Appeals

Students who have grounds for believing themselves unjustly treated within the University are encouraged to seek all appropriate avenues of redress or appeal open to them.

Academic Matters

Academic matters are the responsibility of course instructors, academic units, faculties and the Senate.

Depending on the nature of the academic matter of concern to the student, the order in which the student should normally try to resolve the matter is: first, the course instructor; second, the Chair of the academic unit; third, the Dean of Graduate Studies; and finally, the Senate. In addition, the student may wish to consult the Ombudsperson. A student seeking a formal review of an assigned grade should consult the regulations under “Review of an Assigned Grade”.

Appeals to the Senate

Once all the appropriate recourses have been exhausted, a student may have the right of final appeal to the Senate Committee on Appeals.

The Senate Committee on Appeals is an impartial final appeal body for students at the University of Victoria. In accordance with the University Act, the Senate has delegated to the Senate Committee on Appeals the authority and responsibility to decide, on behalf of the Senate, all final appeals from students involving the application of academic regulations and requirements. The Senate Committee on Appeals has no jurisdiction to consider a decision where the sole question in a student’s appeal turns on a question of academic judgment. Prior to filing an appeal with the committee, a student must have pursued and exhausted all other reviews, appeals or remedies provided by the University of Victoria’s undergraduate and graduate calendars or by the policies or regulations of the student’s faculty.

The deadline for filing an appeal before the Senate Committee on Appeals is two months from the final decision, action or treatment being appealed. Students who wish to file an appeal with the Senate Committee on Appeals must complete a Notice of Appeal form available from the Office of the University Secretary or online at <www.uvic.ca/universitysecretary/senate/appeals>.

For more information on submitting or responding to a student appeal to Senate, please refer to the Senate Committee on Appeals' Terms of Reference and the Procedural Guidelines available at <www.uvic.ca/universitysecretary/senate/appeals> or contact the Office of the University Secretary at this address: