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Academic Considerations and Accommodations

Academic Consideration Requests (ACRs)

If you've missed an exam, assignment, or any other graded work due to illness or extenuating personal circumstances, you may request academic consideration. Academic considerations should be submitted within 3 business days of the missed academic component and should be submitted online through the Academic Considerations Portal, available through the button above. ACRs should only be submitted for graded work. Please note that instructors are not obligated to grant academic consideration requests. 

ACRs must be submitted with appropiate documentation, unless you are using your One Time no Documentation option for the semester. Please see Documentation below. 

Policy 167, which governs Academic Considerations can also be found on the Senate website, and through the button above. 

What is an Extenuating Circumstance?

in accordance to Policy 167, an Extenuating Circumstance are occurrences that:

(a) Are outside of a student’s immediate control;

(b) Could not have been reasonably foreseen or avoided, and

(c) Significantly impact a student’s ability to fulfill their academic requirements.

Extenunating Circumstances are categorized into: 

  • Health
  • Compassionate 
  • Religious 
  • Other

Documentation varies from each Extenuating Circumstance. Please see below for information on appropiate documentation. 

Documentation

No Documentation ACRs

For requests that fall under Extenuating Circumstances, Students are allowed a once per term academic consideration request without supporting documentation if the absence is less than 3 days in duration and is not for a final exam or final assessment. For absences more than 3 days in duration and those that involve a final assessment or final exam, documentation is required.

All other ACRs outside of this option MUST be submitted with appropiate documentaiton in order to be considered for verification. 

ACRs with Documentation

ACRs must be submitted with appropiate documentation in order to be considered for verification. Don't know what documents to submit? Below is a chart on the appropiate documentation(s) required for different extenuating circumstances. 

Travel documents alone are insufficient to verify a request and must be accompanied by another form of documentation. Travel documents lack the context needed to explain why the travel is necessary. Leisure/work travel is NOT an extenuating circumstance and is not eligible for an Academic Consideration.

Extenuating Circumstance

Description

Documentation 

Health Physical and mental health issues that are either sudden or acute (unexpected illness or injury, hospitalization, or treatment, significant aggravation of a pre-existing condition, etc.).

Completed TMU Health Certificate

Signed letter by a medical professional on letterhead (accompanied with part A of TMU health certificate)

Compassionate Events, circumstances or emergencies that cause undue hardship, personal distress and/or trauma. (Ex. death or injury to a relative, victim or witness to a serious accident/crime, sudden loss of income, caregiver responsibilities, disruption to domestic arrangements, etc.)

Death Certificates 

Obituaries

 Travel Documents

Official Letters (therapists, counsellors, funeral homes)

Religious A student requests an accommodation due to a religious, aboriginal and/or spiritual observance. Accommodation of Reiligious, Aboriginal, and Spiritual Observances Form

Other

 

Include, but are not limited to: participation in a University-sanctioned event where the student is representing the university (i.e. varsity sports), participation in conferences or case competitions related to the student’s field of study, legal commitments (court), assigned/mandatory military service.

Proof of participation (ticket or invitation) 

Signed letter by commanding officer 

 Travel Documents

Court or Jury Letters

How to Submit an ACR

To submit an Academic Consideration: 

  1. Login to the Academic Considerations Portal using your TMU credentials. 
  2. You will be presented with the guidelines for academic considerations. Scroll down and check the box. click Proceed to Submit Request.
  3. Select the applicable extenuating circusmtance from the list provided. 
  4. Select the appropiate Academic Career (undergraduate) and Term.
  5. Select the date of onset of current condition, and whether if the expected return date is Known, Anticipated or Unknown. If known, please select the date from the calendar. 
  6. Check the course(s) you want this ACR to be applicable for. 
  7. Document Upload. Upload the applicable documents for your ACR. If you wish to use your One Time No Documentation option for the semester, you may select Yes here. 
  8. Click Submit Form. You should be redirected to a confirmation page, and a confirmation email should be sent to your TMU email. 

After successful submission, your ACR will then await processing by the PASS office. You and your instructor will receive a notification if your ACR was verified, or if any documentation is still needed. 

Academic Accommodations Support (AAS)

TMU AAS Lock up

 aasadmin@torontomu.ca |  416-979-5290

A part of Student Wellbeing, Academic Accommodation Support (AAS) supports students with disabilities AAS works with students to create and implement individualized academic accommodation plans so students can more fully participate in their studies.

AAS works with any student enrolled at Toronto Metropolitan University who requires academic accommodation, regardless of program or course load.

ACR or AAS - Which One Do I Need?

What is the difference between an academic consideration and academic accomodation? These are defined by separate university policies. Please review the flow chart below to learn which one is suitable for your cirucumstance(s). 

For any questions, you can always email trsmadvising@torontomu.ca