• petition

    the finer points of petitioning

    June 3, 2016

    Hey Aska,

    So I am a third year student (technically 4th) and I’ve recently been put on a one year suspension. I’ve been in utsc since 2012 and it has been a miserable experience. Anyways, I was wondering how long it takes for the papers to finally reach to the registrars? My marks don’t add up for atleast 3 courses and I think my finals have been marked really really poorly. The thing is, it’s been close to 10 days and I haven’t heard anything from the registrar. I also petitioned for a recheck of my final exam marks  and you are supposed to provide supporting documents within ten days of the petition, I am not sure if my petition would be cancelled if registrar fails to provide me papers on time? I’ve tried talking to the registrar but I was ignored and sent back promptly. I am concerned and would like to have atleast one chance to prove that I’ve been marked incorrectly so that things may be corrected and I can move forward.

    Any suggestions on who I can discuss this with? will my petition be cancelled?

    thanks

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i’m not 100% sure i’m understanding this question correctly, but i’ll give it my best shot. since you didn’t clarify what you mean by the word ‘papers,’ i have to guess what I think you mean. i’m gonna assume that since you petitioned for a recheck, the papers you’re referring to are the documents (your statement and photocopy of the final exam) through the eService for your petition.

    if all documentation has been submitted on time, then there is no reason that your petition would not be considered. if there is some kind of documentation, like a copy of a final exam, that you need from the registrar’s office, that’s something you have to sort out with them.

    however, do keep in mind that petitions take a LOT of time to go through. while it is true that you have to submit all your supporting documentation within ten days, it can take much longer for you to receive the petition decision from UTSC. i don’t know about how UTSC’s process works in detail, but at the Faculty of Arts & Science, three weeks is a typical waiting time to hear back about a petition. there’re a lot of petitions and only one office, unfortunately. that’s just how it goes.

    also, i know you didn’t ask about this, but just as a side note: i don’t want you to be having a miserable time at school. i’m sure you don’t be wanting to have a miserable time. maybe this is a good oppoerunity to think about how worth it it is for you to stay at UTSC; and if you do want to stay, whether some changes might be in order. consider talking about it with an advisor at your registrar’s office, parent, or someone else you trust; it could be worth your while.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • failing,  petition

    changing an F to a WDR

    February 24, 2016

    Hi aska!

    I have somewhat of a sticky situation that I’m not sure how to handle. I’ve been talking with my college registrar, but still feel … well, stuck!

    Back in 2011, I started my first year at UofT in EngSci. I completed two full semesters, not doing extremely well, but passing/failing my courses at a pretty even ratio across the board. At that time, I had some err mental health issues, that really started to spiral out of control. I won’t go into details here. Essentially, at the end of my second semester in EngSci, I decided to transfer into LifeSci to try approaching my goals from a different perspective. I started my first semester in this new program September 2012…

    Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to even get passed a few months into the semester before being admitted into CAMH. To be honest, I was hospitalized for about 2 months there, and really don’t remember anything from the time (institutions seem to rely on solely pharmaceutical treatments, at least at the time –> highly medicated!) but there seems to be some records of contact between myself and my registrar in efforts to withdraw from my courses – it still would have been late withdrawal as it was past the drop date for the course. Because I didn’t complete the courses, my grades were extremely poor – all Fs.

    Having said that, my treatment went sour, things went terribly, and I never ended up following through. The past four years, I’ve been trying to recover and get back on my feet. Finally, this September I re-enrolled into LifeSci and am starting all over again. Looking at my transcript, my cGPA is shot, I’d say even 6 feet below. I’ve been trying to access health records from the hospital, to no avail just yet.

    What are the chances I’ll be granted a LWD if I petition at this point?

    Thank you!!

