Petitions & Appeals

Petitions

Petitioning is a process by which a student, with compelling and well documented reasons, requests exemption from some academic rule or regulation of the Faculty. Petitioning is an exceptional process rather than a normal one. Students are expected to abide by the rules and regulations of the Faculty and it is only under extremely compelling circumstances that a student should petition.

Petitions are considered by a panel that typically consists of two or three professors and often one student. They decide, based on the evidence presented, information from other involved parties, and the student’s academic record, whether to grant or deny the petition.

Petitions are required to be submitted in a timely fashion. Different types of petitions have different deadlines. In general, if a student does not petition by the required deadline but still wishes to do so, the first step of the petition is to request, with strong and well documented reasons, that the deadline be waived.

A decision of the Petitions panel may be appealed to the Appeals Committee based on new evidence or procedural irregularity.

Please review the Petition Information Sheet below for the type of petition you plan to submit.

Please note:

Incomplete petition packages will not be reviewed by the Petitions Committee.
If a petition is missing required documents, it will be cancelled, and you will be notified by email to resubmit a complete package.
You may submit more than one petition in a single submission (for example: requesting a waiver of the required one-year withdrawal and requesting to drop course(s) past the published deadline as a Late Withdrawal).

Please review the Petition Information Sheet below to confirm the required documents for your petition.

Please note:
Petitions submitted on medical grounds must include an Attending Physician Statement (APS) form.
A regular doctor’s note is not acceptable. The APS must include the physician’s stamp or licence number, as well as their signature. Forms missing any of these requirements will not be considered.

Please note:
The petition letter for all petition types must be entered directly into the form and can be a maximum of 1,000 words. Letters prepared in another program may be copied and pasted into the form.

Petitions must be submitted online. Please ensure all required documents are scanned and ready to upload when you begin your submission.

Please note:

Incomplete petition packages will not be reviewed by a Petitions Committee.
If a petition is incomplete, it will be cancelled, and you will receive an email instructing you to resubmit a complete petition package.
If you experience any issues submitting your petition online or uploading your required or supporting documents, please contact scipettc@yorku.ca or your assigned advisor for assistance.

Please note that petitions may take several weeks to review. To help ensure timely processing, we ask that students wait until the full 12–14 week timeframe has passed before emailing to inquire about their petition status. If you have not received a decision after this timeframe, you may contact scipettc@yorku.ca for an update.

Reminder:
Decision letters are sent by email.

Note:
If you are using an external email address (such as Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo), the petition decision email may be delivered to your spam or trash folder.

Please ensure your contact information is up to date by visiting

You will be notified of your petition decision by email.

The decision letter will be sent to the email address you provided in the Petition Portal (MachForm) or the email that is currently on record with �첥��Ƶ.

Please ensure that your contact information is correct and up to date by visiting Current Students – Personal Information.

Note:
If you are using an external email address (such as Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo), the petition decision email may be delivered to your spam or trash folder.

❓ What is an Appeal❓

Students who disagree with the result of a petition, have new evidence to support their request that was not available at the time of the petition, or find evidence of bias, prejudice or procedural irregularity in the handling of a petition file may appeal the decision.

Section	Details
Required Documents	An appeal letter explaining the new grounds and/or evidence you are addressing to support your request. It is recommended to address why this new information or evidence was not included in the original petition. Strongly recommended: new supporting evidence that was not available at the time of the petition Recommended: Supporting Documentation (i.e. , , etc.) or other documentation to support the request.
How Do I Appeal a Petition Decision?	The decision letter from the Petitions Committee will contain information about making an appeal. Generally, you must submit a personal letter describing the reasons for your appeal, and any supporting documentation, and you must do so within the specified deadline. Appeals packages are submitted to scappeal@yorku.ca.
Important Notes	The Petition Committee adjudicating the appeal package will also have access to the original petition package. Students who are appealing do not need to resubmit the original petition in the appeal package. Appeals are reviewed by a different panel of members than the panel that adjudicated the original petition

Section

Details

Required Documents

An appeal letter explaining the new grounds and/or evidence you are addressing to support your request. It is recommended to address why this new information or evidence was not included in the original petition.

Strongly recommended: new supporting evidence that was not available at the time of the petition

Recommended: Supporting Documentation (i.e. , , etc.) or other documentation to support the request.

How Do I Appeal a Petition Decision?

The decision letter from the Petitions Committee will contain information about making an appeal. Generally, you must submit a personal letter describing the reasons for your appeal, and any supporting documentation, and you must do so within the specified deadline.

Appeals packages are submitted to scappeal@yorku.ca.

