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Academic Petitions

Petition Information and Package

An academic petition is a formal request by a student for the waiver of a Faculty regulation or deadline.

Students have the right to petition with grounds for special consideration. However, submitting an academic petition is not always the best solution to an academic problem. Be sure to connect with an Academic Advisor in the Faculty of Health to review your options to remediate your situation.

Please watch the video and review the information below for further guidance.

The presentation which will guide you through the process of submitting a petition.

HH Petitions Informational Video Transcript (PDF)

Types of Petitions and Their Requirements

Please read the information below regarding the type of petition you plan to submit. Please remember that incomplete petition packages will not be reviewed by a Petitions Committee. Incomplete petitions missing required documents will be cancelled and students will be notified via email to resubmit the complete petition package. Petitions must be submitted online, so prepare to scan and upload all your petition documents when making your submission.

What is Late Withdrawal?

A petition for late withdrawal is a request to drop a course after the official drop deadlines.

It's important to note that if a student chooses the "W" option for a course before the withdrawal deadline using the Registration and Enrollment Module, they will not be permitted to file an academic petition to drop the course.

Required Documentation

  • petition letter that explains the exceptional situation you encountered that affected your studies and prevented you from dropping or withdrawing from the course by the term’s deadlines.
    • The petition letter must be entered directly in the form and can be a maximum of 1500 words. Letters prepared in another program can be copied/cut and in the form.
  • Recommended: Supporting Documentation (i.e. Attending Physician Statement, Counsellor Statement, etc.) or other documentation to support the request.

Potential Committee Decisions

Petitions Committees can choose to:
a) refuse the petition
b) grant a withdrawal (W) on the transcript, or
c) grant a full drop of the course from the transcript.

For further information on the “Withdrawn from Courses” policy, please visit: Academic Forgiveness Policies, Senate

Late Withdrawal Petition Letter - Writing Resources:

Submission Deadlines

Petitions pertaining to the late withdrawal of specific courses must be submitted within 30 days from the last day of classes. Petitions may be considered for up to 1 year if there are extenuating circumstances to explain the lateness.

If your petition is late, please be sure to explain the reasons for the lateness, preferably with supporting evidence for the Petitions Committee to consider waiving the submission deadline.