    Defeated Student.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    if i’m understanding correctly, you want to petition to LWD courses that you took back in 2012. i’m going to answer your question assuming that’s what you’re asking, but if i misunderstood, just let me know so i can help out further.

    so, you wouldn’t be able to get an LWD. you are able to petition for a WDR (withdraw) which is essentially the same in every way as an LWD but it stands for ‘withdraw,’ and you would have ‘WDR’ designations on your transcript instead of ‘LWD.’

    i don’t have enough information to be able to advise you much further in this case. whether or not the petition is likely to be successful, i can’t say. the only thing i can recommend is continuing to talk with your college registrar’s office about it.

    perhaps you feel like your meeting with your registrar’s office was not particularly fruitful. that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the conversation. what i would recommend is writing down everything relevant to your story down on the piece of paper. write the points you wanted to make to your college registrar. then you can go in again and have another conversation, even with the same person, or somebody else if you’ll be more comfortable. i often find that writing things down helps to make sure you’ll cover all the points you want to cover.

    there’s never any harm in submitting a petition, but if your college registrar’s office thinks it’s not advisable, then it’s worth it to listen to them and avoid wasting your time.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • petition,  suspension

    uoft part 2: less getting lost, more getting winning

    January 6, 2016

    Hi ,

    So I was a student who got admitted to U of T (St.george) in September 2013, on academic probation , cause for one of my high school courses I performed about 2 % below what was required on my conditional offer. Anyways , after coming to U of T, I got a little overwhelmed, and I am not joking when I say that I missed alot of classes cause I would just get lost. And Some other personal issues that had been going on came up . Long story short, At the end of my first year I ended up failing 6 out the 7
    courses I took , and was put on suspension. So I freaked out didn’t tell anyone , including my parents. And basically I pretended I was going to school all year even though I wasn’t . This obviously put alot of stress on me and worsened my problems. So in the summer of 2015, I came back and took 2 courses , and failed them both. And so I was suspended for 3 years. I decided at this point that I obviously couldn’t keep this hidden from my parents. So I told them. and I started taking courses at ryerson in the Chang school . I am also now getting help for my mental illness, and I am feeling great and doing well in the courses. My question was that can I petition at the end of this school year to have my suspension lifted early, on the basis that I have solved my problems, and I am doing well in the ryerson courses, and have a part-time job. I have read some places that it wont work unless you were getting medical help during the time you were suspended. What are my chances of the petition being accepted, if I can prove I am better , and doing well in university level courses, even if they are at Ryerson.

    Thanks

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i’m sorry to hear you had a bumpy start to your degree at uoft, but i’m glad to hear you are doing better now!

    after consulting with my MYSTERIOUS ALL-KNOWING SOURCES, i have divined that the fact that you are a) doing well in university courses and b) getting help with your mental health (provided you have documentation to support this) are both great supports to justify your return to uoft.

    however, my source warned me that the petitions committee is unlikely to allow you to come back so early. if you last took courses one year ago and you’re on a three-year suspension, you’ll have to do some pretty hard convincing to get them to let you back two years early.

    that being said, if you really do feel ready to come back, you can still contact your college registrar to submit a petition, and hope for the best. the worst they can do is say no, and you can always try again in a year’s time.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • course conflicts,  exams,  petition

    just don’t do it, man

    August 7, 2015

    if I have a course conflict and those two courses also have an exam conflict, can I be allowed to take the exams at different times or bc I scheduled in a conflict will I not be allowed to? thanx

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    nah. general rule is: if you knowingly put yourself in a conflict, you knowingly accept that there is a possibility that you will have test and exam conflicts. if you have a test conflict, you can always ask one of the professors if you can write their test at another time. if they’re merciful, they might accommodate you – but they’re under no obligation to do so.

    as for exams, an exam conflict can only be resolved with a petition. if you submit a petition to reschedule an exam because you’re in a course conflict, you can expect that the Faculty probably won’t be so understanding in your request.

    basically: if you can avoid the conflict, do it.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • petition

    go now!!!!!

    June 24, 2015

    Hi Aska,

    I am contemplating a second degree a couple of years from now but the calendar says the deadline to petition is June 30 . Is that June 2015? Also can St George student petition to do a second degree at utsc? Thanks

    Hoping that the deadline isn’t June 2015

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    if you want to start your degree in september, then yeah, it’s this June. so in six days.

    your college may give you some wiggle room, but it’s best not to push it. if i were you, i’d hightail to my college registrar’s office ASAP and get the process started. if you can’t go in person, e-mail them – i know you’ve got access to e-mail. in any case, petitions take at least a couple of weeks to process, so the earlier you get in touch with your registrar, the better.

    andale!!!

    aska

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  • petition

    a certain petition decision?

