Activity Report 2021-2023

ACTIVITY REPORT OF THE SENATE APPEALS COMMITTEE TO THE SENATE
September 2, 2021 to August 31, 2023

Introduction

The following report of the Senate Appeals Committee (the “Committee”) is presented to the Senate pursuant to the Committee’s terms of reference.

Mandate

In accordance with its mandate, the Committee makes a final decision on the following matters:

•    Any appeal submitted by a student concerning the application of regulations governing admissions, promotions and degree requirement and any other academic regulations of the University;

•    Any recommendation of disciplinary sanction, or appeal of a disciplinary sanction, in accordance with relevant Senate regulations;

•    Any other appeal referred to the Committee by the Senate or its Executive Committee.

In practice, the bulk of the Committee’s work is concerned with student-initiated appeals regarding the application of academic regulations, including Academic Regulation A-4:  Academic Integrity and Academic Misconduct. A much smaller proportion of the Committee’s work is faculty-initiated and involves the imposition of sanctions that are under the Committee’s exclusive jurisdiction.

The Committee occasionally recommends to the Senate any amendments it deems appropriate with respect to the regulations and policies it is responsible for applying.

 
Membership

At the end of the reporting period, the committee now consists of ten members: seven full-time regular professors, two undergraduate students, and one graduate student. The terms of reference of the Committee were revised in June 2023 to add two members: one full-time regular professor and one undergraduate student.  

Members are appointed by the Executive Committee of the Senate, which also designates a chair and vice-chair from among the members of the Committee. Terms are for a three-year period and are renewable.

During the reporting period, the following individuals were Committee members:

Five members constitute a quorum for purposes of Committee meetings. The Chair (or in their absence, the Vice-Chair) does not vote, other than to break a tie vote. The Secretary-General of the University, or their representative, performs the duties of the secretary of the Committee. The Secretary-General of the University does not vote but is allowed to take part in the Committee’s deliberations. Secretariat services are provided by the Office of the Secretary-General.

 
ACTIVITIES – 2021 – 2022

The following section summarizes the volume of cases submitted to the Committee during the 2021-2022 academic year.

The Committee met a total of 15 times between September 1, 2021, and August 31, 2022, and dealt with a total of 57 cases.

Of those, 51 were student-initiated appeals, 3 were requests for extensions of the 10-day deadline for filing their appeals, and 3 were Faculty-initiated recommendations of sanctions for fraud.

In the later category, the Committee confirmed the sanctions recommended by the academic unit in question in 2 of the 3 cases. In 1 case, the Committee imposed a sanction that was less severe than that recommended by the academic unit concerned.

With respect to the 51 student-initiated appeals received by the Committee:

•    The student’s appeal was granted in whole or in part in 16 cases (31.4 %); and
•    The student’s appeal was dismissed in 35 cases (68.6 %).
    
In addition, 34 appeals were filed and then withdrawn by the students concerned before being reviewed by the Committee.

 
ACTIVITIES – 2022-2023

The following section summarizes the volume of cases submitted to the Committee during the 2022-2023 academic year.

The Committee met a total of 19 times between September 1, 2022, and August 31, 2023, and dealt with a total of 56 cases.

Of those, 52 were student-initiated appeals, 4 were requests for extensions of the 10-day deadline for filing their appeals, and there were no Faculty-initiated recommendations of sanctions for fraud.

With respect to the 56 student-initiated appeals received by the Committee:

•    The student’s appeal was granted in whole or in part in 14 cases (25 %); and
•    The student’s appeal was dismissed in 42 cases (75 %).

In addition, 7 appeals were filed and then withdrawn by the students concerned before being reviewed by the Committee. 
 
Outcome of student-initiated appeals

The following table presents the outcome of the student-initiated appeals that were handled by the Committee over the past six years.
 

