights Services | Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion (OVPECI)
350 Victoria Street,
Podium 254-A
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5B 2K3
Missed Assignments, Tests and Exams
Academic Consideration due to COVID-19
If you miss class or an assignment due to cold or flu-like symptoms, or due to self-isolation you are currently not required to provide a health certificate. Other absences must follow Senate Policy 167 on Academic Consideration. For more details on these processes please see Toronto Metropolitan University University’s Office of the Senate website.
NOTIFICATION – IT’S VERY IMPORTANT
You are required to notify your instructor in advance, where possible, if you are unable to submit an assignment, or write a test or exam and would like to request academic consideration such as an extension or a deferral. If you are unable to notify your instructor in advance, you must do so within three working days. If you are beyond the three working day timeline, you will need to explain why and be aware that your request for consideration may not be granted due to exceeding the deadline. Send an email to your instructor or to distance@ryerson.ca (for Chang School courses) briefly explaining which academic component you will miss or have missed from the course(s) in question.
As of June 2020 all students must use the online Academic Consideration Request (ACR) system. The link to the ACR online system can be found on the Senate Resources page, scroll down to “Online Academic Consideration Requests.”
AREAS OF CONSIDERATION
Under Toronto Metropolitan University policy, consideration for missed assignments, tests and exams are only granted for religious observance reasons, or Extenuating Circumstances (Health or Compassionate)grounds under Toronto Metropolitan UniversityUniversity Senate Policy #167, Academic Consideration.
For religious observance grounds, you must have notified your instructor of your accommodation needs at the start of the term. You are required to complete a Student Declaration of Religious Observance Form.
LATE ARRIVAL FOR AN EXAM
If you have been refused entry into an exam room because you were more than 30 minutes late, you should follow up with your professor about what happened right away. If you were unwell, visit your health professional as soon as possible and have them complete the Toronto Metropolitan University Health Certificate. Be prepared to follow the process outlined above regarding Academic Consideration and formally request a make-up exam.
Have questions or need some support? Email studentrights@tmaps.ca
Feeling unwell and have to miss an exam? Not sure what Academic Consideration is? Need academic accommodations based on your disability? Not sure you want to use turnitin.com? Accused of academic misconduct and need an advocate? TMAPS can help!
- Read Toronto Metropolitan University University’s Statement on Student Rights and Responsibilities
- Watch these short videos and know your rights as a student. If you have questions or need support, email studentrights@tmaps.ca
Opt-out of turnitin.com
Academic Accommodation
Academic Misconduct
Academic Consideration: Ask for deferral or extension
Academic Consideration due to COVID-19
If you miss class or an assignment due to cold or flu-like symptoms, or due to self-isolation you are currently not required to provide a health certificate. Other absences must follow Senate Policy 167 on Academic Consideration. For more details on these processes please see Toronto Metropolitan University University’s Office of the Senate website.
NOTIFICATION – IT’S VERY IMPORTANT
You are required to notify your instructor in advance, where possible, if you are unable to submit an assignment, or write a test or exam and would like to request academic consideration such as an extension or a deferral. If you are unable to notify your instructor in advance, you must do so within three working days. If you are beyond the three working day timeline, you will need to explain why and be aware that your request for consideration may not be granted due to exceeding the deadline. Send an email to your instructor or to distance@ryerson.ca (for Chang School courses) briefly explaining which academic component you will miss or have missed from the course(s) in question.
As of June 2020 all students must use the online Academic Consideration Request (ACR) system. The link to the ACR online system can be found on the Senate Resources page, scroll down to “Online Academic Consideration Requests.”
AREAS OF CONSIDERATION
Under Toronto Metropolitan University policy, consideration for missed assignments, tests and exams are only granted for religious observance reasons, or Extenuating Circumstances (Health or Compassionate)grounds under Toronto Metropolitan University University Senate Policy #167, Academic Consideration.
For religious observance grounds, you must have notified your instructor of your accommodation needs at the start of the term. You are required to complete a Student Declaration of Religious Observance Form.
LATE ARRIVAL FOR AN EXAM
If you have been refused entry into an exam room because you were more than 30 minutes late, you should follow up with your professor about what happened right away. If you were unwell, visit your health professional as soon as possible and have them complete the Toronto Metropolitan University Health Certificate. Be prepared to follow the process outlined above regarding Academic Consideration and formally request a make-up exam.
