Students are encouraged to become familiar with policies 70 (Student Petitions and Grievances) and 72 (Student Appeals). In these policies a Petition (Policy 70) is a request for relief from a properly applied decision as a result of a documented special circumstance. A Grievance (Policy 70) provides a process for a student who believes that a decision by a University authority, or action by a faculty member or a staff member of the University affecting some aspect of his/her University life, has been unfair or unreasonable. An Appeal (Policy 72) provides a potential path to appeal a decision made under policies, including grievances in Policy 70. A complete description of Grievances and Appeals can be found in the appropriate University policies. As petitions may be handled differently in each faculty the material below provides an explanation for the elements of petitions in the Faculty of Engineering that are not specified in policy.
Petitions apply in those instances where a student acknowledges that the rules and regulations of the University have been applied fairly but is requesting that an exception to the regulations be made because of special circumstances. A petition is launched by submitting a Petition for Exception to Academic Regulations form to the Assistant Registrar for Engineering (BAS, BASc, or BSE), Registrar's Office, University of Waterloo. Reasons for such requests for special treatment as well as supporting documentation, including medical certificates and similar documents, must be provided with the petition. If a successful petition would reverse an academic decision, the petition must be received prior to four weeks after the date of issue of the marks for the corresponding term in order to facilitate entry into the immediately following term if so desired by the student. Petitions which are launched later than six months after the end of the term for which the decision would be affected normally will not be considered.
All petitions are considered by the Faculty Examinations and Promotions Committee. This committee will also acquire and consider the recommendation made by the student's home department, and by the Department of Co-operative Education and Career Services if the petition concerns work term considerations, before making its decision. Students normally do not appear in person before the committee at the meeting at which the case will be considered; only if such an appearance will provide relevant information that cannot be communicated through the written petition and supporting documents, will such an appearance be granted. Requests for personal appearances will be considered by the Associate Dean of Engineering for Undergraduate Studies.
Since a Petition for Exception to Academic Regulations does not dispute an academic evaluation or application of the rules and regulations of the University, the decision of the Examinations and Promotions Committee with regard to petitions is final; there is no appeal of an unsuccessful petition. The Assistant Registrar for Engineering shall notify the student in writing of the outcome of the petition within two weeks of the Examinations and Promotions Committee meeting at which the petition was considered.