Appeals withdrawn

Reasons for withdrawing appeals varied. Students may request that their appeal be withdrawn because their Faculty has agreed to settle the appeal directly rather than through the Committee. In some instances, the student did not appeal to the correct body. In other cases, the students availed themselves of their right to withdraw their appeal at any time in the process.

 
Cases by academic unit of origin

The following table illustrates the number of cases by academic unit over the past five years. This data includes Faculty-recommended sanctions for fraud and requests for extensions of the 10-day deadline for filing an appeal.
 

 
Cases by type

The following table lists the types of cases submitted to the Committee over the past six years.

 

Requests for extensions

Pursuant to the Committee’s procedural rules, a student who wishes to appeal a Faculty decision must file their appeal, along with supporting arguments and documentation, within 10 (ten) working days of receipt of the Faculty decision.

Students who failed to abide by the 10-day deadline for filing their appeal with the Committee are required to submit a request for an extension outlining their reasons for their late submission, along with their appeal letter and supporting documents.

The following table illustrates the number of 10-day deadline extension requests that were received over the past six years.

 

 
PROCESSING TIMES

Student-initiated appeals

Upon receipt of an appeal, the academic unit concerned is required to file its comments on the appeal, along with any supporting documentation, within 15 working days. The student is then required to submit a final written response, and any other information, in reply to the academic unit’s submission within 15 working days. The appeal is then added to the Committee’s agenda and will be heard either at its next meeting or, since students have the right to appear in person before the Committee, at the next Committee meeting when the student is able to attend.

The following table illustrates the average processing times, in working days, for student-initiated appeals. 

 

• The Committee postponed its activities from March 16 to April 24, 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, average processing times increased. The Committee has been meeting online via the MS Teams and Zoom platforms since April 24, 2020.

 
OBSERVATIONS AND REMARKS

•    In September 2022, the Committee made the decision to hold meetings in a hybrid manner, offering students the option to attend the meeting virtually or in-person. Committee members can attend the meetings in the manner in which they choose.

•    The Committee has noticed a significant increase in students citing mental health challenges as reason for the need to submit an appeal to the Senate Appeals Committee.

•    The Committee has had several students who have mentioned that they did not know where to seek help in receiving accommodations or academic support. The committee wishes to emphasize the importance of communicating this information and kindly remind academic colleagues that it can be added to course syllabuses.

•    During the past year, the Committee discussed its obligation to justify and motivate its decisions, especially when those decisions significantly impact a student’s course of study. The Committee adjusted its decisions and their communication to ensure compliance with this obligation. The Committee would like to remind that the reasons for the decision are included in the committee’s decision, which is transmitted to the student via email shortly after the meeting,  and in the minutes. The minutes of the meeting are available and accessible to the student upon approval by the Committee members

•    The Committee has raised concerns regarding the wording and implementation of Academic Regulation A-8.6 concerning justifications for absence during an exam, specifically focusing on the limitation of one deferred exam per course. The Committee believes that enforcing this limit, in several instances, contradicts our accommodation obligations. This Regulation should be reviewed.

•    The Committee has noticed an increase in requests for retroactive withdrawals for a term or specific courses, once courses and evaluations have been completed. A retroactive withdrawal is an exceptional measure that is not governed by academic regulations. Considering the rise in requests for various reasons, the University should provide clear guidelines, specifying the purpose, scope, and limitations of such requests.

•    In May 2023, after quorum issues resulted in the cancellation of several meetings, the committee composition was adjusted by adding two members to the committee: one undergraduate student and one professor. This brings the total number of committee members to 10. The quorum stayed at 5.

•    The Committee has observed that some students, when switching from full-time to part-time studies, have ended up with considerable debts. The Committee suggests that mechanisms should be in place to ensure that students understand the implications when changing their student status.

•    The Committee has had several international students who have found themselves in the position of not being able to withdraw from courses due to the consequence of losing their student status. The Committee wishes to emphasize the importance of international students being encouraged to connect with international student advisers whenever they are making a decision effecting their student status.