DATE:
December 11, 2014
PARTIES:
Mr. F.Z. (the Student) v. the University of Toronto
Hearing Date(s):
October 30, 2014
Committee Members:
Ms. Sara Faherty, Chair
Ms. Caitlin Campisi
Professor William Gough
Secretary:
Ms. Sinead Cutt, Office of Appeals, Discipline and Faculty Grievances
Appearances:
For the Student Appellant:
Mr. F.Z., the Appellant (“the Student”)
Mr. Patrick Hartford, Downtown Legal Services
For the Faculty of Arts and Science:
Professor Anne-Marie Brousseau, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs, Faculty of Arts and Science
Professor Adrienne Hood, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs, Victoria College, History
Dr. Helen Slade, Student Life Coordinator, Student Retention Services at University of Toronto
Ms. Cheryl Shook, Registrar, Woodsworth College
Request for a second deferral of an examination. The Student was more than 30 minutes late for his deferred exam. The Student appealed to the Academic Appeals Board (AAB), citing five separate reasons for his lateness (his need to eat between his two exams, his right to contest an adverse decision made by an invigilator at his morning exam, extremely inclement weather, and public transportation timing). The AAB accepted the Student’s explanation for his lateness, but concluded that the Student’s decision not to seek any immediate remedy was unreasonable and denied the appeal.
The Student then appealed to the Academic Appeals Committee. The Committee noted that the Student had a long history of petitions and problems in the Faculty. The Committee noted the onus on the Student to behave responsibly and with good judgment. The Committee stated that the most reasonable step for the Student to have taken would have been to go to the Registrar’s office once he realized that he was late for the examination; however, given the missing instructions addressing what steps students should take if more than fifteen minutes late for an exam from the Academic Calendar, that was not the only reasonable step the Student could have taken (especially given the general rules for petitions for examinations, which set the deadline for petitions as being within one week of the end of the examination period). The Committee concluded that strictly following the written policy as it appeared in the Calendar, the Student should be permitted to sit for his exam. Appeal allowed.