Key Expectations:
- You are expected to attend synchronous classes. Instructors will not make special accommodations for students who work or attend other classes during regular class hours.
- You must be in the Greater Toronto Area while taking in-person classes, including during the final exam period. In-person attendance of lectures is necessary because instructors are not required to record their lectures. There will not be online versions of in-person assessments.
- You must be in the Greater Toronto Area to participate in in-person assessments that are part of online courses (e.g., in-person final exams). There will not be online versions of in-person assessments, and accommodations will not be made for students who are not in the country.
Getting the Support You Need to Succeed:
- The Department of Psychology recognizes that, as a student, you may experience disruptions to your learning that are out of your control, and that there may be circumstances when you need extra support. Here is a helpful guide to clarify your and your instructor’s responsibilities when navigating these situations.
Missing Classes, Assessments, or Assignments
STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
STEP 1: Get urgent help. Call 911 or use one of UofT’s Urgent Help resources.
STEP 2: When you are no longer in crisis, contact your College Registrar to develop a plan for your semester. They can help you reach out to your instructors and develop feasible strategies to get back on track.
INSTRUCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY
If a student expresses suicidal ideation, instructors should call the Student Crisis Response Team at 416-946-7111. If the risk to life feels immediate, call Emergency Services (9-1-1) or Campus Police (416-978-2222).
If a student shares that they have been the victim of harassment, sexual violence, or has other safety concerns, instructors should contact the appropriate UofT Support Service.
Instructors can also find contact numbers of crisis response services here.
After a student has experienced a crisis, instructors are encouraged to work with college registrars to determine appropriate learning plans, with careful consideration of feasibility and pedagogy.
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Support for Students in Distress
Student Mental Health Resources
Resources for Supporting Students
STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
Make an appointment with your medical care provider and complete a Verification of Illness or Injury form. Submit it to your Instructor within 1-week of the missed coursework.
Note that you can also use ACORN to self-declare your absences without medical documentation. However, you can only self-declare one absence per term (lasting up to one continuous week), so it is wise to save it for emergencies that are harder to document.
INSTRUCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY
STEP 1: Instructors should have clear policies for late and missed work in the syllabus, which outline the required documentation.
STEP 2: When accepting appropriate documentation for late work, instructors should not impose late penalties for affected dates. For documented missed assessments, instructors choose whether to reweight assessments or offer make-up assessments. Instructors should also work with Accessibility Advisors (not students) if official accommodations are misaligned with their pedagogical goals.
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STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY
STEP 1: Register with Accessibility Services. Note that you should register at your home campus and that you will need to have a documented disability to be eligible.
STEP 2: Meet with your Accessibility Advisor to develop a plan for your academic accommodations, and obtain a Letter of Accommodation.
STEP 3: Share your Letter of Accommodation with your instructors at the beginning of the term (or as soon as you receive it).
STEP 4: If you require an accommodation for a test, exam, or quiz, register with Accommodated Testing Services at least 2-weeks in advance of the assessment. Note, that if you have missed the 2-week deadline, you can complete an Accommodation Registration Form to request a last-minute accommodation, however, accommodations are not guaranteed to late registrants.
INSTRUCTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors should adhere to all reasonable official accommodations, and they should work with Accessibility Advisors (not students) if accommodations are misaligned with their pedagogical goals. Instructors should also submit tests and quizzes to Accommodated Testing Services by the required deadline when they have students using these services through the Course Information System (CIS).
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STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY
Use the ACORN to self-declare your absences. Be sure to check the box that informs your instructor of your declaration. You should make the declaration within 1-week of the missed coursework. Note: if you forget to select the box, you can email a screenshot of your declaration to your instructor, but the authenticity may need to be verified.
Note that you can only self-declare one absence per term (lasting up to one continuous week), so it is wise to only declare your absence if it influences your ability to complete an assessment.
If you have already self-declared an absence during the term, and you have another non-medical emergency, you should contact your College Registrar as soon as possible to develop a plan for the semester. This might involve reducing your course load or working with instructors to receive extensions
INSTRUCTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY
STEP 1: Instructors should have clear policies for late and missed work in the syllabus that outline required documentation.
STEP 2: When accepting appropriate documentation for late work, instructors should not impose late penalties for affected dates. For documented missed assessments, instructors choose whether to reweight assessments or offer make-up assessments. Instructors are encouraged to work with College Registrars to determine appropriate learning plans for students experiencing significant personal issues. However, instructors should not feel pressured to compromise their pedagogy. Note: If you have questions about the authenticity of the declaration (e.g., if it’s a screenshot rather than an official email from ACORN), you can email the Undergraduate Administrator (psy.undergrad@utoronto.ca) to verify the record.
