Appeals

An academic appeal is governed under the Student Appeals Policy. This includes:

• the assignment of grades on substantive grounds*
• the assignment of grades on procedural grounds**
• decisions on the evaluation and assessment of transfer credits
• the assignment of penalties resulting from decisions made under the Student Academic Misconduct Policy

*Grounds for appeal that are completely academic in nature (e.g. the grade was assigned based on other evaluation standards than those published for the course.)

**Grounds for an appeal based on university policies and procedures

Step 1: review university policy and timelines

Before submitting your appeal, please review the Student Appeals Policy to ensure your request falls under appeal requirements and timelines.

Step 2: follow procedure

Follow the procedures outlined in the Student Academic Appeals Procedures policy.

A non-academic appeal is a request for an exception to the application of institutional policies and procedures which do not directly impact the assignment of a grade. This includes:

• late extensions
• additional extensions above what policy allows
• 3rd or more registrations into a course
• additional exam attempts over what is allowed by policy

Appeals of this nature are considered due to exceptional circumstances that have prevented a student from contributing academically. This appeal process does not apply to policies and procedures in which a decision of a University Officer is expressed as the final decision or where no express provision is made in the policy or procedure in question for appeal of the decision.

Step 1: review university policy and timelines

Before submitting your appeal, review the University's policies and ensure that appeal falls under the appeal requirements and timelines.

Step 2: acquire supporting documentation

All non-academic appeals require some form of documentation to support your request for an exception to policy. It is the student's responsibility to provide support for their claim. This documentation must:

• be relevant to the circumstance
• include a timeline of events
• be concurrent with the circumstances
• indicate an inability to fulfill academic obligations
• indication of time lost to your studies
• indication of approximately when you can return to studies

If your supporting documentation is not provided in English or French, it must be accompanied by an official translation. This translation must be completed by an accredited translation service.

Submitting documentation does not guarantee approval of your request. Documentation is reviewed carefully by the University Officer and is strictly confidential. Should you need to appeal again, documentation must be re-submitted.

Step 3: submit your appeal

Complete and submit the online appeals form. To complete the form, you must include:

• your student information
• type of appeal
• your reason for appeal with a brief explanation
• your supporting documentation

Step 4: review your email for the decision

Review your email regularly for the decision provided by the University Officer. Ensure you whitelist athabascau.ca email addresses so important emails do not end up in your junk folder. The University Officer may provide timelines for their decision. Missing the timeline may result in you negating the decision.

All decisions by the University Officer are final.

An extenuating circumstance is out of the student's control and impedes their ability to contribute academically. Examples include:

• personal illness
• family illness
• bereavement within the immediate family
• accident
• natural disaster
• error on the part of the university
• deployment

Circumstances that are under the control of the student are not appealable. Examples of grounds that do not meet the criteria for exceptions to Athabasca University policy include:

• missed deadlines
• poor academic planning (e.g. misinterpretation of course requirements, accidental registration, registration while awaiting transfer credit assessment results, self-registering while awaiting full-time funding, change of program or courses, etc.)
• outside work or personal commitments
• moving
• financial grounds
• having a chronic medical condition
  • Students who experience ongoing health-related barriers are encouraged to register with our Accessibility Services department prior to course registration to receive the appropriate support and accommodations. Students are also advised to assess their health prior to registration and within the first 30-day withdrawal period.
  • For further information, please review below

For details, please review step two: acquire supporting documentation.

Examples of acceptable documentation include:

• personal illness
  • medical documentation
    • must include the professional’s signature, clinic stamp and/or clinic letterhead
    • must be provided by the treating medical professional at the time of circumstance
• family illness
  • medical documentation
  • documentation indicating relationship with the individual (i.e., primary caregiver)
• bereavement within the immediate family
  • death certificate
  • obituary
  • funeral card
• accident
  • police accident report
  • insurance claim
  • injury report
• natural disaster*
  • insurance claim
  • injury report
• error on the part of the university
  • emails, contact history or other documentation demonstrating the university’s error

*Documentation may not be required in all circumstances (i.e., if a disaster is commonly known and the location of the student can be confirmed)

For an appeal to be considered, we do not need specific information (e.g., medical condition). The appeals officer requires documentation supporting your appeal's grounds and confirming the timelines indicated in your request. For example, a medical note from your treating professional indicates you have been unable to contribute academically due to medical reasons, the severity of symptoms, and the timeline is sufficient.

When reviewing an appeal, the appeals officer will review all relevant information to determine the validity of the request, whether it meets the grounds for an exception to policy, and the best option available for the student. This may not be what has been requested. Things considered include but are not limited to:

• circumstance
• documentation
• timing of the appeal
• contact history with the university
• input from academic experts
• input from Accessibility Services
• course login history
• academic progress
• any extensions or withdrawals applied to the course
• funding
• previous exceptions received in the course
• previous course attempts

Academic progress is measured by the amount of coursework submitted. Generally, this is one factor used to determine whether an exceptional extension should be provided. To determine what is a reasonable amount of work to complete, the appeals officer reviews the course's suggested study schedule.