Important Notes

The Petition Committee adjudicating the appeal package will also have access to the original petition package. Students who are appealing do not need to resubmit the original petition in the appeal package. Appeals are reviewed by a different panel of members than the panel that adjudicated the original petition

Petition decisions may take 12–14 weeks during peak periods (May–September) or during times of high backlog.
During non‑peak periods, petitions may take up to 8 weeks from the date a complete petition package is submitted.

Petitions are currently experiencing a backlog, and processing is taking approximately 12–14 weeks.
If the full timeframe has passed and you have not received a decision, you may email scipettc@yorku.ca for a status update.

You will be notified of your petition decision by email. The decision letter will be sent to the email address you provided in the Petition Portal (MachForm) or the email that is currently on record with �첥��Ƶ.

Please be sure that your contact information is correct and up-to-date by visiting

Note: external email addresses (such as Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.) may receive the petition decision email in a spam or trash folder.

Congratulations on your granted petition or appeal.

Please allow up to 15 business days from the date of the decision letter for the Registrar’s Office to update your academic record with the approved changes.

The petition decision letter is emailed to the York account indicated on your petition application.

Timeframes vary depending on several factors, including:

whether your petition package was complete upon submission;
whether supporting documents were required;
the need for clarification or additional information;
the type of petition submitted; and
the time of year (April–October is typically a high‑volume period).

Due to ongoing backlog, petitions are currently taking 12–14 weeks to be processed.

If your petition is denied, the decision letter will include information about the appeal process.

If you request to appear before the Appeals Committee, you will be notified of the time, date, and location of the meeting.

Appeal decisions typically take 6–8 weeks from the date the appeal package is submitted. Once a decision is made, a decision letter will be emailed to you.

Yes, you would submit a " Dropping a course past the drop date" petition.
Potential Committee Decisions

Refuse the petition
Grant a withdrawal (W) on the transcript,
Grant a full drop, which removes the course entirely from the transcript

Within 14 days of missed exam or term work deadline.

In general, if a student does not petition by the required deadline but still wishes to do so, the first step of the petition is to request, with strong and well documented reasons, that the deadline be waived.

Within 7 days of missed deferred exam or deferred work deadline.

It is the final day to use the 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:

ensuring the accuracy of your enrolment record
verifying all changes after each add/drop/section change
making sure you do not remain enrolled in a course past the withdrawal deadline if you are not prepared to receive a final grade

Supporting documentation is recommended for all petitions.

If your personal letter references a “documentable” event, include supporting documentation. Petitions can be denied due to lack of documentation. For example, a death in the family is recommended to have a death certificate to support the request.
Visit your academic advisor to discuss how to improve your petitions package. You may book an appointment with your academic advisor.

Visit your academic advisor and explain your situation. They will be able to guide you on the type of petition that you need to submit. You may book an appointment with your academic advisor.

Petitions are submitted directly to the Faculty of Science using the portal. Find more details under this link: /science/academic-advising/petitions-appeals/

All petitions packages require a statement of grounds to explain your extenuating circumstances and why you need this petition. Then, you may choose to include additional documentation to support your statement of grounds. Depending on the petition type, certain documentation will be mandatory, and that information is listed below on the Petition Information Sheet

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.

An appeal is a written request for the alteration of the decision made 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,
evidence of procedural irregularity in the committee's consideration of the case. For petition procedures, procedures of the Committee on Student Academic Petitions (PDF), or
denial of natural justice.

Instructions are included in each denied decision letter explaining how to appeal and what to include. A new link is generated and available in the decision letter which students should use to appeal their decision.

Section 1 must be completed by you. Once finished, you must send the form to the course instructor or department for each course you are petitioning. They are required to complete Section 2.

Section 1 must be completed by you. Once finished, you must send the form to the course instructor or department for each course you are petitioning. They are required to complete Section 2.

Students who missed their final exam or the deadline to submit a final assignment will need to meet with their Course Director to request a deferred standing to complete the final exam or submit the assignment at a later date.

If the Course Director is unable to approve a deferred standing, you may submit an academic petition requesting deferred standing.

Students who were granted a deferred standing to complete a final exam or submit a final assignment, but missed the set deadline, may petition for an extension of deferred standing.

Yes. You may include all courses in the same petition package.
If you are petitioning courses from different academic sessions, we recommend organizing your petition letter so that each session is addressed in its own paragraph or section. Using headings can help keep your letter clear and well organized.

You may petition to request Pass/Fail grading for elective courses only.
You may not request Pass/Fail for courses that are mandatory for your degree.