    April 4, 2014

    Hey, I was just wondering if there is any possible way to repeat an EXT course. I need at least a 63%? for program requirements, the first mark for the course i got a 58, the second time i got a 60. I petitioned to be put into the class again and it got refused. Is there any other possible way I can get into this course again or talk to anyone that can help me or are there any solution you can give me without telling to just go into a different program? The course i need i MGM101 btdubs.

    thanks for taking time in reading this

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    umm…um…

    k usually, petitioning is like the last resource when it comes to going against the rules in this place. the one thing you can do is appeal your petition, but don’t think that appealing is just like ramming against a wall until it gives. you should only appeal 1) if you speak with a registrar and they think it’s worth it – they usually know if it’ll work or not, 2) if you have “further information or further arguments to make in support of your request,” and 3) if you are able to do it within 90 days of the decision made on your petition.

    if you’re just gonna go back to them and say, “please please please have mercy,” they won’t take kindly to it. trust.

    so yeah, that’s an option, but i’d say it’s not a great one. i mean, definitely discuss it with your registrar, but i feel like you’ve given them all the information you possibly could about the situation.

    at the end of the day, man, there are a lot of programs out there. some might not be so hard on you, you feel?

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • petition

    deferring for dummies

    August 16, 2013

    I wrote down the wrong date for a final exam on my calender. I missed it what do I do now? I have been working har to finish an essay but I have been studying and i was ready to sit in on the exam but I got the date wrong. Will UofT grant me a deferral or is it a lost cause? I can’t believe how stupid I have been. What do I do?

    ———————————————

    Hey hey

    Okay so here’s what you do:

    Step 1: Cry a little.

    Step 2: Read this spiel. I say this mostly out of formality.

    Step 3: Fill out this petition form.

    Step 4: Go into your registrar’s office with the petition form and a preferably typed statement addressed to the Committee on Standing explaining your screw up. You’ll literally just have to say that you thought the exam was at x date because y reason (for example, the time you saw was right above the time that was actually yours). There, you might have to sit tight while they scrutinize the statement, but you should be fine.

    Step 5: Wait with a bottle of wine.

    Now will UofT grant you a deferral?

    Dunno. Can’t quite answer that in yes or no terms.

    BUT, word on the street (read: common knowledge) states that UofT isn’t as evil as we think it is and that, in fact, it can show grace in the face of timetable misreads and usually grants that leniency once in your undergrad.

    Of course, we’ll never know until you petition. So get on that. Now.

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • petition,  suspension

    this week on who’s the special snowflake…

    May 10, 2013

    I got into suspension,I am in my second year at UTSG.I have got LEGIT extenuating circumstances that got me into this.Spoke to my registrar,counsellor and filed a petition.Providing them with all the necessary documents and yes I was made sure to get it through my head that petitions as such RARELY EVER get granted.

    So I want to know what are my chances of setting an appointment with the Dean?? I want to, I NEED to get of suspension.If you can please help me out with how to go about fixing an appointment with the Dean via email/office any sort of information you can provide me with at this point would be highly appreciated! Or anyone whom you think I should speak to if I really wish to influence the decision. Even anyone you know got himself/herself out of suspension.

    I am totally,completely DESPERATE to get myself out of this.PLEASE help me.

    ———————————————

    Hey hey!

    Have you ever read the Faculty’s spiel on petitions regarding suspension? It’s surprisingly… not mechanical. It’s actually kind of hilarious in this “k what are you doing look at your life choices” kind of way. Like a lot of the lines are making me laugh obnoxiously.

    I mean LOOK AT THESE:

    – “They often want to make up for lost time and promise to redouble their efforts. However, they have just spent one whole session on Probation and their results are still marginal. They are not headed in the right direction.”

