Getting Help
Graduate Students
If you wish to pursue an academic matter, such as grades or your standing in the program, the first step is to consult the School of Graduate Studies Calendar and review the relevant sections under General Regulations and/or Degree Regulations (the former includes a step-by-step description of the process for academic appeals). If issues pertaining to the supervision of your thesis work are involved, you should also consult the SGS Guidelines on Graduate Student Supervision. Please note that the Vice-Dean Students at SGS encourages early consultation relating to appeals and can be contacted at sgs.vdeanstudents@utoronto.ca.
If you have been accused by an instructor of committing an academic offence, or want to know more about how the University deals with cheating, consult the website for Academic Integrity at the University of Toronto. It contains information on plagiarism and other academic offences, your rights and responsibilities, procedures that apply if you are suspected of having committed an academic offence, and links to the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters. As well, it provides a link to the Code of Student Conduct, which pertains to offences of a non-academic nature.
Bear in mind that the University expects students to be aware of the policies, procedures and deadlines that apply to their programs. If for any reason you remain uncertain about how to proceed, or if you wish to obtain advice before taking further steps, please contact us.
If you need legal advice, you may be able to obtain it from Downtown Legal Services. They are familiar with the University’s various appeal and tribunal processes.
Other items of potential interest:
- Seven Guidelines for Handling Conflicts Constructively
- Troubleshooting Tips
- Are You an Effective Complainer? Effective Complaining Quiz
- Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy
- Your Grades (re-writes, grade checks, extensions, exemptions, petitions and appeals for undergraduate and graduate students)