A petition is a formal request for an exception to the normal rules and regulations of the Faculty of Music. You make a request by completing this Petition Form. You must write a statement, clearly indicating your request, explaining the reasons that support it, and attaching any relevant documentation. Petitions pertaining to Arts & Science courses should also be submitted to the Faculty of Music. The statement of the reasons should be clear and concise and should be no more than two pages long typed or legibly hand-written. This, along with the supporting documentation, should be submitted to the Registrar’s Office for consideration by the Committee on Academic Standing. Note that the petition process is for exceptional circumstances beyond your control and not a means to salvage courses and your academic record, after the fact.

Supporting Documentation

Proper documentation is both a formal requirement for a petition and a necessary tool to ascertain the facts. Such documentation simply must accompany a petition request to justify the exception being made. The documentation also needs to be specific to the dates or period affected. In general, the stronger your supporting documentation, the stronger your case.

The most common form of documentation is a medical certificate. The Faculty of Music only accepts medical documentation on the U of T Medical Certificate; there are no exceptions to this. The Medical Certificate is available in the Registrar’s Office or on-line Medical Certificate. The Medical Certificate must indicate that the doctor diagnosed and treated you when you were ill. Notes reporting that you told the doctor after-the-fact that you were previously ill will not be accepted.

Depending on your unique situation, other documentation may be relevant. For example, a copy of the police report if you were in an accident; if someone died, a copy of the death certificate or a funeral notice; if your request involves travel, a copy of your ticket or itinerary. If you have been seeing a professional for help with your personal problems who isn’t a doctor, a letter on official letterhead is sufficient. It is not necessary that the UofT Medical Certificate be completed. However, in their note they should answer the questions, which appear on the medical certificate as that information is what the Faculty needs to decide your case.

The appropriate documentation should be submitted with the Petition Form.

Deadlines

Specific deadlines have been established for filing a petition and will not be waived under exceptional documented circumstances:

· Extensions on Term Work – Last day of the relevant exam period

· Examinations (including Performance based ones) – Within 5 working days from the end of the exam period; for  December exams, at the end of the first week of classes in January.

· Recitals – Within a week from your scheduled date.

· Late Withdrawal – Last day of the relevant exam period

Decision

You will receive a written response by mail within two weeks of the date of submission, as long as you submitted all the appropriate documentation. If the petition is granted, the situation is resolved. Note that the Committee on Academic Standing has the right to attach conditions to its decisions. If the petition is refused, you have the option of re-petitioning within 30 days. Petitions successful at the second stage are often ones that provide more detailed information, further explanations or new documentation that might give a different perspective on the initial request. Petitions denied twice by the Committee on Academic Standing can be appealed to the Academic Appeals Committee of the Faculty of Music.