Filing a Grade and/or Academic Standing Appeal

Please see the Undergraduate Academic Considerations and Appeals policy for details on academic appeals.

What are some important things to remember regarding academic consideration and appeals?

You must consult with the instructor as soon as unforeseen circumstances arise which will affect your grades. Failure to speak with your instructor may jeopardize your appeal(s), and you may miss appeal deadlines by creating delays in the process.

You should always attempt to resolve issues directly with the instructor before following the formal appeals process.

You must submit documentation within three (3) working days of any missed assignment, due date, test or exam.

You have the right to see all of your graded work, including your final exam (under appropriate supervision).

You must document all of your claims.

You must not violate any conditions on your probationary contract, as this may have an adverse affect on your appeal.

You must file the appropriate forms, letters and documents at each of the three levels of appeal (Department, Faculty or Senate). Ensure that you retain copies of all of the items you filed. You must submit all materials from previous levels as your appeal proceeds.

You must adhere to all of the deadline dates for appeals. Late and incomplete appeals will generally not be accepted.

You must monitor your Ryerson e-mail account. All formal communication from the University will be sent only to your Ryerson e-mail.

While you are in the process of appealing, you may continue to attend classes. If your appeal is successful, you will not have lost any class time. If you lose an appeal, you will normally be dropped from classes, and your fees will be returned.

Regrading of work

If you believe that a piece of work has not been fairly graded, you may ask for a reassessment of that work. You should first approach your instructor/professor with your request within 10 (ten) working days of return of work to the class. If necessary, you can make a formal request to the Chair/Director of the teaching department/school. You must provide substantive reasons, in writing, for a regrading, and should be aware that your grade on that work can increase, decrease or remain the same, depending on the regraders assessment. There is no appeal on this unless there has been a failure to follow procedure.

Recalculation Error or Omission

If you think that there has been an error in the recording or the calculation of a grade, you should consult with the instructor/professor within 10 (ten) working days or return of work to the class. If there is still a problem, you may consult the Chair/Director. There is no appeal on this unless there has been a failure to follow procedure.

Where can I find the policies, deadlines and required appeal forms?

The Academic Consideration and Appeals policy is found in its entirety at www.ryerson.ca/senate/current/pol134.pdf

All appeals forms and instructions, for all levels of appeal, can be found at www.ryerson.ca/essr/appeals or www.ryerson.ca/senate.

The medical certificate, which should be completed for all considerations due to medical grounds, can be found at www.ryerson.ca/senate/forms/medical.pdf or www.ryerson.ca/senate.

Appeals deadlines are found in the Undergraduate Calendar, and at www.ryerson.ca/essr.

You may get information on appeals from the Office of the Secretary of Senate at 416-979-5011.

On what grounds can I appeal?

There are four grounds that may be considered for grade and Academic Standing appeals: Medical; Compassionate; Prejudice; and Procedural Error. In addition, Course Management may be considered as grounds for grade (but not Academic Standing) appeals. With the exception of Procedural Error, no new grounds may be introduced at subsequent levels.

Course Management: You may appeal on this ground if you feel your academic performance was hindered by the instructor's failure to adhere to the course outline or to general University course management guidelines. You should bring all course management issues to the attention of the instructor, or the Chair/Director, as soon as possible.

Medical: If you have a medical condition that has affected your academic performance you may request an accommodation. A Ryerson medical certificate must be presented within

three (3) working days of any missed work. Failure to do so may jeopardize an appeal based on medical grounds.

Compassionate: You may appeal on this ground if you have unforeseen personal or family circumstances beyond your control that have affected your performance. You should be prepared to document your claims. Failure to discuss issues which will impact your academic performance with either the instructor or with the Chair/Director as soon as they arise may jeopardize your right to appeal.

Prejudice: If you feel that you have been treated differently from other students, or that your grade was affected by prejudice (i.e. different treatment on the basis of a prohibited ground of discrimination as outlined in Ryerson's Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy, e.g. sex, race, ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, etc.) you should first contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Services (POD-254A, 416-979-5349). Appeals based on this ground will not proceed until that office has made its determination.

Procedural Error: You may appeal on this ground if there has been an error in the application of this policy or of any other University policy.

Appealing a Standing based on substantive reasons why your current Standing is not appropriate.

Generally, Academic Standing is tied to your grades, and you may have a grade appeal, which will alter your Academic Standing. You must file all grade and Standing appeals at the same time. You must be prepared to show why you should be treated differently from other students with the same GPA.

HOW DO I APPEAL?

The appeals forms and instructions for all levels of appeal are available at www.ryerson.ca/senate. Be sure that the forms are completely filled out, that all documentation is attached and complete, and that all deadlines have been met. All appeals require that you write a detailed letter describing your grounds for appeal. Unless other arrangements are made, appeals must be handed in, in person.

First Level - Department/School

{*} Appeal of a grade in a course: This must be submitted to the Chair or Director of the department or school that teaches the course. Students taking courses through The Chang School should submit grade appeals to the relevant program director in The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education.

{*} Appeal of an Academic Standing: This must be submitted to your program Chair or Director, with a copy of any grade appeals for that semester attached.

The Chair or Director must respond to you at your Ryerson email address within five (5) working days of the date you handed in your appeal. If you do not hear from the Chair or Director, you should contact his or her office to see if a response has been sent. If there is no response in ten days, you may appeal to the Dean.

Second Level - Faculty Dean

Appeal of a grade in a course: This must be submitted to the Dean of the Faculty that teaches the course within ten (10) working days of the date of the decision of the Chair or Director. A complete copy of the Department/School appeal must be attached. In the case of a continuing education course, you must appeal to the Dean of the Faculty in which the course is taught. You should not appeal to the Dean of The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education unless you are specifically told to do so.

Appeal of an Academic Standing: This must be submitted to the Dean of the Faculty in which you are enrolled.

You should receive a response via Ryerson email within 10 working days of the submission of your appeal. If you do not, check with the Dean's Office.

Third Level - The Senate Appeals Committee

{*} The Secretary of Senate must receive both grade and Standing appeals within ten (10) working days of the date of the response from the Dean. Copies of all prior appeals with complete documentation must be attached.

A hearing of your appeal will be scheduled as soon as possible. You will normally be given ten (10) days notice before the hearing, but, in the interest of timely resolution of the matter, it may be scheduled sooner. In this case, you will be given the opportunity to waive the ten (10) days notice.

{*} The decision of the Senate Appeals Committee is final, and may not be appealed.

Where can I get assistance with matters related to appeals?

RSU (for full-time and graduate programs), or CESAR (for part-time programs) will help before and during your appeal.

The Ombudsperson can also provide advice at any time. If your appeal is based on Human Rights grounds, consult the Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Services (JOR-254A, 416-979-5349).

Can my academic appeal be dismissed?

Yes, it can. Under certain circumstances, a Faculty Dean or the Senate Appeals Committee can dismiss an appeal. Refer to Section III of the Academic Consideration and Appeals policy.

APPEAL DEADLINES

Make sure you start your appeal in time. Deadlines for starting appeals are listed in the calendar. A summary is included below.

Spring/Summer 2012 grades/Standing: Friday September 14, 2012 by 4 p.m.

Fall 2012 grades/Standing:

Friday January 11, 2013 by 4 p.m.

Winter 2013 grades/Standing:

Friday May 31, 2013 by 4 p.m.