    – “Th[ese steps to appealing the suspension] may sound easy enough – ‘Everything’s okay now!‘ – but it is not.”

    – “Allowing you to enrol in even more courses without having resolved your problems just means that you will be in even deeper GPA difficulty at the end of the next year – so deep you may never get up to the 1.85 CGPA needed to graduate.”

    (Okay okay, some aren’t THAT funny, but that “so deep” bit on the last one killed me.)

    But back to the matter on hand:

    To be clear, petitions are largely a paper process. Meaning the only person you’re dealing with in person is your college registrar to give them your form/statement/medical note/etc. There’s isn’t really someone you can talk to so that you can “influence” the decision, so you’re better off just… well, waiting things out.

    Here’s the general contact info for the office of the dean, but I don’t really recommend trying to set up an appointment. I mean you can and no one can stop but think of it like this: the dean represents the Faculty’s rules. He’s not likely to sidestep them for you — especially when you’ve already started the petition process. If you sent him something today trying to make an appointment about your appeal, he’d probably just tell you to wait until you hear a reply, meaning you’re not likely to get an appointment.

    But if your “extenuating circumstances” are legit and you really truly shouldn’t be on suspension, then there shouldn’t be anything to worry about, right?

    For now, I recommend waiting.

    Sure, it might seem like your petition is taking forever, but keep in mind how busy the petitions office is, especially at this time of the year where students are “sick” and need to defer their exams. Likewise, if your situation really is complicated and worthy of having the suspension lifted, it’ll take extra long since they’ll really need to look into matters.

    So sit tight and enjoy your time off or something.

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • petition

    the magical medical note isn’t as magical as we all thought

    April 12, 2013

    Hello,

    I’m in a dilemma, I’ve asked around spoke to many people around the school but no one can give me a precise answer on what to do. This past semester ive been really sick and I have a medical not from my doctor indicating that I couldn’t attend school from Jan 8th to end of Feb. I’m doing really bad in my eco class and considered getting a LWD. I’ve provided this medical note to my professor and asked him if I could redo some of my online quizzes. My professor declined my offer. I had no choice but to go request an LWD. Unfortunately, I passed the deadline for the LWD and my registered office advised me to fill out a petition. I’ve filled out that petition and they wrote me back: “I am writing to inform you that the Faculty is not prepared to grant your request for late withdrawal from ECO. You are advised to complete the course to the best of your ability.”

    My question is: can they deny me although I have a legitimate medical note. How much further can I can this issue?

    Thank you.

    ———————————————

    Yo.

    Looks to me like people have told you what to do. Unfortunately, what to do just isn’t fun.

    So can the Faculty deny your petition? Sure they can!

    I mean… they kind of just did.

    But once the petition fails, there’s not much left to do other than what they advise since the Faculty is kind of like the end of the line. So I suggest you complete the course to the best of your ability. Sorry, dude. Good luck though.

    soggy socked,
    aska

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  • petition,  suspension

    a year for yourself? yikes!

    October 3, 2012

    Hi,

    I just finished my first year of studies at Uoft St.George. I was unable to get the required marks and therefore was put on probation. I tried to take myself out of it by taking summer classes (huge mistake) and now I’m currently suspended.

    This past year, I’ve been having some medical issues that caused me to get bad marks on tests/ exams. I’ve always been really embarrassed and scared to go to my registrars office and talk to them face-to-face about my academic standing. I was wondering if there was a way that I could write a petition for UofT to lift my suspension?? Is it too late for me to do that for this FALL 2012 term?? Or would it be better to write a petition to come back second semester?? I do not think I need an entire year off to focus on my health issues and get back on track. I’ve already visited the doctor and I am taking proper medication. I cannot imagine what taking an entire year off will do to my academics. Is there anyway? I can be granted this petition to come back this semester or second semester?? I really need some guidance!

    Thank you

    ———————————————

    Hey there!

    I’m sorry to hear about your suspension, but the good news is that you can indeed petition to come back – granted the earliest would have to be in January and you might have some difficulty getting into classes.

