Accommodations

Religious accommodation refers to amicable arrangements to allow students to observe religious practices that conflict with academic requirements. Religious accommodation should not affect the integrity of the course or program.

You must make your request for accommodation in a letter or email to the professor in charge of the course or to the appropriate authority designated by the Faculty (ask your Faculty for the right person to contact if in doubt). You must describe the religious practice you follow and the accommodation that you want.

You must submit your request for accommodation within the following deadlines:

• If the accommodation you want concerns academic requirements mentioned in the course syllabus or shared during the first class or earlier, you must make your request in the first two weeks of the term.
• If the accommodation you want concerns academic requirements established or made known after the first class, you must make your request within five working days of the requirement being made known.
• If the accommodation concerns a final exam, you must make your request within five working days of the exam schedule being posted.

Yes, in fact you must collaborate with the professor or designated authority to come to an agreement on a reasonable accommodation. If the professor asks for explanations or additional information, you must answer promptly, within five days of the professor’s request. The professor may consult with University staff or University Legal Services, but must respect confidentiality policies.

If you and the professor or the designated authority don’t manage to find a solution within a reasonable timeframe, you must immediately send a written request to the vice-dean of the Faculty and of the level of study (undergraduate or graduate) offering the course, or another person designated by the Faculty who can make a final decision.

The vice-dean or the person designated by the Faculty may ask you or your professor for additional information, and may consult with other staff members, as well as with Legal Services. The vice-dean or the designated person informs both you and the professor of their decision, usually within two weeks of you making your request to them.

An academic accommodation aims to allow students and student applicants with disabilities an equitable opportunity to fully access and participate in a study program while preserving academic freedom, academic integrity and academic standards.

It is a permanent or temporary planned variation in the way a person with a disability receives course curriculum and materials, participates in academic activities, or demonstrates skills or mastery of knowledge of a course or a program through evaluation and assessment.

The University has a legal obligation and is committed to offer academic accommodations to students and student applicants with disabilities under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

In the context of Academic Regulation A-6, a disability is defined the same way as in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) of 2005, i.e.:

• any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical co-ordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device;
• a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability;
• a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language;
• a mental disorder; or
• an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.

If you have a disability and wish to obtain an academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to undertake the process to obtain it:

1. Contact the Academic Accommodation Service as soon as you are aware of your disability or the need for academic accommodation for your disability, ideally before classes or academic work begin.
2. Collaborate with the Academic Accommodation Service in developing your accommodation plan (e.g., the Service will ask you for details in order to document your disability and propose solutions).
3. Speak as needed with your learning specialist, educator or Faculty regarding the implementation of the approved accommodation plan.

You must notify in a timely fashion your assigned learning specialist of any changes that may impact an already established accommodation plan.

The University ensures that your disability-related information will not appear on your official University records, test results, academic transcripts or graduation documentation. This information will only be released with your consent or when required by law. Your identity as a person living with a disability is also protected when it comes to data collection.