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Rights and Responsibilities
The University of British Columbia Academic Policies and Regulations govern student conduct. Upon registering, a student has initiated a contract with the University and is bound by UBC’s Student Declaration and Responsibility.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend 100% of their scheduled class hours on time and to be prepared to engage and contribute as outlined in the course syllabi. If you have any difficulties with attendance, please discuss this with your instructor or an Academic Advisor as soon as possible. Find more information on specific class policies on attendance, consequences for missing class, and academic concessions in your course syllabi.
Signing up for events, workshops and appointments is a commitment to participate. Adequate notice should be given if you are no longer able to attend. Academic commitments should be prioritized and other non-academic commitments should be scheduled outside of class hours. Attendance and participation expectations for each activity are specified at the time of registration, with potential consequences including loss of access.
You will find the UBC policy on attendance & UBC Sauder Statement of Community Values below.
Late course registration
If you are able to add a course once classes have already started during the add/drop period, please note that it is your responsibility to catch up on any missed readings or course work.
Your instructor is not expected to re-teach the material you have missed.
You must complete all assigned readings and coursework to fully prepare to contribute to class discussions and engage in group work.
Absences and Academic Concessions
At UBC, we care about your wellbeing and are committed to supporting you in your academic pursuits. We recognize that sometimes unanticipated events or circumstances can affect your ability to complete your academic responsibilities.
An academic concession is a form of support that allows for deferment of marked work so that you can complete a course’s requirements. Academic concessions are granted if you meet certain eligibility criteria. In some circumstances, you may be asked to provide supporting documentation.
If you are experiencing circumstances that interfere with your academic work, your best source of guidance is an Academic Advisor at OSAS. Academic Advisors are familiar with the university’s policies and processes and are here to provide students with support and referrals.
Further information can be found under Academic Concession section.
Academic concessions
Academic concessions are intended to support unexpected or short-term situations. They are not designed to address general stress, busy schedules, or multiple deadlines. For support managing stress or academic pressure, UBC offers a range of wellness and academic resources available at students.ubc.ca/support.
Petitions for academic concession are reviewed according to UBC’s academic concession guidelines and policies.
If you have a chronic or long-term condition, we encourage you to contact the Centre for Accessibility or meet with an Academic Advisor at OSAS to explore appropriate accommodations and support.
Valid grounds for academic concession
Circumstances for which an academic concession may be requested would generally fall into one of the following categories:
Conflicting responsibilities
Conflicting responsibilities that create grounds for academic concession are circumstances beyond the student’s control and normally arise after they have registered in courses. Examples may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- selected to represent the University, British Columbia or Canada in a competition or performance and therefore absent from campus*
- attending meetings required as a member of a University governance body
- being called to serve in the military
- needing to work to support oneself or one’s family but only when the need changed after the student registered in the course
- a change in the need to provide care for a dependent or family member
- being required to attend a court session (i.e., as a witness, jury member, or party)
*You are expected to confirm your eligibility for concession as soon as you have been selected as a representative.
Please know that it is your responsibility to arrange your scheduled non-academic activities to the best of your ability in a manner that enables full attendance and participation in your courses and programs, including required practicum and internships.
Concession petitions on the basis of conflicting responsibilities must be submitted in advance of the expected absence. Conflicting responsibilities do not include travel or social plans that conflict with class or exam schedules unless the travel is related to another valid ground for academic concession.
Medical circumstances
Medical circumstances that create grounds for academic concession are normally unanticipated and include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Acute physical or mental illness or a medical circumstance that emerges or recurs during a term
- The emergence of, or a change in, a chronic physical or mental health condition
Compassionate grounds
Compassionate grounds for academic concession may arise in the immediate aftermath of an unanticipated event, or later. Examples include:
- a traumatic event experienced by the student, a family member, or a close friend
- an act of sexual assault or other sexual misconduct experienced by the student, a family member, or a close friend*
- a death in the family or of a close friend
When a student first seeks academic concession on compassionate grounds, a self-declaration will suffice. As traumatic events may show effects long after the occurrence of the event, a self-declaration may also suffice for the first incidence where re-traumatization arises. If a prolonged absence is anticipated on compassionate grounds, supporting documentation may be requested. Documentation can be provided by a professional or unit that can assess the effect of the event on the student.
