Arts and Science Appeals

Students can submit an appeal for retroactive withdrawals at any time following the end of the semester in which they were registered in the course(s).

Students can submit an appeal requesting the removal of RTD faculty action at any time following official notice of RTD status. However, if a student wishes to return to their studies in a particular semester, they must meet the following deadlines:

• To return to study in September, the deadline to appeal is August 1 at 11:59 pm
• To return to study in January, the deadline to appeal is Nov. 1 at 11:59 pm
• To return to study in Spring/Summer, the deadline to appeal is April 1 at 11:59 pm

Academic appeals are intended for students whose overall academic performance has been impacted by an extenuating circumstance during a specific semester, or across multiple semesters.

Requests for retroactive withdrawals from a course based on a missed final exam may not be granted. In this case, students should consider the deferred exam option.

NOTE: Submission of an appeal is not a guarantee that a request will be approved.

Appeals for Retroactive Withdrawals and a faculty action of Required to Discontinue:

• Students must have experienced an extenuating circumstance that negatively impacted their academic performance, and ability to withdraw from a course, and seek information regarding other options for their academics.
• Retroactive withdrawals can only be requested for courses in which the student received a failing grade of 49 percent or less.
• If a student has retaken a course and received a passing grade, they may not request a retroactive withdrawal for previous failed attempts in the same course. This course is considered a "passed course" and is therefore not eligible for an RW request. See the College of Arts and Science retake policies

NOTE: The faculty action of "Probation" is not eligible for appeal.

An extenuating circumstance is a situation or challenge beyond the student's control that negatively affects the student's wellbeing, and/or lowers their typical level of functioning.

The relationship between the extenuating circumstance and the student's academic performance must be apparent. In other words, the extenuating circumstance itself, or the impact of the extenuating circumstance, must correspond with the period that academic performance was impacted, as evidenced by the student’s transcript.

The extenuating circumstance, and the relationship of the extenuating circumstance to the student’s academic performance, must be verified through a letter of support from a relevant third party.

Examples of extenuating circumstances:

• death of a family member or personal friend
• family emergency
• physical or mental health issues
• challenges related to institutional transition
• undiagnosed learning challenges
• criminal or legal emergency

NOTE: these are examples only and as such are not a complete list. Please contact the Undergraduate Student Office if you have questions.

Examples of supporting documentation:

• obituary, death certificate, or memorial service document
• doctor’s note from a licensed medical professional
• letter from a licensed counsellor or psychologist
• police report or legal documentation

NOTE: these are examples only and as such are not a complete list. Please contact the Undergraduate Student Office at 306-966-4231 if you have questions.

Your privacy and confidentiality are extremely important to us. The information you provide in your appeal will not be shared.

Your appeal should be no more than two pages in length or 500 words.

Your appeal must include the following four components:

1. A summary of what you are appealing
   • Indicate whether your request is for retroactive withdrawals, removal of a Required to Discontinue faculty action or both.
   • If you are appealing for retroactive withdrawals, please include the following
     • the term in which you took the class(es)
     • the specific class(es), including the subject, course number and section number.
     • Example: 2018 Fall Term: ENG 111.3(01)
2. A summary of the extenuating circumstance
   • Briefly describe what occurred.
   • Identify how the extenuating circumstances impacted your academic performance.
   • Explain why you were unable to withdraw from courses or seek additional information regarding other options.
3. A plan of action and supports
   • Briefly describe the strategies that will help you to improve your academic performance. You may list personal or professional supports you have in place that will help you to overcome or manage the extenuating circumstance.
4. Supporting documentation
   • You must include official documentation from a third party that verifies your extenuating circumstances.

NOTE: if any of the four components are missing from your appeal, it will not be reviewed.

• Your entire appeal should be no more than two pages in length or 500 words.
• It is beneficial to prepare your appeal in a Word document so you have a copy for your records. You can then copy and paste this information into the online form.
• If your supporting documentation must be scanned, be sure to save it in PDF format.
• If your supporting documentation is an electronic copy, be sure to save it in PDF format.

• The Academic Appeals Committee is made up of academic advisors in the Undergraduate Student Office. In addition to the information provided in the academic appeal request, the committee reviews and considers the following:
  • The student’s academic file including their transcript of grades
  • The student’s history of requests for academic accommodations and/or appeals
  • The student’s ability to withdraw from courses or seek additional supports to improve their academics
  • The student’s previous engagement with the Undergraduate Student Office.
• In the event that a student’s academic file reveals a pattern of appeals or other types of accommodations, additional information may be requested, or alternate supports may be recommended to the student.

If your appeal is denied, you may wish to meet with an academic advisor to discuss a plan of action.  If you have additional information that will strengthen or clarify your appeal, you have 30 days to re-submit your appeal.  Appeals will not be reconsidered if additional information is not provided.

Students can re-submit their appeal once only.

If you have questions about submitting an appeal, please call 306-966-4231 or contact us through the Arts and Science Student Appeal Question form

Please note: the following types of appeals are not handled by the Academic Appeals Committee in the College of Arts and Science:

• Financial appeals: please contact Student Central, 306-966-1212
• Course grade disputes: please contact your instructor or the department head
• Discrimination and harassment: please contact Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Services at 306-966-4936