You may petition to drop any course on your transcript as long as:

you do not have an Academic Honesty charge in that course, and
you have not already withdrawn yourself from the course.
If the course already shows a W because you withdrew, you are not eligible to petition to fully remove the course from your transcript.

All students must petition to their home faculty, even if the course is offered by another faculty. To learn how to submit a petition to your home faculty, please visit .

Please follow up with the professor directly first.
If you do not receive a response, you may contact the academic department that offers the course. Department contact information is available at:

If your petition requires a Course Performance Summary (CPS) form, departments can assist with completing it. Department contact information can be found at:

For additional questions pertaining to academic petitions, please contact the Faculty of Science Petitions Officer at scipettc@yorku.ca

For general inquiries regarding your academic program or record, you may contact the Office of Student and Academic Services by email at sciquest@yorku.ca

You may also find your Assigned Advisor here: /science/academic-advising/

At the Faculty of Science, 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.

(PDF) for the Consideration of Petitions/Appeals by Faculty Committees can be found on the Senate Appeals Committee Website.

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.

For additional questions pertaining to academic petitions, please contact the Faculty of Science Petitions Officer at scipettc@yorku.ca

For general inquiries regarding your academic program or record, you may contact the Office of Student and Academic Services by email at sciquest@yorku.ca

You may also find your Assigned Advisor here: /science/academic-advising/

Type of Petition

Deferred Work & Course Overload

❓ What is Deferred Standing / Extension of Deferred Standing❓

Students are expected to complete course work by the scheduled deadlines. If you are unable to meet course requirements, you are expected to drop the affected course(s) by the withdrawal deadline.

If you need to write an exam at a later date or submit outstanding term work after the deadline, you should first attempt to arrange a Deferred Standing Agreement (DSA) directly with your instructor.

If your request is denied or you do not receive a response from the instructor within a reasonable timeframe, you may submit a formal academic petition for deferred standing.

Similarly, if you have already been granted deferred standing, you may petition for an Extension of Deferred Standing if additional time is needed due to new or ongoing extenuating circumstances.

Please note that there is no provision for re‑writing a final exam.

Section	Details
When to Apply	If extenuating circumstances after the withdrawal deadline prevent you from completing coursework or final exams: Step 1: Contact your instructor to request a Deferred Standing Agreement (DSA). Step 2: If your request is denied, or you do not receive a response in a reasonable timeframe, submit a formal petition through the online portal.
Deadlines	Deferred Standing: Submit within 14 days of the missed final exam or term work deadline. Extension of Deferred Standing: Submit within 7 days of the missed deferred exam or deferred work deadline.
Required Documents	1. Petition Letter explaining: the exceptional situation you experienced during the final exam date or assignment deadline, and the strategies you will use to successfully complete the work if granted an extension. The petition letter must be entered directly into the form (maximum 1000 words). You may copy/paste text prepared in another program. 2. Copy of Denied (one per course). If your instructor did not respond within a reasonable timeframe, the DSA form is not required. However, you should clearly explain your attempts to contact the instructor in your petition letter. Recommended: Supporting Documentation (i.e. , , etc.) or other documentation to support the request.
Submission Method	Online Petition
Important Notes	There is no provision to re‑write a final exam. The Petitions Committee assumes you continue working on outstanding course work while waiting for a decision. If granted, deadlines will reflect this assumption. Consider reducing your current course load if needed to prioritize deferred work.
APS example:

❓ What is Course Overload❓

You may request a course overload if you wish to take more than 15 credits in a summer session or more than 33 credits in a fall/winter session.

Section	Details
Required Documents	1. Petition Letter explaining: the exceptional reasons you are requesting a course overload, and the strategies you will use to manage the increased course load if the petition is granted. The petition letter must be entered directly into the form (maximum 1000 words). You may copy/paste text prepared in another program. 2. Sample Timetable: Build your timetable using the Include the course(s) you are already enrolled in. Include the course(s) you wish to add if the course overload is granted.
Submission Method	Online Petition
Timetable Example:

Section

Details

Required Documents

1. Petition Letter explaining:

the exceptional reasons you are requesting a course overload, and
the strategies you will use to manage the increased course load if the petition is granted.

The petition letter must be entered directly into the form (maximum 1000 words). You may copy/paste text prepared in another program.

2. Sample Timetable:

Build your timetable using the
Include the course(s) you are already enrolled in.
Include the course(s) you wish to add if the course overload is granted.

Submission Method

Online Petition

Timetable Example:

A sample timetable with potential course load.