If you are submitting a petition for academic concession based on compassionate grounds, an Academic Advisor will connect with you to set up a meeting to understand whether referrals to supportive resources would be helpful for you. You are also welcome to bring any questions you may have about your circumstances affecting attendance or coursework to the meeting.
*If the basis of the concession petition is related to sexual or gender-based violence, we encourage you to connect with UBC’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO). SVPRO’s role is to provide support in ways that create safety for, and trust with, each individual client. This includes helping with the academic concession process. Please know that when a person chooses to speak with SVPRO, they are not reporting to the University. SVPRO cannot receive reports or conduct investigations. Information shared with SVPRO is confidential and cannot be shared with anyone else without express permission.
Understanding academic concessions vs. academic accommodations
At UBC, there are two categories of academic accommodations: accommodations for students registered with the Centre for Accessibility, and religious accommodations for students who wish to participate in the practices of their own sincerely-held religious beliefs or for observances of cultural importance to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students.
Academic accommodations for students with disabilities or ongoing medical conditions
These accommodations, arranged through CFA, help students overcome barriers affecting academic success. CFA assesses eligibility and determines appropriate accommodations under UBC’s Disability Accommodation Policy (LR7).
If you are a registered CFA client and your condition supports grounds for academic concession, you may submit your petition to OSAS or CFA.
Academic accommodations for religious observances and for the cultural observances of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Students
UBC allows students to notify instructors in advance if class or exams fall on holy days or cultural observances, with opportunities to make up missed work without penalty.
No documentation is required, but students must provide notice as soon as possible and at least two weeks before the absence (Senate Policy J-136).
For more information, see the UBC Academic Accommodation for Students’ Religious and Cultural Observances page.
Applying for an academic concession
We ask that you review the process carefully. You may be asked for further details, documentation, or to meet with an advisor, so we ask that you check your emails regularly.
1. In-term Academic Concessions for Coursework
Eligibility
If you have missed, or will miss, coursework for which a grade is assigned, you may be eligible for an academic concession given the following:
- You have been attending classes regularly
- You have been completing and submitting coursework regularly
- Your petition request covers a short period of time
- Your petition request is based on a valid ground for academic concession
As a student, you must submit a petition for academic concession for all courses to the Office of Student Academic Services. You are expected to submit a petition for academic concession within 48 hours, or 2 business days, of the missed coursework or deadline.
Process
1. Refer to your course syllabus: While the academic concession policy is the same for every faculty across the university, each course (and each faculty) may process a concession differently. It is necessary for you to refer to your course syllabus—and if the petition applies to multiple courses, then to each one of the syllabi—to ensure that you understand how concessions are applied in that course and what that instructor’s expectations for you are. Your course syllabus should explain how concession will be applied (for example, as a deadline extension or an alternate exam) if your petition is approved. The course instructor determines how a concession is applied, not OSAS.
2. Inform your instructor: If your instructor or the course coordinator has indicated that you should connect with them regarding missed coursework or classes, then please be sure to do so as soon as possible. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the course syllabus at the start of the term so that you are familiar with course policies.
Please make sure to use the appropriate email address in your petition. Some large courses direct students to contact a course coordinator rather than the instructor. It’s a good idea to check the syllabus if you aren’t sure if this applies to your course.
*You should anticipate being asked to submit your assignment/coursework within a reasonable time of your circumstances being resolved–even if you haven’t yet heard back from OSAS or the instructor. *
3. Documentation: For first occurrences of an acute illness likely to be quickly resolved without seeing a health professional, supporting documentation is not required. Upon reviewing your petition, an Academic Advisor may reach out to you for further details or to provide you with information on supports.
