Academic Policies

The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work is a member of the School of Graduate Studies; all policies, dates, and deadlines will meet School of Graduate Studies requirements.

Students register for courses online through ACORN.

Grading Policies
Absence Due to Illness
Late Assignments
Failed Courses
Disputed Papers & Examinations
Temporary Leave from the Faculty
Withdrawal from the Faculty

Grading Policies

The University Grading Practices Policy is available through the School of Graduate Studies. It defines the grade scale as follows:

*FZ = Fail

Written assignments will be graded on their clarity, comprehensiveness, originality, appropriate use of reference materials and technical adequacy. Papers are expected to be of sufficient quality as to represent your growing professionalism and competence. All written work must be typewritten and in APA reference format.

Note:

• Failure to attend classes, complete assignments, or sit for examinations does not constitute official withdrawal.
• Leaving without completing the official SGS Program Change Form for withdrawal from the program leads to forfeiture of your right to any refund of fees.
• INC (permanent incomplete) or WDR (withdrawal), if there are medical documentation, is entered for all courses not completed. Withdrawal after the first of March will be regarded as failing the year unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Back to Top

Absence Due to Illness

Please notify your instructor if illness will interfere with your class attendance.

If illness is likely to interfere with your meeting a due date for an assignment or other requirements, you should have your physician or health care provider complete a Verification of Student Illness or Injury Form http://www.illnessverification.utoronto.ca/index.php at the time of your illness and submit it to the instructor. You must inform the instructor of the illness on or before the deadline date.

Back to Top

Late Assignments

Always consult your course outline regarding grading and extension policies during the course.

Steps to Take to Request Consideration for an Extension of an Assignment Deadline

1. Contact your instructor as soon as possible before the examination or assignment due date.
2. If the extension is within an Academic Semester, fill out the Online Coursework Extension form after discussing the extension with your instructor.
3. If the extension is beyond an Academic Semester, download the Course Extension Form from the SGS website. Your instructor must complete and sign Section 2 of the form. Section 3 of the form must be completed by the Associate Dean/Graduate Coordinator.
4. Provide a completed Verification of Student Illness and Injury form or Accessibility Services Letter of Academic Accommodations to your instructor.

Section 1 of the Verification of Student Illness or Injury form is to be completed by you. Section 2 is to be completed by the licensed practitioner. Students registered with Accessibility Services are not required to complete the Verification of Student Illness and Injury form.

Registered with Accessibility Services?

Students registered with Accessibility Services may request an extension of up to 7 days (one week) by providing the appropriate Letter of Accommodation to their instructor, along with the Course Extension Form from the SGS website in advance of the due date.

An email template on how to request an extension accommodation, along with instructions on how to request an extension beyond 7 days (one week) are available online: https://studentlife.utoronto.ca/as/requesting-extension

A step-by-step guide to coursework extensions is available here.

Not registered with Accessibility Services?

Students who are not registered with Accessibility Services must attach a Verification of Student Illness or Injury form to the extension form if the extension requested is because of illness or injury. Documentation to support this request is required.

4. If the extension date requested goes beyond the date that grades are submitted by the instructor for the term, rationale must be clearly stated in the Course Extension Form and may be reported to the Grade Assessment Committee by the Associate Dean, Academic. If a student has submitted multiple extension requests during their graduate education, an educational review may be initiated.

Steps for Instructors: Student Requests for an Extension of an Assignment Deadline

1. Students have the responsibility to contact their instructors to request a course extension as soon as possible before the examination or assignment due date.
2. Students have the responsibility to download the Course Extension Form from the SGS website. Students should provide that form along with a completed Verification of Student Illness and Injury form or Accessibility Services Letter of Academic Accommodations to their instructor.
3. Instructors must complete Section 2 of the Extension to Complete Coursework form if in support of the extension.
4. Submit the form to the Associate Dean/Graduate Coordinator’s office for approval and completion in Section 3. The Associate Dean has the responsibility to determine whether the reasons and timeline for an extension to complete coursework are legitimate, which can be academic in nature (e.g., unexpected problems of research in a course) or non-academic, (e.g., illness) in order to ensure fairness in the granting of extensions to complete coursework (or the continuation of a previous extension).