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STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY
Alert your course instructor regarding the Religious Observance that might impact your ability to meet in-term academic obligations during the term at the beginning of the term, or at least 2-3 weeks before you need accommodation.
INSTRUCTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors should make every reasonable effort to avoid scheduling tests, examinations, or other compulsory activities at these times. If compulsory activities are unavoidable, these students should be given a reasonable opportunity to make up for the work they miss. When the scheduling of tests or examinations cannot be avoided, students should be informed of the procedure to be followed to arrange to write at an alternate time.
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STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY
STEP 1: Review the “Academic Conflict Policy” on the Student-Athlete Services page to identify which situation and next steps apply to you. Note that athletic competitions have priority over regular classes (without assessments), but academic obligations have priority in all other circumstances.
STEP 2: If you decide to formally request an accommodation, prepare an “Academic Conflict Letter” 3-weeks in advance of a conflict, and submit it to your instructor 2-weeks prior to the conflict.
INSTRUCTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors should respect the priority of competitions over regular classes and not penalize students for missed attendance. Instructors are free to determine how and if they will accommodate requests that involve conflicts with formal assessments.
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STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY
IF REGISTERED WITH ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES
Contact your Accessibility Advisor as soon as you experience a new occurrence that interferes with your academic obligations and discuss whether you need the VOI form.
IF NOT REGISTERED WITH ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES
STEP 1: Make an appointment with your medical care provider and complete a Verification of Illness or Injury form. Submit it to your Instructor within 1-week of the missed coursework.
STEP 2: Consider registering with Accessibility Services to receive more comprehensive support and formal accommodations. Once you are registered, submit accommodation requests through the ATS system 2-weeks prior to upcoming assessments (when possible).
STEP 3: Consider making an appointment with your College Registrar to develop a plan for the successful completion of your term.
INSTRUCTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY
STEP 1: Instructors should have clear policies for late and missed work in the syllabus that outlines the required documentation.
STEP 2: When accepting appropriate documentation for late work, instructors should not impose late penalties for the affected dates. For documented missed assessments, instructors choose whether to reweight assessments or offer make-up assessments. Instructors should also work with Accessibility Advisors (not students) if official accommodations are misaligned with their pedagogical goals. Instructors should also submit tests and quizzes to Accommodated Testing Services by the required deadline when they have students using these services through the Course Information System (CIS).
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STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY
If a University-Sponsored event conflicts with the time of a formal assessment, contact your College Registrar at least 3-weeks in advance to determine if an accommodation could be appropriate. Accommodation will still be up to your instructor.
INSTRUCTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors should carefully consider the merits of the student request and apply similar criteria when making decisions for all students. Ideally, instructors will include a policy on University-Sponsored events in their syllabus.
STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY
If a legal obligation conflicts with the time of a formal assessment, contact your College Registrar as soon as possible (ideally, 3-weeks in advance) to determine appropriate steps. For example, your Registrar could explain helpful policies, like how full-time students are often exempt from jury duty.
INSTRUCTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors should carefully consider the merits of the student request and apply similar criteria when making decisions for all students. Instructors are encouraged to work with the student’s College Registrar to determine an appropriate plan.
STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY
If a persistent and extreme personal situation is impeding your school work, you should contact your College Registrar as soon as possible to develop a plan for the semester. This might involve reducing your course load or working with instructors to receive extensions. Note, though, that all students must demonstrate targeted learning outcomes to pass a course, so skipping major assessments is not recommended.
INSTRUCTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors are encouraged to work with College Registrars to determine appropriate learning plans for students experiencing significant personal issues. However, instructors should not feel pressured to compromise their pedagogy. For example, accepting late coursework is preferable to reweighting grades when major assessments are missed. Instructors are not obligated to develop new assessments.
STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY
STEP 1: Get to know students in your courses and share contact information so that you have a support network if you miss classes.
STEP 2: When you miss a class, reach out to other students, consult the syllabus, and any material posted online (e.g., slides or lecture recordings) to determine what you missed and catch up.
(Optional) STEP 3: If you cannot determine what you missed, attend office hours or email your instructor or TA with specific questions. Avoid asking general questions, like “Did I miss anything important?”
NOTE: You do not need to declare this absence through ACORN or notify your instructor in advance unless required by the course policy.
INSTRUCTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors are not required to make lectures available online or reteach material to students who miss classes. They should, however, be available during weekly office hours to answer specific questions.
STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY
Your assessment takes priority. Instructors will not provide make-up assessments or reweight grades to accommodate students’ personal travel or event plans. You can choose not to complete the assessment if the personal event is more important to you and you are willing to forgo the marks (for example, if it conflicts with a quiz worth just a small portion of your grade).
INSTRUCTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY
The Faculty of Arts & Science does not recognize personal travel and events as circumstances that should be accommodated. Instructors are discouraged from accommodating these special circumstances.
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STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY
You are expected to attend all synchronous classes during their scheduled times. You should reschedule your work around your courses. Accommodations will not be provided for students who could not learn the material or could not complete assessments because of work conflicts.
INSTRUCTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors are not responsible for accommodating students who miss assessments because of work conflicts.
Enrolment Concerns
STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
We often offer multiple sections of the same course in one semester (e.g., three PSY 220s). These sections can be taught by different instructors, have different assessments, and somewhat different learning outcomes. You must only attend the section that you enrol in and you should never enrol in a section that you cannot attend. You will never be allowed to switch sections part way through the term, nor can you complete assessments in a section that you are not enrolled in. Even if an instructor teaches two sections of a course in the same semester, you must only attend the one you are enrolled in and complete those assessments. Students will not be permitted to go back and forth between sections.
INSTRUCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors are not responsible for teaching or assessing students who are not enrolled in their section
STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
STEP 1: Review our prerequisites policy before enroling for the course to determine if you might be eligible for a waiver. Note, that waivers are very rare and are only granted when you have an appropriate transfer credit or have significant related experience. STEP 2: Contact the Undergraduate Administrator (psy.undergrad@utoronto.ca) before registering for the courses to apply for a waiver.
INSTRUCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY
Students should have all required course prerequisites. Instructors cannot give special permission to forgo prerequisites. If a student makes this request, the instructor should refer them to the Undergraduate Administrator (psy.undergrad@utoronto.ca)
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STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
STEP 1: Be patient! Waitlists operate on a first-come, first-serve basis. Students will be added as spots become available during the waitlist period. It is against the Faculty of Arts & Science policy to change a student’s position within a waitlist, so nothing can be done during this period other than waiting!
STEP 2: The waitlist always closes several days before the enrolment period closes. During this time, you can regularly watch ACORN to determine when a spot opens up in your desired class and enrol right away. Once a course closes, enrolment is no longer possible.
INSTRUCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors have no control over their course’s waitlist. They cannot expand the class size or give students special permission to enrol. To accommodate students who enrol late in their courses, they should avoid having any graded material or required activities before the enrolment deadline, when pedagogically feasible.
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STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
You should not enrol in courses that meet at the same time. You should drop one of the courses if you accidentally enrol in conflicting courses. Instructors are not required to provide lecture recordings, and they are discouraged from providing make-up tests to accommodate students who have conflicting courses.
INSTRUCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors are not responsible for accommodating students who miss assessments because they scheduled another course at the same time.
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Course & Exam Conflicts
STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
Contact your instructor as soon as you notice the conflict to ask for an accommodation. The accommodation will likely be an alternate time to write the test, but your grade might be reweighted if no alternate time can be reasonably arranged.
NOTE: Course conflicts are accommodated, but personal conflicts, like your work schedule or a personal event, cannot be accommodated.
INSTRUCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors should schedule assessments during class time to avoid conflicts. In rare circumstances, assessments may need to be scheduled outside of class time when no suitable room is available or when the test is a make-up test. Instructors should announce such test dates and times at the beginning of the course (or as early as possible) to allow students time to make arrangements to accommodate this extra obligation. The instructor with the irregularly scheduled test must accommodate the student in an appropriate way that does not conflict with the student’s other academic obligations. If necessary, the instructor should coordinate with the instructor of the conflicting course. The student should not be asked to negotiate a solution.
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STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
STEP 1: The instructor of the irregularly scheduled assessment is responsible for accommodating the conflict. Contact them as soon as possible to arrange an appropriate accommodation.
(Optional) STEP 2: In the unlikely event that the instructor is unwilling to accommodate your request, you can contact the Associate Chair, Undergraduate of their department to seek assistance. You can usually find their email address on the department’s website.
NOTE: Students should not take two classes that are scheduled during the same time. If you have test conflicts between two classes scheduled during the same time, the conflict will not be accommodated.
INSTRUCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY
The instructor of the course with the irregularly scheduled assessment is responsible for accommodating the student.
Concerns about Coursework or Grades
STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
OPTION 1: Learn more about effective writing techniques from UofT’s online resources, from planning to revising.
OPTION 2: Get one-on-one help at one of UofT’s Writing Centres. Be sure to book your appointments early in the term because they fill up quickly! Scheduling the appointment for one week before a major deadline gives you time to incorporate the feedback you receive.
OPTION 3: Learning more about writing in a group workshop: Writing Plus
OPTION 4: If you are an English language learner, you could take free English Language Learning mini-courses in writing and oral presentations.
OPTION 5: Get advice from your instructors or TAs during their office hours.
INSTRUCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors are encouraged to promote UofT’s writing resources in their classes. Writing Integrated Teaching (WIT) instructors should also provide instruction on effective writing techniques and, when possible, scaffold writing assignments to help instill effective practices. Instructors are also encouraged to include clear rubrics for writing assessments to reduce potential ambiguity.
STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
STEP 1: Review your syllabi at the beginning of the term and put major deadlines and assessments in your calendar.
STEP 2: Identify weeks that have a lot of assessments and plan how to do work in advance to make them manageable. For example, you could join a recognized study group or a learning community to hold yourself accountable to preparing early.
STEP 3: If you are feeling overwhelmed during busy times, consider reaching out to your College Registrar, Accessibility Advisor (if you have one), or mental health resources to get support breaking big challenges into smaller, manageable pieces. If you’re feeling overwhelmed about exams, consider taking a break with Exam Jam Days.
INSTRUCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors should include all deadlines and brief descriptions of assessments in their syllabi to help students plan in advance. They are also encouraged to remind students about upcoming deadlines in lectures, to help them stay organized. If assignments are due during the final exam period, instructors should provide detailed instructions at least 2-weeks before the last day of class so that students can start the projects early. Instructors are also encouraged to provide assignment instructions as early as is pedagogically sound (ideally at least 2-weeks before the deadline) to help students plan. Scaffolded assignments (e.g., with a topic proposal, early drafts, etc.) are also often beneficial for students’ planning and learning outcomes
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STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
STEP 1: Consult your syllabus to determine the details of regrading policies in your course.
STEP 2: Determine the specifics of the grading error. For example, compose an argument of how your work achieves a higher level on the assignment rubric than it received.
STEP 3: Submit a regrade request according to the course policy. Often, this will be a formal request to the TA or instructor who originally graded the work no later than 2-weeks after the work is returned.
(optional) STEP 4: If the instructor refuses to regrade the work and it is worth at least 20% of your final grade, you can send an appeal to the Associate Chair, Undergraduate (psy.ug-chair@utoronto.ca).
NOTE: Regrades can result in grades that are higher or lower than the original grade. When you make this request, you commit to accepting whatever grade is given, even if it is lower. Accordingly, you should have a strong argument for an error when requesting a regrade.
NOTE: Exams are handled differently from regular coursework. You should not contact your course instructor. Instead you can request an exam viewing (or copy for a non-restricted exam) and then request an Exam Reread or Course Mark Recheck through the Faculty Registrar.
INSTRUCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors should include their regrading policies in their syllabi and respond to reasonable regrade requests by their students in a timely manner.
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STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
The Department of Psychology upholds the principles of fairness and integrity in its grading policies. Grades should reflect students’ achievement of learning outcomes, not students’ ambitions or special circumstances. Students should not request grade increases from their instructors; they can only request regrading following appropriate procedures as outlined in their syllabus if they believe errors were made.
INSTRUCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors should uphold the integrity of grading practices. They should not feel pressured by students to increase grades based on ambitious or special circumstances. If they feel harassed by students who make persistent requests, they can reach out to the Associate Chair, Undergraduate (psy.ug-chair@utoronto.ca) for support.
STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
The Department of Psychology upholds the principles of fairness and integrity in its grading policies. Grades should reflect students' achievement of learning outcomes, not students’ ambitions or special circumstances. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the accommodations and support structures available to them during the term to minimize the impact of special circumstances on their final grades. They should not request retroactive grade increases from their instructors; they can only request regrades following appropriate procedures if they believe errors were made.
INSTRUCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors should uphold the integrity of grading practices. They should not feel pressured by students to increase grades based on ambitious or special circumstances. If they feel harassed by students who make persistent requests, they can reach out to the Associate Chair, Undergraduate (psy.ug-chair@utoronto.ca) for support.