Have questions or need some support? Email studentrights@tmaps.ca
Appeals
A grade appeal is your opportunity to appeal a final grade in a particular course.
A standing appeal can be filed when you have a change in academic standing (ie. Required To Withdraw or Permanent Program Withdrawn).
An academic misconduct appeal is your opportunity to challenge a finding of academic misconduct or the penalty assigned for committing academic misconduct.
Fee appeals can be submitted on the basis of medical, compassionate, or procedural grounds usually within 6 months since the fees in question were posted to your account.
Retroactive or late course drop requests can be submitted to the Registrar’s Office if you have been affected by difficult or unforeseen personal circumstances (i.e. medical or compassionate ground).
Grade & Standing Appeal Information Package
Frequently Asked Questions
No, as long as you have legitimate grounds for appeal there should be no penalty or reprisal. You have the right to file an appeal.
The success of your appeal will depend entirely on you. Students who work very hard to compile a complete appeal package are more likely to be successful if they do have valid grounds for an appeal. Your chances of success depend on your circumstances, the extent to which you followed all relevant policies, your ability to clearly communicate your concerns, and your ability to provide evidence for the claims you make in your letter. The outcome also depends upon your decision maker’s perspective.
It depends. You may continue to progress through required courses only if you are appealing your academic standing. Once you submit your standing appeal to your home program department the administrator should provide you with a temporary probationary contract that will allow you to enroll in courses while your standing appeal is under consideration. If your appeal is successful then you can remain in your courses. If your appeal is unsuccessful and it’s reached a final point in the appeal process, you will either be removed from your courses and your fees will be reimbursed, or depending on the position of the decision maker(s), you could be allowed to complete the courses you are enrolled in (especially if you are at the end of the semester and have basically completed the requirements). In the case of a grade appeal for a required course, you will have to either wait for the final decision on your grade appeal to determine if you need to take the course again, or you could just enroll in the required course again as your appeal is under consideration – it’s up to you.
You can submit multiple appeals, and sometimes we encourage you to appeal both a grade and your academic standing. However, there is a hierarchy for addressing appeals. Grade appeals will be considered before standing appeals, and academic misconduct appeals will be considered before grade/standing appeals. If the outcome of one appeal will affect the grounds of another appeal, then appeals may be postponed until that decision is made. Remember to inform the relevant staff in your department when multiple appeals have been filed.
The TMAPS Student Rights Coordinator is here to help students understand policies and procedures and ensure students are adequately resourced. The Office of the Ombudsperson is an autonomous body from the University which is charged with ensuring policies and procedures are followed fairly and accurately, and recommend policies and procedures to ensure fairness. The Ombudsperson is not on the side of students, staff or faculty, but rather a watchperson for fairness. Contact: 416-979-5000 x7450 or ombuds@ryerson.ca
You must contact your instructor right away. If you cannot reach your instructor you should call- or preferably email (for record keeping purposes) the Program Chair/Director or Department, explaining your situation in detail. Consideration for missed tests or exams under Toronto Metropolitan University policy is only granted for medical or compassionate grounds. Supporting documentation must be submitted to your instructor or if necessary, to the program department, within 3 business days from the missed test or exam.
Students who wish to opt-out need to notify their instructor within the first 2-weeks and make alternate arrangement to submit their assignment. This could include submitting rough notes and references to show their work. Without making alternate arrangements, students have to use turnitin.com if required by instructor.
The process can take anywhere from a month to 3 months (sometimes more) – it depends on how many levels of appeal you go through. Once you submit your grade or standing appeal, it should take about ten (10) working days to get a response. If you do not receive a response within this time frame, you are welcome to enquire about the status of your appeal with the office where you submitted your documents. Upon receiving a response, if you wish to appeal further, you will have another ten (10) working days to submit an appeal to the next level, and so forth. If you are appealing a finding of academic misconduct you will hear from the Academic Integrity Office within a week or two about the scheduling of your hearing.
GET HELP
TMAPS members can receive free assistance and support from the full-time Student Rights Coordinator, who can be reached at studentrights@tmaps.ca or 416-979-5000 x1-557056.