Academic appeals

Students can appeal a final grade or academic standing when they believe they cannot resolve course-related issues with their instructors.

You'll need to notify your instructor(s) or the teaching program department when circumstances that can impact your academic performance arise. It is also your responsibility to try to resolve all course-related issues with the instructor as soon as they occur and, if needed, with the chair/director of the teaching department/school. Failure to do so may jeopardize an appeal.

Appeals are submitted at the department level, where the teaching department/school chair is the decision maker. Students who wish to appeal the department's decision can appeal at the faculty level, where the dean of the faculty will review the appeal. Students who want to appeal the faculty-level decision can then appeal at the senate level. The decision of the Senate Appeals Committee is final and cannot be appealed. 

There are 2 types of appeals a student may submit:

• Grade Appeals: must be submitted to the School that offers the course being appealed (the teaching department/school).
• Academic Standing Appeals: must be submitted to your program/School. 

Students may appeal on any of these four (4) grounds: 

• Extenuating Circumstances - Student believes that there have been occurrences of reasonable significance that (a) are outside a student’s immediate control; (b) could not have been reasonably foreseen or avoided; and (c) significantly impact the student’s ability to fulfill their academic requirements. 
• Prejudice - Student believes that their final grade or standing has been impacted by prejudice based on a ground protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code
• Procedural Error - Student believes there has been an error in the procedure followed in the application of either this policy or any applicable policy of the University that has impacted their grade or standing
• Course Management - The student believes that a final grade has been adversely affected because an instructor or supervisor has deviated significantly from Course Management Policies (Policy 166), the course outline, or the instructor has demonstrated personal bias or unfair treatment (applicable only to grade appeals).

Appeals are governed by Policy 168: Grade & Standing Appeals. Please refer to this policy for more information on types, grounds, and levels of appeals.

Before submitting an appeal, attempts must be made to resolve the issue with the professor or Chair of the department: 

1. Informal Resolution
   • During a semester, you may encounter issues that impact your academic performance. Before initiating a grade appeal, you should attempt to resolve all grade-related issues informally through communication with your instructor(s). If you cannot resolve the situation with your instructor(s), or if you cannot reach them, contact the Chair or Director of the department/school that offers the course (the teaching department/school). 
     
     
2. Grade Reassessment (for issues related to individual assignment grades)
   • You can request to have a graded course component reassessed if you believe that the grade does not reflect the academic merit of your work, or you can request a recalculation if you believe an error or omission has been made in calculating grades. Your requests for a grade reassessment must be based on sufficient academic grounds and be supported by evidence and documentation (e.g. from the course outline, course notes, textbooks, assignment grade rubric). 
   • To request a grade reassessment, you should contact your instructor within ten (10) business days of the date when the graded work in question is returned to the class or when the grade on the work is posted. Grades not questioned within this period may not be reassessed.
   • For work graded during the final week of classes or during the exam period, there might not be an opportunity to review the work with the instructor before the assignment of a final grade in the course. In that case, you should contact the instructor about the work as soon as possible, and usually within ten (10) business days from when grades and standing are available to students on MyServiceHub.

For detailed information on grade reassessment procedures, refer to Policy 162: Grade Reassessment and Grade Recalculation.

If you are unable to resolve the issue with your professor, department/chair, you may proceed with an appeal.

Undergraduate students must use the online appeals portal to submit their request. Students have up to ten (10) business days after official grades/standing are posted to submit a first level (department) appeal. All other levels of appeal must be submitted within ten (10) business days of receiving the decision letter.

1. Login to the online appeals portal using your TMU credentials. 
2. Begin to fill out the required fields. Clear and concise points are recommended. 
3. Upload any applicable documents you may have to support your appeal and submit them.. 

Once you submit an academic appeal, you, the relevant decision-maker, and the Senate Office will receive a notification through their TMU e-mail. The decision maker will have up to ten (10) business days to assess and make a decision on your appeal. Once a decision has been made, you will receive a decision letter via your TMU email.

It is recommended that you seek assistance and advice when filing an appeal. For advice on your appeal, you may contact any of the following. 

Academic Advocacy at YourTMSU (external link) 
 advocacy@yourtmsu.ca |  416-979-5255, ext. 2322

Office of the Ombudsperson
 ombuds@torontomu.ca |  416-979-5000, ext. 557450

TRSM Program Advsing & Student Success (PASS)
 trsmadvising@torontomu.ca |  416-979-5000, ext 555121

The Centre for Student Development and Counselling
 cdsc@torontomu.ca |  416-979-5191