Communicating with your Instructor
STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
STEP 1: Consult your syllabus to determine the appropriate procedures to contact your instructor or TA.
STEP 2: When writing to your instructor, address them with the title Dr. or Prof. followed by their family name unless they have provided other instructions. Do not use Mr, Ms, Mrs, Miss, etc.
STEP 3: Keep a professional and respectful tone, writing in complete sentences.
STEP 4: Be aware of expected response times. Instructors are not expected to read their emails outside of working hours. They receive a high volume of emails and have many obligations throughout the day during which they cannot read emails. Accordingly, you should not expect synchronous communication, especially outside of regular work hours.
STEP 5: If you do not receive a response within 3-business days, send a polite follow-up email.
INSTRUCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors are encouraged to include clear communication instructions in their syllabi. For example, what type of questions should be sent to them, to TAs, or posted on discussion boards? Additionally, it is helpful to specify an expected response time, such as within 1 or 3 business days.
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Academic Integrity
STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
STEP 1: Consult your syllabus and assignment instructions to see if there are policies about which aids can be used, how they can be used, and how their use should be documented. Note: By default, Generative AI is a sanctioned aid, so if you don’t see a policy stating that it is allowed, you should assume it is not.
Optional Step: If you are uncertain about what a policy means or you need additional guidance, you can go to an office hour, ask the course instructor after class, post a question on the discussion board, or email the TA or instructor, following their communication policies. Be sure to ask for guidance at least 2-weeks before the assessment deadline.
INSTRUCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors are encouraged to include policies in their syllabi that specify if and how aid (like Generative AI) can be used to complete assessments. Example statements made available by the department’s Recommendations for the Use of Generative AI in Teaching: Department of Psychology document.
If instructors suspect that a student has used an unauthorized aid, they should follow procedures outlined by the Student Academic Integrity office. They should not use tools to detect the use of Generative AI, because none of these tools are approved by A&S. They can email the Associate Chair, Undergraduate (psy.ug-chair@utoronto.ca) for additional guidance. In brief, you should:
(1) Email the student to arrange a meeting
(2) Notify them that they cannot withdraw from the course in which there is alleged misconduct.
(3) In the meeting, share your observations that caused your concern and explain why the action that they may reflect would be considered an academic offence. Then ask the student to explain what happened. Take careful notes throughout the meeting and thank them for their explanation/admission.
(4) If after the meeting, you feel there was misconduct, tell the student you are forwarding the case to your Chair and submit all relevant documentation (e.g., syllabus, assignment instructions, students’ work, plagiarism report if relevant, meeting invitation email, meeting notes including a summary of the allegation) through the online Student Academic Integrity system. Note that this system requires you to be logged into the Cisco AnyConnect VPN, even if you are on campus.
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STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
STEP 1: Respond to your instructor’s email promptly and arrange a time to meet with them.
STEP 2: Meet with your College Registrar. They can explain your options and assist you with navigating through the process.
STEP 3: Go to the meeting prepared with any documentation that could be informative (e.g., notes that you took while drafting a paper). Be sure to be honest about your actions with yourself and the instructor. Remember that this meeting isn’t about determining your guilt or innocence, it’s about collecting information.
STEP 4: Be patient. If after the meeting, your instructor believes that you committed an academic offence, they will submit the required documents to be evaluated by the department Chair. The Chair then usually submits them to the Student Academic Integrity team, who will consider the case. It can take a month or two before you hear the decision or are invited to meet with a Dean’s Designate to discuss the case.
Optional Step: Being accused of an academic offence is an incredibly stressful event. Anyone would benefit from additional support during this process. If you believe that your well-being is impacted by this event, please consider making an appointment with Health & Wellness.
Tip: A surprisingly high number of academic offences are not intentional, but instead stem from students’ confusion over what is and is not appropriate. Ignorance does not excuse the offence, so the best way to protect yourself from accidental offences is to learn more about what counts as misconduct.
INSTRUCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY
Instructors are encouraged to include academic integrity information in their syllabi and remind students about misconduct before key assignments (e.g., how to avoid plagiarism before a written assignment).
If instructors suspect that a student has committed an academic offence, they should follow procedures outlined by the Student Academic Integrity office. They should not use tools to detect the use of Generative AI, because none of these tools are approved by A&S. They can email the Associate Chair, Undergraduate (psy.ug-chair@utoronto.ca) for additional guidance.
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Generative AI in the classroom