For second or subsequent petitions resulting from acute illness, OSAS may require supporting documentation. An Academic Advisor will contact you to let you know if documentation is required. You do not need to submit documentation for medical concessions without being asked to do so by an Advisor.
Petitions based on conflicting responsibilities must be accompanied by supporting documentation. If the petition is based on compassionate grounds, you are not expected to submit documentation. Please submit the webform and an advisor will connect with you.
Students who are experiencing the emergence of a chronic condition may work directly with OSAS. In such cases, the student may be asked to provide documentation to ensure that underlying health issues are being monitored properly.
If the basis of the concession petition is related to sexual or gender-based violence, we encourage you to connect with UBC’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO). SVPRO’s role is to provide support in ways that create safety for, and trust with, each individual client. This includes helping with the academic concession process. Please know that when a person chooses to speak with SVPRO, they are not reporting to the University. SVPRO cannot receive reports or conduct investigations. Information shared with SVPRO is confidential and cannot be shared with anyone else without express permission.
2. Academic Concessions for Midterm Exams
Eligibility
If you have missed, or will miss, coursework for which a grade is assigned, you may be eligible for an academic concession given the following:
- You have been attending classes regularly
- You have been completing and submitting coursework regularly
- Your petition request covers a short period of time
- Your petition request is based on a valid ground for academic concession
As a student, you must submit a petition for academic concession for all courses to the Office of Student Academic Services. You are expected to submit a petition for academic concession within 48 hours, or 2 business days, of the missed coursework or deadline.
Process
Petitions for midterm exams must be submitted within 48 hours of the missed exam.
1. Refer to your course syllabus: While the academic concession policy is the same for every faculty across the university, each course (and each faculty) may process a concession differently. It is necessary for you to refer to your course syllabus—and if the petition applies to multiple courses, then to each one of the syllabi—to ensure that you understand how concessions are applied in that course and what that instructor’s expectations for you are.
Your course syllabus should explain how concession will be applied (for example, as a deadline extension or an alternate exam) if your petition is approved. The course instructor determines how a concession is applied, not OSAS.
2. Inform your instructor (or course coordinator): If your instructor or the course coordinator has indicated that you should connect with them regarding missed coursework or classes, then please be sure to do so as soon as possible. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the course syllabus at the start of the term so that you are familiar with course policies.
3. Documentation: For first occurrences of an acute illness likely to be quickly resolved without seeing a health professional, supporting documentation is not required. Upon reviewing your petition, an Academic Advisor may reach out to you for further details or to provide you with information on supports.
For second or subsequent petitions resulting from acute illness, OSAS may require supporting documentation. An Academic Advisor will contact you to let you know if documentation is required. You do not need to submit documentation for medical concessions without being asked to do so by an Advisor.
Petitions based on conflicting responsibilities must be accompanied by supporting documentation. If the petition is based on compassionate grounds, you are not expected to submit documentation. Please submit the webform and an advisor will connect with you.
Students who are experiencing the emergence of a chronic condition may work directly with OSAS. In such cases, the student may be asked to provide documentation to ensure that underlying health issues are being monitored properly.
Please make sure to use the appropriate email address in your petition. Some large courses direct students to contact a course coordinator rather than the instructor. It’s a good idea to check the syllabus if you aren’t sure if this applies to your course.
*You should anticipate being asked to submit your assignment/coursework within a reasonable time of your circumstances being resolved–even if you haven’t yet heard back from OSAS or the instructor. *
Exam Policy
If you sit your exam, you are no longer eligible to defer it or to submit a petition for academic concession for it.
Once you have started an exam, the grade stands. Academic concessions are not granted for exams that have been started and there are no additional opportunities that can be requested to increase a mark.
If, during the exam, you feel too unwell to continue, you should notify an Exam Invigilator of your situation before leaving the exam. You should also immediately visit your nearest emergency department (https://www.vch.ca/en/health-topics/emergency-care) to get the care that you need and obtain medical documentation. You can connect with OSAS regarding the situation, as all such extraordinary events are reviewed by OSAS. However, there is no guarantee that you will be granted the opportunity to re-write the exam. All such events are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, with the circumstances carefully weighed in the context of academic integrity.
