Types of Appeals

There are several types of academic appeals the Graduate Student Appeals Committee (GSAC) can adjudicate. 

The Graduate Academic Calendar states there are three reasons to submit an appeal:

• On the grounds that regulations have not been properly or fairly applied.
• A student is asking for relief from faculty or university rules (an exception) because of extenuating circumstances.
• A student is asking for a grade reassessment.

If, after reviewing the information provided below, you require assistance with your petition, or clarification on language in the Graduate Academic Calendar as may be related to an academic appeal, contact fgps@wlu.ca. This service is available to all students who file a petition; however, the need for assistance will vary depending on the circumstances. This should be done well in advance of submitting your petition to your program/instructor(s) for comments and signatures.

Minor Cases

Appeals are considered minor when the petition is granted on the basis of a precedent. The associate dean of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (or chair of GSAC, if not the same) will consider minor cases without calling a full committee meeting.

Any appeal (including one that, based on established precedent, may be considered minor) that is not supported by your advisor/instructor and graduate officer will automatically be brought to the committee for a full discussion.

Notwithstanding any of the above, the associate dean of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (or chair of GSAC, if not the same) may bring any case to the committee for discussion (even where established precedents exist).

Types of Appeals

When completing the appeal form, question one asks the student to identify the type of appeal being presented. The types of appeal to select include:

• Progress issues
• Inactive status (also known as Leave of Absence)
• Changing historical academic records
• Course grade appeals

Deadlines for Types of Appeals

If you wish to appeal an academic decision, you must do so within six weeks of the date of receiving the decision.

Changes to registration status (full-/part-time, requests for leaves of absence) must be submitted six weeks prior to the start of the applicable term.

From the Calendar

Normally, students wishing to seek any kind of extension to program timelines must submit their request at least two months prior to the date when the work is due. This deadline may be waived in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Chair of the GSAC. This would include degree or milestone time limits and coursework extensions.

Timeline

Appeals submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies will be heard within six weeks of the filing of the appeal.