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Academic Resources and Policies
Resources
- ACRs are the method by which students at Lincoln Alexander formally request consideration for extenuating circumstances that affect their ability to complete academic obligations.
- Situations where students may consider submitting an ACR include but are not limited to:
- Getting sick and missing an exam
- Missing an in-person class component due to a transit delay or cancellation
- Family or personal emergencies that result in missed obligations
- ACRs for extenuating circumstances are governed by Senate Policy 167 and all requests must be compliant with this policy.
- Extenuating circumstances are defined in Policy 167 as occurrences that:
- are outside of a student’s immediate control;
- could not have been reasonably foreseen or avoided; and
- significantly impact a student’s ability to fulfill their academic requirements.
- ACRs for religious or spiritual observances are governed by Senate Policy 150.
- Each ACR submission will be reviewed by Law School staff members, and will be sent back to the student for revision if the request is not compliant with Policy 167 and/or Policy 150.
- Students may submit an ACR without documentation one time in a semester. This is not allowed when the missed obligation is a final exam or final assessment.
- Documentation (e.g. a doctor’s note) is required in the following circumstances:
- a request for academic consideration without documentation has already occurred in that academic term;
- the Academic Consideration involves a final examination or final assessment; or
- in cases of temporary absence that last more than three days.
- The decision as to whether to grant alternate arrangements, and what those arrangements will be, is at the discretion of the course instructor.
- Before submitting an ACR, contact the instructor to ensure that they are aware of the incoming submission and can prepare accordingly.
- To submit an ACR, please use the Academic Consideration portal.
- See the Senate Academic Consideration page for more information.
- Students may consult with the Program Administrator before submitting an ACR.
- Students who require accommodations due to temporary or permanent disabilities must register with the Academic Accommodations Support department (AAS).
- AAS works confidentially and directly with students and the Manager of Health & Wellness and Academic Success at Lincoln Alexander to create and implement individualized academic accommodation plans so that students can more fully participate in their studies.
- It is important to register with AAS by the relevant deadlines for each semester.
- AAS requires medical documentation in order to register.
- Students can contact AAS directly via email at aasadmin@torontomu.ca.
- AAS has published a helpful guide for those unsure of whether their specific situation necessitates registering with AAS or submitting an ACR (see above).
- The ETP is available to students who require extended time to complete their degree on health-related grounds, for reasons relating to accessibility, to meet family-care demands, and for other extenuating circumstances.
- Students in the ETP can take 3 courses per semester and can take up to 6 years to complete the JD degree program.
- Students must submit an application and have their submission approved by the Lincoln Alexander administration before taking part in ETP.
- For more information, please see the Extended Time Program page. If you have questions, please reach out to the Manager, Health & Wellness and Academic Success.
- In some circumstances, when personal challenges become extremely difficult and it is not possible to thrive in law school at the same time, a temporary Leave of Absence may be requested.
- This process would result in a temporary withdrawal from the Juris Doctor program, and an application for reinstatement upon return.
- The last day to withdraw from studies in a given semester is the same as the last day to drop courses with no academic penalty.
- To proceed with a request for a Leave of Absence, please reach out to the Manager, Health & Wellness and Academic Success.
- Students may request a grade reassessment or a grade recalculation if they have received a mark on a graded course component that they believe does not reflect the merits of their work or has been improperly calculated. Grade reassessments and grade recalculations are governed by Senate Policy 162.
- In cases where a student contests the grade based on the merit of their work, they would request a grade reassessment. In cases where a student believes an error or omission in arithmetic has led to an improperly calculated grade, they would request a grade recalculation.
- Students’ requests for a grade reassessment must be based on sufficient academic grounds and be supported by evidence and documentation (e.g. from the course outline, course notes, textbooks, assignment grade rubric). Merely asserting that the work deserves a higher grade, that the student disagrees with the grade or that the assignment was the result of a great deal of effort, is insufficient support for a grade reassessment.
- Students are encouraged to consult with the Program Administrator before submitting a request for grade reassessment or recalculation.
- Procedure
- Students should contact their instructor within ten (10) business days of receiving their grade, outlining their concerns with their mark. This contact can be verbal or written, but it is recommended that the student obtain written confirmation of anything discussed in person.
- If the instructor denies, or does not respond to the request for a grade reassessment within ten (10) business days, or if the student disagrees with the result, the student may submit a formal request for grade reassessment/recalculation to the Associate Dean, Academic.
