Request for Academic Consideration

Students may request academic consideration if they have experienced an unforeseen event that has affected their academic performance. Academic consideration may be granted through: an extended deadline, a deferred exam, a late drop of a course(s) (with or without failure), withdrawal from a semester (with or without academic failure), or permission to continue on probationary status.

If you plan to submit a request for academic consideration, it is recommended that you meet with your Program Counsellor to discuss the required documentation and the processes involved.

Requests for academic consideration should include:

• A personal letter explaining the situation in full. The personal letter outlines the specific request you are making and the reason(s) why this request is appropriate. The letter must be thorough including details such as whether one or more courses or semesters were affected - and if only one or two courses were affected, then why other courses were not. Be sure to note course codes and semester dates. The letter should also outline the reasons why your academic performance was affected and the specific date(s) of the problems that prevented you from meeting your academic responsibilities. The letter must be thorough, as students are not allowed to present their case to the Academic Review Committee in person. The Committee can deny requests that do not provide sufficient or detailed information. Letters should be addressed to the Academic Review Committee and include the date, student's ID number and a signature. 
• Supporting documentation. Reasons for academic consideration can be medical, psychological or compassionate. Definitions of each of these can be found in the Academic Consideration policy in Section VIII of the Undergraduate Calendar and Section VIII of the Diploma Calendar. When a student identifies illness as a reason for consideration, a medical note must be provided to indicate the date of onset, severity and duration of the illness. When a student identifies psychological grounds, the Academic Review Committee requires a letter from a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist or a counsellor in the University's Counselling Services. The letter should indicate the date of onset, severity and duration, as well as impact on the student's ability to perform academically. Requests based on compassionate circumstances also require documentation where possible. This may take the form of a police report or funeral notice, depending on the circumstances. It is recommended that students discuss the request with their Program Counsellor.
• A completed and signed Request for Academic Consideration form. *Please note there is a seperate form for deferred assessment. Contact the Program Counselling Office for the deferred assessment form. 

Submit all materials to the Program Counsellor

Please submit the form, personal letter, and supporting documentation to your Program Counsellor as soon as possible. Submission deadlines are indicated in the Undergraduate Calendar policy for academic consideration. 

The Committee

The Academic Review Committee is composed of several faculty, a representative from the Office of Registrarial Services, and your Program Counsellor. It is a subcommittee of the Academic Program Committee, which considers the requests from students who are in the program. Appeals cannot be made directly to Academic Review Committee members.

The Decision

Academic Review Committee members are provided with copies of the student's request form, the items the student submitted as well as their transcript (academic record). The request for academic consideration is discussed and a decision is made on the basis of the information provided along with any further information from the course instructors, when appropriate, the Office of Registrarial Services or your Program Counsellor. In some cases the Academic Review Committee may impose conditions for continuation of study.

Receiving Notification of the Decision

The decision is recorded by the Office of Registrarial Services and sent to the student's University of Guelph email account. The decision can be discussed with your Program Counsellor if clarification is required. In some cases, the Academic Review Committee will put the request on hold until submission of further information is complete. Students will be notified if more information is required.

Appealing the Academic Review Committee's Decision

A student can submit another request to the Academic Review Committee only if they are making a different request or providing new information for a previous request. Students have the right to appeal the Academic Review Committee's decision to the Senate Committee on Student Petitions. This appeal must be made within 10 working days of the Academic Review Committee's decision. Contact the Judicial Officer, University Centre, Level 4, Senate Office (519-824-4120 x 53116) for information on this process.

Please note that the Academic Consideration process is CONFIDENTIAL.

There are no guarantees that a request will be granted.

For more information please book an appointment with your Program Counsellor.