Waiver of University Deadline

❓ What is Drop course(s) past the published deadline (Late Withdrawal)❓

A petition for Drop Course(s) Past the Published Deadline (Late Withdrawal) is a request to drop a course after the official withdrawal deadlines have passed.

Students who choose the “W” (withdrawal) option in the Registration and Enrollment Module before the withdrawal deadline cannot submit an academic petition to drop that course. Once a “W” has been selected, the course is considered formally withdrawn, and no petition is permitted.

Section	Details
Required Documents	1. Petition Letter explaining: • the exceptional circumstances that affected your studies, and • why you were unable to drop or withdraw from the course before the published deadlines. The petition letter must be entered directly into the form (maximum 1000 words). You may copy/paste text prepared in another program. 2. — one per course — signed by the course instructor. Recommended: Supporting documentation (e.g., , , or other documentation that supports your request).
Submission Method	Online Petition
Important Notes	Potential Committee Decisions: The Petitions Committee may refuse the petition; or Grant a withdrawal (W) on the transcript: or Grant a full drop, in which the course is fully removed from the transcript.
CPS example
APS Example

❓ What is Adding a course past the last date to add❓

Students who have missed the last day to add a course—even with permission from the course instructor—may submit a petition to request late enrolment.

Section	Details
Required Documents	1. Petition Letter explaining: the exceptional circumstances that prevented you from adding the course by the required deadline, and any strategies you will use to manage your studies if the petition is granted. The petition letter must be entered directly into the form (maximum 1000 words). You may copy/paste text prepared in another program. 2. — requires signatures from the Course Director and the Department. Recommended: Supporting documentation (e.g., , , or other documentation that supports your request).
Submission Method	Online Petition
Important Notes	Potential Committee Decisions: Granted: You may add the course after the enrolment deadline; or Refused: The petition is not approved.

Section

Details

Required Documents

1. Petition Letter explaining:

the exceptional circumstances that prevented you from adding the course by the required deadline, and
any strategies you will use to manage your studies if the petition is granted.

The petition letter must be entered directly into the form (maximum 1000 words). You may copy/paste text prepared in another program.

2. — requires signatures from the Course Director and the Department.

Recommended: Supporting documentation (e.g., , , or other documentation that supports your request).

Submission Method

Online Petition

Important Notes

Potential Committee Decisions:

Granted: You may add the course after the enrolment deadline; or
Refused: The petition is not approved.

Academic Standing

❓ What is Waive a required 1-year withdrawal❓

Students who have been required to withdraw from their studies for 12 months at the end of an academic session may submit a petition to waive the required withdrawal. If granted, the student may continue their studies on Debarment Warning without the 12‑month interruption.

Section	Details
Required Documents	1. Petition Letter outlining: the exceptional circumstances that affected your academic performance; how the situation has been resolved or is in the process of being resolved; why you did not drop the affected courses by the withdrawal deadline or petition for deferred standing at the time; and the resources and strategies you will use to support your academic progress and meet the conditions of Debarment Warning. The petition letter must be entered directly in the form (maximum 1000 words). You may copy/paste text prepared in another program. Recommended: Supporting documentation (e.g., , , or other documentation that supports your request).
Submission Method	Online Petition
Important Notes	Potential Committee Decisions: Granted: You may return to your studies on Debarment Warning; or Refused: The required 1‑year withdrawal stands. Note: Students are encouraged to submit both a Drop Course(s) Past the Published Deadline (Late Withdrawal) petition and a Waive a Required 1‑Year Withdrawal petition in one submission, if applicable. Each petition type has different required documents. Please review the Late Withdrawal page for full details.
APS Example

❓ What is Waive a required 2-year debarment❓

Students who have been debarred for 2 years at the end of an academic session may petition to waive the debarment. If granted, the student may continue their studies on Probation, without leaving �첥��Ƶ for two years or re‑applying for admission.

Section	Details
Required Documents	1. Petition Letter outlining: the exceptional circumstances that affected your academic performance; how the situation has been resolved or is in the process of being resolved; why you did not drop the affected courses before the withdrawal deadline or petition for deferred standing; and the resources and strategies you will use to support your academic progress and meet the conditions of Probation. The petition letter must be entered directly into the form (maximum 1000 words). You may copy/paste text prepared in another program. Recommended: Supporting documentation (e.g., , , or other documentation that supports your request).
Submission Method	Online Petition
Important Notes	Potential Committee Decisions: Granted: You may return to your studies on First Probation; or Refused: The required 2‑year debarment remains in effect. Note: Students are encouraged to submit both a Drop Course(s) Past the Published Deadline (Late Withdrawal) petition and a Waive a Required 1‑Year Withdrawal petition in a single submission, if relevant to their situation. Each petition type has different required documents. Please review the Late Withdrawal page for full details.
APS Example