If the basis of the concession petition is related to sexual or gender-based violence, we encourage you to connect with UBC’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO). SVPRO’s role is to provide support in ways that create safety for, and trust with, each individual client. This includes helping with the academic concession process. Please know that when a person chooses to speak with SVPRO, they are not reporting to the University. SVPRO cannot receive reports or conduct investigations. Information shared with SVPRO is confidential and cannot be shared with anyone else without express permission.
3. Academic Concessions for Final Exams/Final Assessments
Eligibility
Petitions for final exams can be submitted in advance of the final exam if you know you will have to miss the exam. Otherwise, petitions should be submitted as soon as possible and no later than 48 hours after the missed deadline.
Check the grounds listed above for what are considered valid bases for academic concessions (medical, compassionate or conflicting responsibilities). It is important that the circumstances affecting you fall within one of these categories. Not all situations are valid reasons to miss a final exam. If you are unsure, please connect with an Academic Advisor at OSAS as soon as you know you will be missing the exam.
To be eligible for end-of-term academic concessions:
- You must have attended classes regularly.
- You must have completed and submitted coursework regularly. Note that if any coursework has not been completed, then this is factored into consideration in the petition request. The scope and extent of the coursework must not be significant enough to compromise your ability to meet the course requirements.
- Your petition is based on a valid ground for academic concession.
- You must have submitted a completed petition for academic concession.
Petitions for final exams must include:
- A copy of the course syllabus
- A personal statement explaining your circumstances
Note on Supporting Documentation
For first occurrences of an acute illness likely to be quickly resolved without seeing a health professional, supporting documentation is not required. Upon reviewing your petition, an Academic Advisor may reach out to you for further details or to provide you with information on supports.
Petitions based on conflicting responsibilities must be accompanied by supporting documentation. If the petition is based on compassionate grounds, you are not expected to submit documentation. Please submit the webform and an advisor will connect with you.
For second or subsequent petitions resulting from acute illness, OSAS may require supporting documentation. An Academic Advisor will contact you to let you know if documentation is required. You do not need to submit documentation for medical concessions without being asked to do so.
Exam Policy
If you sit your exam, you are no longer eligible to defer it or to submit a petition for academic concession for it.
Once you have started an exam, the grade stands. Academic concessions are not granted for exams that have been started and there are no additional opportunities that can be requested to increase a mark.
If, during the exam, you feel too unwell to continue, you should notify an Exam Invigilator of your situation before leaving the exam. You should also immediately visit your nearest emergency department (https://www.vch.ca/en/health-topics/emergency-care) to get the care that you need and obtain medical documentation. You can connect with OSAS regarding the situation, as all such extraordinary events are reviewed by OSAS. However, there is no guarantee that you will be granted the opportunity to re-write the exam. All such events are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, with the circumstances carefully weighed in the context of academic integrity.
Deadlines
For end-of-term concession (deferred standing and late withdrawal), initiate your petition as early as possible and ideally within 48 hours of the missed deadline.
Petitions submitted after the deadlines listed below will not be considered:
- Winter Session, Term 1 — January 15
- Winter Session, Term 2 — May 15
- Summer Session (both terms) – September 15
Guidelines for Deferred Standing petitions
Personal Statement:
- What happened or what is happening that requires you to submit a petition?
- What is/was the duration and timing of your extenuating circumstances (i.e., dates/times impacted)?
- Did you seek help at the time? If not, why not? If so, what happened?
- Explain how you were doing in the course overall. Did you attend regularly and submit coursework regularly? Did you sit the midterm(s)?
- Do your circumstances require supporting documentation? Is the documentation dated at the time that the circumstances took place?
Considerations for deferred standing petitions
An impact on future plans: Keep in mind that a deferred exam will likely have an impact on future plans. The SD standing might mean that you are not satisfying a prerequisite, progression or continuation requirement, which could mean delaying your degree. Deferred Standings may well delay graduation.