Extension Approval Criteria

The graduate unit must be reasonably certain that:

1. the reasons for the delay are both serious and substantiated;
2. the student would not be granted an unfair academic advantage over fellow students in the course;
3. the student has a reasonable chance of completing outstanding requirements within the time to be allotted;
4. the student would not be jeopardizing the normal and satisfactory completion of new coursework.

The graduate unit, in consultation with the student, may determine that new coursework should not be undertaken until the outstanding coursework is completed.

FAQ: Extension Requests

1. The authority to grant a first extension to complete coursework, which is not to exceed one session beyond the original SGS deadline to report grades, lies with the graduate unit in which the course was offered, not with the instructor.
2. The student and instructor must indicate the rationale for needing an extension and specify the extension period. The extension period is not to run beyond the SGS deadline for completion of coursework and grade submission (a maximum period of roughly four months).
3. The student must complete the outstanding coursework by the negotiated extension deadline on the extension form. If the student has not submitted the outstanding coursework by the extension due date, then a final report of “FZ” (inadequate) will be assigned by the instructor for the course.
4. In some exceptional circumstances, a second extension to complete coursework may be considered. A new extension form must be submitted to the Associate Dean/Graduate Coordinator in which the course was offered and be reviewed by the Vice-Dean Students at SGS. A second extension to complete coursework must be accompanied with a letter of substantive rationale by the student and Associate Dean/Graduate Coordinator and with supporting documentation.

Back to Top

Failed Courses

When a student obtains a grade of FZ or NCR in a course, the student will need to either repeat the course or complete another course successfully to fulfill degree requirements. If the failed course is a required course it must be repeated or it can be replaced by a course with similar content if approved by the Associate Dean, Academic/Graduate Coordinator. If the failed course is an elective, it can be replaced by another elective course.

In the event that a student does not complete two or more required courses, or receives an FZ (inadequate) after repeating any course, normally steps will be taken by the Faculty to recommend the termination of the student’s registration.

Disputed Papers and Examinations

See section on Academic Appeals.

Examinations

A student who has failed an examination may be provided with a photocopy of the answer paper in order to review the examination within two weeks of notification of the grade. (Since University regulations require departments to retain all examination papers for one year, they may not be returned to examinees. A nominal charge will be made for locating and photocopying an examination paper upon the student’s request to the Faculty’s General Office).
Procedures Covering Illness or Other Absences from the Practicum

(See also Temporary Leave from the Faculty)

If you are unable to be in your practicum setting on a practicum day, you must notify your Field Instructor immediately. If unable to reach the Field Instructor, you should notify your Faculty Field Liaison directly or leave a message in the Practicum Office and request assistance. See Practicum Manual for requirements to make up missed time.

Educational Review

For more information click here.

Back to Top

Temporary Leave from the Faculty

For exceptional health problems or serious personal circumstances, and for parental leave to provide full time care in the first year of parenting a new child, a student may apply for a pause in his/her studies of up to three consecutive terms (fall, winter and summer). To apply for a leave download the School of Graduate Studies Leave of Absence form. Normally the start and finish of the leave would coincide with the beginning or end of the session.

Withdrawal from the Faculty

If you decide to withdraw from the program, the procedure is as follows:

1. Complete a School of Graduate Studies Program Withdrawal Form available from the SGS web site.
2. Rebate of fees, if any, is determined by the date on which your withdrawal form is received at the SGS. Charges for fees are pro-rated from the beginning of the academic year to the effective date of withdrawal on the basis of a twenty-week program. Your full academic fee will be refunded if you withdraw during the first two weeks of the program. Incidental fees are not refundable after December 31st.
3. The Program Withdrawal Form is signed by the Associate Dean, Academic/Graduate Coordinator and is sent to the School of Graduate Studies for final approval. Fees are refunded based on the date that the School of Graduate Studies receives the Program Withdrawal form, for processing.

Back to Top