Alternatively, academic progress may also be used to determine whether a student can be withdrawn due to their circumstance. If all coursework is deemed completed (i.e., all assignments) and/or the final examination written, the course is considered complete, and the student cannot be withdrawn.

For students who receive funding, this also means they are required to complete the academic requirements of their program of study to be eligible for financial assistance. In addition to unsatisfactory grades, these situations - incomplete courses, course extensions, withdrawals, multiple program switches, multiple repeats of a program or taking multiple programs - may be considered insufficient academic progress. For further information, please review their academic progress requirements for funding.

Timelines vary based on the type of appeal and the circumstances presented. Academic appeals follow a strict timeline that must be followed. For more information, review Section 3.0, Time Limits in the Student Appeals Policy.

Each case is reviewed on a case-by-case basis, but generally, students will have 2 weeks from the decision or action that they are appealing.

Below are timelines for how long a student has to appeal a university policy or decision. These timelines do not apply to every situation, and students are expected to appeal as soon as they are able. Appeals received after these dates may not be considered.

**Under the most exceptional of circumstances, appeals will be considered for up to 2 years maximum. Substantial documentation must support the circumstance and timeline**

Appeals are reliant on a variety of factors, such as caseload, the type of appeal, and whether other departments are contacted. Generally, appeals take 2 to 3 weeks for a response. Please take this into account when submitting your request.

Appeals are considered from the date they are fully submitted and not the date of review. However, please keep in mind that delays outside the control of AU (e.g. delays in submitting documentation) may impact the options available.

Yes. Documented circumstances concerning long-term conditions (more than 6 months) are accepted. However, please be aware that the presence of a long-term condition may not support a requested exception to policy and does not guarantee approval. Your appeal will still require documentation indicating previously unknown exceptional circumstances (e.g., an increase in symptoms) have impacted your studies or ability to complete necessary actions (e.g., purchase extension, withdraw registration).

Symptoms or circumstances experienced prior to registration are not generally considered. Before registration, students who experience barriers to their learning due to ongoing health-related impacts are encouraged to complete the following to ensure they are prepared and set up for academic success:

1. Assess their health prior to registration and within the first 30-day withdrawal period
2. Register with Accessibility Services for ongoing support and accommodations

Accessibility Services is equipped to assist students experiencing barriers to their learning due to ongoing conditions and illness, whether permanent, temporary, or chronic. They can provide students with exam accommodations, course accommodations, and ongoing support.

The appeals officer may also request you register with Accessibility Services during or after the review of your appeal. The appeals officer can provide short-term solutions for students. If students require ongoing support during their time with Athabasca University, they must register with Accessibility Services.

All decisions on appeals are final. However, if you have additional information or documentation to support your request, you may provide them to the University Officer.

Following an appeal, if you still believe that AU practices, policies and procedures have been incorrectly administered, you are encouraged to proceed with contacting the Athabasca University Ombuds Office. The ombuds office operates in an advisory capacity. They can re-review your appeal and make recommendations to the university officer should they see fit. However, they are not a replacement for the university's procedures and cannot overturn the final decision of the university officer.

You may also wish to review Athabasca University’s Escalation Pathways and our Student Advocacy groups.

Should you need assistance understanding Athabasca Universities Policies and Procedures, we recommend you contact the Ombuds Office. They are equipped to listen to and understand your concerns, provide guidance, and help you to understand university policies.

Yes. You may submit an appeal to the appeals officer indicating how your circumstances have changed and how you plan on being successful. The appeals officer works in tandem with the course coordinators and Counselling Services to determine readiness while upholding academic standards. If the registration is approved and is then withdrawn, you will be required to submit a further appeal.

Please be aware that some programs, such as the nursing program, do not permit additional registrations. They will be contacted to verify whether they will make an exception before the appeal is moved forward.

If you have concerns about the content of the course, our first recommendation is that you work with your course tutor. Your next point of contact will be to contact the course coordinator with your concerns. After speaking with the course coordinator and you still have concerns, you may start an appeal. The appeals officer will then work with the associated tutor, coordinator, and faculty to investigate your concerns.

If you have concerns with your tutor, connect with your course coordinator. In the event the course coordinator is your course tutor, or you have previously approached them, you may reach out to Learning Services (tutserv@athabascau.ca) to assist you.

No. Approval of a grace period allowing the submission of assignments past the course end date is highly discouraged and comes with risks.

These include:

• If you do not meet the deadline and your instructor does not accept your late assignment, you will be unable to withdraw or extend the course.
• Exams must be requested and written before your course end date, or they will not be processed.

If you require additional course time, please request a course extension through the myAU portal before your contract end date.