We are accepting all petitions/appeals through our new online petition portal. Please upload all mandatory forms and supporting documents with your petition application via this petition portal. Supporting documents must be in PDF format and uploaded prior to clicking 'submit' in the petition application portal. For any inquiries or concerns about the petitions process, or the new online portal please contact lapspet@yorku.ca.
Types of petitions and downloadable petition forms can be found below. Remember, petitions are subject to deadlines, so it is important not to delay the process. Once you have completed your section of the form, please submit it promptly.
Please note that it may take some time to update your application and to act on your request, but we are working to resolve all petitions and appeals as quickly as possible.
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NOTE: The information on this page applies only to undergraduate students pursuing a degree/certificate in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.
What is a Petition?
A petition is an online written request for the waiver of a Faculty's regulation or deadline. Students have the right to petition on reasonable grounds for special consideration. The Faculty's Petitions Committee will review the petition request and make a decision on a case by case basis.
What is an Appeal?
An appeal is a written request for the alteration of the decision taken on a petition and will be considered by a different panel on the Committee on Student Academic Petitions and Appeals. Appeals will be permitted only on the grounds of:
- new evidence, or
- evidence of procedural irregularity in the committee's consideration of the case. For petition procedures, review procedures of the Committee on Student Academic Petitions (PDF).
Every appeal must be accompanied by an Appeal Form (PDF). The appeal form, your personal appeal letter, and your supporting documentation, must be submitted as an email attachment sent to lapspet@yorku.ca. As with your petition, the subject heading of your email must include your full name, your student number, and the petition application number, and the attached documentation must be in Adobe (.pdf) format.
Types of Petition & Their Requirements
Please see the types of petition options below. It is important to read the detailed information for the petition you wish to submit as incomplete requests will be cancelled.
Forms you may be required to submit
Program Contact Information
| Department | |
|---|---|
| ADMS | apsas@yorku.ca |
| ANTH | yorkanth@yorku.ca |
| COMN | comnupa@yorku.ca |
| DES | mgriffin@yorku.ca |
| DLLL | stel751@yorku.ca |
| ECON | lapsecon@yorku.ca |
| EN | lapsengl@yorku.ca |
| FR | ymasso@yorku.ca |
| GEOG | anner@yorku.ca |
| GWST/SXST | cirvin@yorku.ca |
| HIST | lapshist@yorku.ca |
| HRM | lapsshrm@yorku.ca |
| HUMA | lapshuma@yorku.ca |
| ITEC | elau@yorku.ca |
| NATS | llancia@yorku.ca |
| PHIL | vherzog@yorku.ca |
| POLS | lchiu@yorku.ca |
| SOCI | zuzanach@yorku.ca |
| SOSC | alone@yorku.ca |
| SOWK | lapssowk@yorku.ca |
| WRIT | lapswrit@yorku.ca |
Petition Deadlines
It is important that the petition be submitted immediately following the development of the circumstances that have prompted the petition.
Deadline for Deferred Standing
Senate legislation states that "Normally requests for deferred standing must be communicated within one week following a missed examination of the last day to submit course work. The period during which the University is officially closed for December holidays is not counted in the determination of deadline days."
For circumstances arising after the withdrawal deadline, you would normally be expected to arrange deferred standing (more time to complete the outstanding final assignment or final exam). Even if you petition for late withdrawal, the committee may decide that your circumstances warrant deferred standing. Since you would then be subject to the deferred standing application deadline, it is important that you always petition immediately following the development of your circumstances.
Deferred standing petitions must be submitted no later than two weeks (14 calendar days) after the date of a missed exam, or due date of term work (tests, essays, and other written work due or scheduled during the term of study).
Deadline for Extension of Deferred Standing
Senate legislation states that "Normally requests for deferred standing must be communicated within one week following a missed examination of the last day to submit course work. The period during which the University is officially closed for December holidays is not counted in the determination of deadline days."
For circumstances arising after the withdrawal deadline, you would normally be expected to arrange deferred standing (more time to complete the outstanding final assignment or final exam). Even if you petition for late withdrawal, the committee may decide that your circumstances warrant deferred standing. Since you would then be subject to the deferred standing application deadline, it is important that you always petition immediately following the development of your circumstances.
Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies legislation states "that petitions for an extension of deferred standing will not be accepted more than 1 week (7 calendar days) after the date of the missed deferred exam, or the deadline for completion of the deferred term work without evidence of circumstances which account for the delay."
The Drop Deadline is Important
It is the final day to use the enrolment system to drop a course. If you do not want a final grade in a course, then you must use the enrolment system to drop the course on or before the withdrawal deadline date. You are responsible for the accuracy of your enrolment record, and for the accuracy of any adjustments you make to your record. You should review your courses after every transaction (add, drop, or section change). It is important that you do not remain enrolled beyond the withdrawal deadline in any course for which you are not prepared to receive a final grade.
Graded Feedback
Senate legislation states that by the withdrawal deadline course directors normally must provide graded feedback of 15% of the overall grade for fall, winter or summer term courses, and 30% for "full year" courses. However, there are exceptions, including some upper level courses and courses which run on a compressed schedule. For a full explanation of York's graded feedback policy, please see "Grading Scheme and Feedback Policy". Failure of the course director to provide the class with graded feedback prior to the drop deadline is grounds for late withdrawal ONLY IF you petition immediately after the required feedback was made available to the class.
Extenuating Circumstances
You may have circumstances that you believe justify waiving the drop deadline. You should be aware, however, that you are expected to assess your academic progress in each of your courses, and the impact that your personal, family, medical, financial, or employment circumstances are having on each course, before the withdrawal deadline. If you could have assessed the need to drop a course before the withdrawal deadline, then you must explain why you did not.
Visit Petitions and Grade Reappraisals for further information on deadlines.
How do I submit a petition?
The Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies uses an online application system.
While submitting your online petition application, you will be prompted to upload all supporting documents (Course Performance Summary, Attending Physician’s Statement, academic plans, death certificate, etc.) prior to submitting your request. You will receive an email confirming the documents that were included with your application.
Can I check the status of my petition?
If you have submitted a petitions request, please log into the petitions portal for regular status updates. If you are having difficulties, please email lapspet@yorku.ca for further support.
Additional Information
Notification of the Results of your Petition
The petition decision letter is sent as an attachment to the York email address indicated on the Petition Application.
Under normal circumstances petitions can take from 4 to 8 weeks, and sometimes longer, depending on whether or not the petition initially is complete, or is awaiting supporting documentation; the time needed to aquire additional information or clarification; as well as the type of petition submitted, and the time of year when the petition was submitted. Very high volume typically results in extended wait times for petitions submitted April to October.
If your petition is denied, information regarding appeal procedures will be included in the decision letter.
Notification of the Results of your Appeal
The appeal decision letter is sent as an attachment to the email address indicated on the original Petition Application.
If your appeal is denied, information regarding the procedures to request leave to appeal to the Senate Appeals Committee will be included in the decision letter.
Petition Confidentiality
At the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, the petitions process is confidential. Information and documentation submitted in relation to a petition is restricted to office staff and Committee members involved in the decision-making process.
Petitions and appeals are considered anonymously. Where a petition includes allegations about the actions or advice of an employee or office of the University, the employee or a representative of the office in question may be given a copy of the petition letter and an opportunity to respond to the allegations. In such cases, the student is presumed to have waived the right to confidentiality (and anonymity) as concerns those individuals.
Students may request, by appointment, to review the information in their file.
Guidelines (PDF) for the Consideration of Petitions/Appeals by Faculty Committees can be found on the Senate Appeals Committee Website.
