Review of Assigned Standing in a Course
A student’s assigned standing in a course is determined by a course instructor in accordance with the grading scheme indicated in the course syllabus, and may take the form of a final grade (e.g., 75%), or one of the other standings assigned by the University (e.g., pass/fail). See Grading Practices for more information about grades and other assigned standings.
A student who disagrees with their assigned standing is encouraged to first discuss the matter informally with the instructor(s) of the course, when possible. If necessary, the instructor may, at his or her discretion should he or she believe the original assigned standing was in error, change the standing by submitting a change to academic record form.
If the matter remains unresolved following the initial conversation with the instructor and the student believes that some or all of the material contributing to the assigned standing has been incorrectly evaluated, the student may apply for a Review of Assigned Standing.
Each applicant for a review must state clearly why he or she believes the course deserves a grade higher than it received; pleas on compassionate grounds should not form part of this statement. Prospective applicants should remember that under Senate regulations instructors must re-examine all failing grades and indicate in their records that this has been done.
A Review of Assigned Standing is undertaken by the academic unit responsible for teaching a course to determine whether a student’s performance in that course was correctly evaluated. The student’s assigned standing may be adjusted positively or negatively as a result of the review, or it may remain the same. The result of such a review is the final academic evaluation of a student’s performance in a course.
A Review of Assigned Standing is distinct from an Appeal on Academic Standing; the latter addresses procedural errors or irregularities as opposed to errors in assigning standings based upon academic judgment. For more information on an Appeal on Academic Standing, see the calendar entry.
An applicant who has been granted a supplemental examination should prepare for the examination because the result of the review may not be available before the end of the supplemental examination period.
In applying for a Review of Assigned Standing, a student must submit the material to be reviewed in its original marked form, or if the material was not returned to the student, provide sufficient information for the academic unit to identify the assignment. Components of an Assigned Standing that are intangible such as – but not limited to - live performances, live presentations, practicum assessments, or participation are not eligible for a Review of Assigned Standing, nor are graduate-level theses and doctoral dissertations.
Graduate Students
Supplemental examinations are not granted to students registered in a graduate program or to undergraduate students enrolled in a graduate course.
Application and Deadlines
The application form for Review of Assigned Standing is available here.
Applications must be received by Enrolment Services by the latest of the applicable dates shown below:
Three weeks after a grade is first available on Workday.
March 15 for Winter Session Term 1 courses;
July 15 for Winter Session Term 2 courses and two-term Winter Session courses;
October 15 for Summer Session Courses.
Where a deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or statutory holiday, applications will be accepted on the following business day.
Despite the deadlines above, in the event of an instructor or faculty being late in submitting grades to Workday an application will be accepted up to three (3) weeks after a grade is first available to the student on Workday.
Completed application forms must be accompanied by the application fee for each course, which will be refunded only if the assigned standing is raised.
Applications will not be accepted for courses still in progress. Provisions for resubmission of individual pieces of marked work for correction of marking errors or omissions, where applicable, as well as for viewing marked examinations retained by the University are addressed in the Calendar entry on Viewing Marked Work. A Review of Assigned Standing is a different process than a request for a deferred or supplemental examination.
Process for Academic Review and Communication of Results
The head of the academic unit responsible for teaching the course will select a faculty member as reviewer with sufficient expertise in the subject matter who did not participate in the original evaluation. Where no such person is available, the head shall arrange for a qualified external faculty member from another recognized institution to conduct the review. If the head participated in the original evaluation, then next-most senior academic administrator from the academic unit will select a reviewer.
The academic unit will submit to Enrolment Services the written results of the review within 45 calendar days from the receipt of the application by Enrolment Services, at which time the results will be made available to the student. If a student’s standing is increased as a result of the review, any fee charged to the student for conducting the review will be refunded.