    Your first unofficial step would be to embrace your registrar’s office. Your college registrar is your BFF in university. They help you with choosing courses, understanding the intricacies of OSAP, and many other forms of guidance. If you’re ever confused about something during your time at U of T, chances are that your registrar will have the answers for you. With the letter explaining your probation, you would have been invited by your faculty to speak to an academic advisor (likely from your registrar) and depending on your college, someone else would have contacted you as well about the importance of coming in.

    Now after realizing that your registrar only wants to help you and is completely non-judgemental of what your GPA is or why you missed that exam, go over to the Suspensions section of the Faculty of Arts and Science’s Petitions website. Petitions are allowed, yes, but the truth is that they’re rarely granted. Do a little reading on that before going to your registrar, where students are recommended to go for counselling and advice regarding petition procedures and whether or not your petition is even worth it.

    If you’re still set on the petition after that meeting, then you’ll have to fill out the petition form and write a clear statement no more than two pages about why you need special consideration in this situation. Since your suspension is a result of medical issues, you’ll definitely need documentation proving that. Your petition will be submitted to your registrar, who will then forward it to the Petitions Office. After that, you’ll probably hear back via email a few weeks later.

    But if you do stay on suspension until next September, don’t feel too glum about it! You can do plenty of things with that time: work, travel, learn how to knit, write a novel, and so on. Taking a year off won’t have a huge effect on your academics. Sure, you might forget how to use your note-taking hand while you’re away, but a week or two back into classes and you’ll be fine! 🙂

    Good luck!

    aska

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  • easy way out,  failing,  petition

    fishin’ for petitions

    September 13, 2012

    Hey,

    I’m going into my second year this september 2012 and I failed a course twice. The first time I took it I failed because of my lack of effort, the second time I took it, I ended up with a 48. I don’t know what to do and I don’t want to take it again but I need itbecause its a prerequiste. Will a petition help?

    ———————————————

    Heyyo!

    I’m assuming you don’t mean a petition like the one I made in third grade to get strawberry milk in the cafeteria (I got 46 signatures, but The Man didn’t fold), so Aska is about to keep it real and give you the short answer: No. Failing twice actually hurts your case for an academic petition, and it sounds like you don’t have any grounds to make one besides your own first-year-itis. Information about petitions is available here, but really, the petitions process is generally for uncontrollable emergencies or severe problems with the course.

    You probably have to take the course again, and there’s no limit on the amount of times you can do that. But let’s be honest, if you failed a foundational course for your program twice, it might be time to go deep into the woods, light some incense, assume the lotus position, and do some deep reflection about whether you’re really cut out for that program. After that, make an appointment at your registrar ASAP and have some real talk about your academic interests and abilities. They’ll help you come up with a plan and work out some strategies to do better in school.

    Good luck pal, and here’s to a stronger second year!

    aska

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  • petition

    a long story ends happily ever after with a petition

    April 16, 2012

    Hey aska, long story short I haven’t been focusing much on school due to sickness and other things such as ambition etc.? I was placed on academic probation for this year and ended up getting two low 40% grades.? I have medical documentation from throughout the semester.? I would have dropped them had I known I was doing that poorly.? If I attempt to petition both courses due to sickness what are the chances that they’ll go through?

    Thanks for the help

    ??????????????????????-

    Hey hey,
    I asked my trusty petition expert … yah I’ve got a guy for that, well actually a lady. She said that you still have a chance, but you need to get in and talk to your registrar/academic counsellor, stat!

    She also said that you have more of a chance of getting the petition granted if you have not written the final exams.

    In anycase, hit up your registrar’s office, now … well not now, because they are probably closed, but 9 a.m tomorrow!!

    Good luck!

    forever wished to be a superhero,

    aska

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  • exams,  petition

    the gods are in a good mood. hurry!

    December 19, 2008

    So I accidentally missed an exam because I remembered the exam date wrong. My professor told me to visit my registrar’s office to see what options I have available to me, but I checked the UofT website and remembering the wrong date is not an accepted reason, and I understand that. What I want to ask is: “Do I have any options?” If not, then there’s no point in visiting the registrar’s office at all.

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