- Students who have exhausted all avenues of the grade reassessment process and believe that a procedural error has occurred in which there has been a violation of Policy 162 or its procedures may submit a formal grade and/or standing appeal under Policy 168: Grade and Standing Appeals.
- After final grades have been published for a given semester, students can file a grade appeal if they believe that the final grade they have received is not accurate. Grade appeals are governed by Senate Policy 168.
- In these cases, the burden of proof is on the student to show that, on a balance of probabilities, it is more likely than not that the decision relating to final grade is incorrect.
- It is important to attempt to address issues informally with instructors as soon as these issues arise and before submitting an appeal, and to keep records of these attempts.
- Students may only appeal a final grade if one or more grounds for appeal exist as described in Policy 168. The four grounds for appeal are:
- Course Management: i.e. an instructor or supervisor has deviated significantly from the course outline or course management policies (see Policy 166), or the instructor has demonstrated personal bias or unfair treatment.
- Extenuating Circumstances: i.e. circumstances that are outside a student’s immediate control and could not have been reasonably foreseen or avoided have significantly impacted the student’s ability to fulfill their academic requirements
- Procedural Error: i.e. an error in the application of Policy 168 or any other policy at the University has had an adverse effect on the student’s performance
- Prejudice: the student’s final grade or standing has been impacted by prejudice based on a ground protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code (external link) .
- See the Senate Grade Appeals page for more information.
- Appeal requests must be submitted through the Senate Appeal Submission Portal.
- Students may consult with the Program Administrator before submitting a grade appeal.
- Students are encouraged to consult with the Toronto Metropolitan Student Union’s Academic Advocacy services (external link) for guidance on effectively submitting an appeal.
- Students have ten (10) business days from the date of receiving their official final grade to submit their 1st Level appeal.
- For Law students, a standing appeal is a request by a student to have their ‘Failed’ standing reviewed or changed based on the grounds for appeal and evidence supplied by the student. Standing appeals are governed by Senate Policy 168.
- A standing appeal is often the result of one or more grade issues and may be submitted with a corresponding grade appeal to address the grade that caused the change in standing. A successful grade appeal may render the standing appeal resolved.
- See the Senate Standing Appeals page for more information.
- Appeal requests must be submitted through the Senate Appeal Submission Portal.
- Students may consult with the Program Administrator before submitting a standing appeal.
- Students are encouraged to consult with the Toronto Metropolitan Student Union’s Academic Advocacy services (external link) for guidance on effectively submitting an appeal.
- Students have ten (10) business days from the date of receiving their official academic standing to submit their 1st Level appeal.
- In lecture courses, B is the average grade for all evaluated assignments and exams. It is recommended that no more than 20% of students are awarded grades A- or higher, and no more than 20% of students are awarded grades of C+ or lower.
- In seminar courses, B or B+ is the average grade for all evaluated assignments and exams.
- All intensives and designated upper-year electives are graded on a Pass/Fail basis.
- In order to maintain anonymity in the evaluation of student work, written tests and examinations, for which anonymous grading is feasible, shall be graded and recorded by the instructor on an anonymous basis.
- This policy is not to be interpreted or applied in a way that discourages the use of individualized assignments or the giving of individualized guidance to students in the preparation of essays or other assignments.
- For more information, see the (PDF file) Grading Procedures Document.
Policies
Senate Policy 170(c) establishes the minimum acceptable standard for academic performance at Lincoln Alexander Law. It details the various academic standings, the stipulations that lead to those standings, and the consequences and next steps of each. It also provides definitions and descriptions for course grades and other performance designations as well as graduation requirements, and lays out the framework for incomplete (INC) grades and supplemental examinations.
Senate Policy 167 governs Academic Consideration Requests (ACRs), and establishes the responsibilities of students, faculty, and staff in ensuring that these requests are addressed in a fair, consistent, and timely manner.
Senate Policy 168 sets out the framework, principles, regulations, and procedures governing all appeals of academic standing and final academic grades when all options for an informal resolution have been exhausted.
Senate Policy 162(a) affirms the right of students to request a reassessment of a graded course component if they believe their grade does not reflect the academic merit of their work, and outlines principles and regulations governing grade reassessment and grade recalculation procedures.
Senate Policy 150 outlines policies and procedures as they relate to Academic Consideration Requests for students who must miss academic obligations due to religious or spiritual observances.