You may not meet the prerequisite for a course, a specialization, progression or graduation until later than you expect. (see When do deferred exams take place, below)
Stress and deadlines: Deferrals are a measure provided by the university in good faith, meant to support you when you are facing serious illness or significant extenuating circumstances. Deferrals are not meant to manage your exam schedule. UBC has many resources available to students that help with academic skills, course planning, stress management or wellbeing. We encourage you to make use of these great supports available at https://students.ubc.ca/health/ and https://students.ubc.ca/enrolment/academic-learning-resources/.
At UBC, we care about your wellbeing and are committed to supporting you in your academic pursuits. If you face significant extenuating circumstances during repeated exam periods, an Academic Advisor will reach out to you to ensure that you have the types of supports you need to ensure a balance between your wellbeing and your academics.
We encourage students who have diagnoses for chronic conditions to work with CFA for academic accommodations, including for exams.
Other considerations
It is not possible to defer a deferred exam. If you become ill or experience other extenuating circumstances before your deferred exam, you will not have the option to defer it again. If you are unable to complete a deferred course due to extenuating circumstances, you may submit a petition for an academic concession. If the concession is supported, it will be in the form of a late withdrawal (with a W standing). Petitions submitted under these circumstances should be accompanied by supporting documentation. Please contact OSAS to meet with an Academic Advisor to discuss your situation soon as possible.
Timeline for End of Term petitions
An Academic Advisor will review your petition and may contact you for additional information or ask to set up a meeting with you.
- No change is made to your course standing until your course instructor confirms that you are in good academic standing. Your instructor must also confirm that it is possible to offer an appropriate concession given the nature or extent of the coursework that has been missed. This means that the SD standing (or in some cases, a W/ withdrawal standing) is pending confirmation from your instructor.
- Petition evaluations can take up to 20 business days, depending on the circumstances. If you know that you fulfilled your academic responsibilities as a student (you attended regularly, you submitted coursework regularly) and you have valid grounds for your petition then you should not be concerned about your petition being denied.
- If you have concerns about your eligibility for academic concessions, then please outline these concerns in your personal statement.
When do SD (deferred exams) take place?
Most SD exams from the Winter (September to April) session take place in July/August. Most SD exams from the Summer session take place in November.
Note that it is your responsibility to ensure that you have familiarized yourself with the anticipated date(s) for your exam(s) and that you are prepared to write the SD exam as scheduled. Information on exams which are exceptions to the SD exam period can be found here https://students.ubc.ca/enrolment/exams/standing-deferred-supplemental-exams
If the basis of the concession petition is related to sexual or gender-based violence, we encourage you to connect with UBC’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO). SVPRO’s role is to provide support in ways that create safety for, and trust with, each individual client. This includes helping with the academic concession process. Please know that when a person chooses to speak with SVPRO, they are not reporting to the University. SVPRO cannot receive reports or conduct investigations. Information shared with SVPRO is confidential and cannot be shared with anyone else without express permission.
Academic appeals
Should you believe an error has been made with regards to your final grade in a course, contact the instructor to arrange an appointment to review the marking criteria and to view your final exam. Instructors will make every reasonable effort to meet with you within 30 days of your request. Should you have difficulty getting in touch with the instructor please contact the DAP office for assistance. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of this review, you may submit a formal request for a Review of Assigned Standing.
Your contact information
It is your responsibility to maintain up-to-date contact information with DAP and UBC so you can receive important information pertinent to your studies.
To update your address (mailing or e-mail), please complete the following steps:
- Update your address on UBC’s WDS as per the instructions available on Workday Tutorials – Adding or changing your contact information.
- Once you have updated your address on UBC’s WDS, send the UBC DAP office an e-mail to update your records in the DAP system.
To ensure your records are kept current and accurate, please ensure you complete both steps in sequential order when notifying our office of a change to your contact information.
For security reasons, the DAP office will not accept requests to change contact information over the phone.