Degree Requirements

❓ What is Degree requirement(s) waived or altered❓

In exceptional circumstances, students may petition to have a degree requirement waived or altered. Examples of degree requirements include:

Upper‑level credit requirements
General Education requirements
Elective requirements
Residency requirements

Section	Details
Required Documents	1. Petition Letter explaining: the exceptional circumstances that affected your academic progress; how the situation has been resolved or is in the process of being resolved; why you were unable to meet the degree requirement under usual timelines or processes; and the resources and strategies you will use to support your continued academic progress. The petition letter must be entered directly into the form (maximum 1000 words). You may copy/paste text prepared in another program. Recommended: Supporting documentation (e.g., , , or other documentation that supports your request).
Submission Method	Online Petition
Important Notes	Potential Committee Decisions: Granted: The degree requirement may be waived or altered; or Refused: The requirement remains in place.
APS Example

❓ What is Repeat a course for degree credit❓

When a course is repeated, the previous attempt is excluded from both the grade point average (GPA) and credit count. The earlier attempt remains on the transcript with an “NCR” (No Credit Retained) notation beside the grade.

Students who wish to have a previous attempt included in their GPA and credit count, or who wish to alter the usual Course Repeat Policy, may submit a petition requesting an exception to the legislation.

Section	Details
Required Documents	1. Petition Letter explaining: the exceptional reasons why the should be waived or altered; why you did not pass the previous attempts and how you attempted to follow the ; or why you are requesting that previous attempts (currently listed as NCR) be included in your GPA and credit count; why the Committee should grant an exception to the legislation.
Submission Method	Online Petition
Important Notes	Potential Committee Decisions Petitions Committees can choose to: Granted, your degree requirement will be waived or altered.Refused.

Section

Details

Required Documents

1. Petition Letter explaining:

the exceptional reasons why the should be waived or altered;
why you did not pass the previous attempts and how you attempted to follow the ; or
why you are requesting that previous attempts (currently listed as NCR) be included in your GPA and credit count;
why the Committee should grant an exception to the legislation.

Submission Method

Online Petition

Important Notes

Potential Committee Decisions Petitions Committees can choose to: Granted, your degree requirement will be waived or altered.Refused.

Due to extenuating circumstances, you wish to continue in a 120-credit honours program despite not having met the required average(s) needed to continue past the 90 earned credits check point.

Section	Details
Required Documents	1. Petition Letter outlining: your intended program (degree type and major); an academic plan that addresses: remaining courses needed to complete the program (use the Degree Progress Report), the grades you must achieve to remain in Honours (use the York GPA Calculator), the resources and strategies you will use to achieve the required grades and support your academic progress; the exceptional circumstances that affected your studies and how the situation has been resolved or is being resolved. The petition letter must be entered directly into the form (maximum 1000 words). You may copy/paste text prepared in another program. Recommended: Supporting documentation (e.g., , , or other documentation that supports your request).
Submission Method	Online Petition
Important Notes	Potential Committee Decisions: Granted: You may continue in your Honours program. A waiver of Honours Standing allows you the opportunity to attempt to earn the required standing. Refused: You must follow the standard academic progression rules.
APS Example

Students may petition to take additional credits in order to raise their cumulative GPA to meet graduation requirements.

A petition is required for:

Bachelor degree students who have already taken the maximum number of credits allowed and whose GPA is below 4.00 (C).
Honours degree students who have earned 120 or more credits and whose GPA has fallen below 5.00 (C+).

Section	Details
Required Documents	1. Petition Letter outlining: your intended program (degree type and major); an academic plan that identifies: remaining courses needed to complete the program (use your Degree Progress Report), the grades required to reach the necessary GPA for graduation (use the York GPA Calculator), the resources and strategies you will use to achieve these grades and support your academic progress; the exceptional circumstance(s) that affected your academic performance and how the situation has been resolved or is in the process of being resolved. The petition letter must be entered directly into the form (maximum 1000 words). You may copy/paste text prepared in another program. Recommended: Supporting documentation (e.g., , , or other documentation that supports your request).
Submission Method	Online Petition
Important Notes	Potential Committee Decisions: Granted: You may be permitted to take additional credits. Note that approval simply provides an opportunity to work toward the required standing, and the Committee may grant a limited number of credits; or Refused: You must follow the standard program and graduation rules.
APS Example