HOW DOES A WE WORK?

Extenuating Circumstances are defined as “UNEXPECTED and UNCONTROLLABLE events that seriously threaten (the student’s) academic obligations; (and) make it difficult to complete an academic program or course(s).

When you write your letter, you will want to make sure you:

1) Emphasize the ways in which you could not control or predict whatever happened, AND

2) Why you were unable to drop the course earlier to receive a WD, AND

3) Why you did not (or could not) complete the course with assistance from your Professor(s) and TA(s) through Academic Concessions such as extensions, different assignemnts or by get a Deferred Grade (DE).

4) You must provide evidence for every reason you give for why you should get a WE. These applications are taken seriously, so be prepared to provide emails, doctor’s notes, travel paperwork and other evidence to prove your story. This evidence will very likely be validated, so do not submit false paperwork.

WEs should be taken care of before the end of term whenever possible. All students are bound by the Student Declaration. Click here to learn more.

Equity

University Policy says that the dominant principles governing the Withdrawal Under Extenuating Circumstances (WE) processes are fairness and equity. “The university is prepared to help students who experience unexpected and uncontrollable events that seriously threaten their academic obligations. But in doing so, the University must be careful not to disadvantage students who continue their studies when faced with similar circumstances.” The University has the sole discretion to approve WE applications.

Types of Withdrawal

Withdrawal requests may be complete or selective, in-semester or retroactive.

  1. Complete Withdrawal
    Since the reasons for a WE request are likely to have a deep influence on a student’s academic performance, they will typically affect all the courses in which a student is enrolled. For this reason, most WE requests are for a complete withdrawal from all courses in a term.
  2. Selective Withdrawal
    Sometimes not all courses are affected, in which case the request is for a selective withdrawal. Students applying for a selective withdrawal must specify the reasons why one course is affected but another is not.  If you are applying for selective withdrawal, you MUST explain why you were less impacted and performed better in some courses than those you wish to withdraw from. For instance, if you were granted academic concessions by your instructor that made it possible for you to complete one course, but were denied reasonable concessions by another instructor and could not complete that course, this is important to emphasize.  If you were able to continue some courses remotely, but not others, you might also have a reasonable argument for a selective withdrawal as well.
  3. Retroactive Withdrawal
    This occurs after the term is over and your grades are posted. Sometimes, students aren’t able to withdraw before the term has ended, so a retroactive withdrawal under extenuating circumstances may be used. Requests that are for terms more than five years from the date of application will not be considered.

CRITERIA

  1. Medical Grounds: Students have grounds for a WE request if they suffer a medical condition during the term which so impairs their ability to study that the course’s requirements cannot be met. Hospitalization for a week or more is almost certain to be regarded as sufficient evidence, while a short bout of the flu is not. If you are ill for a long stretch of time, do your best to get a letter from your doctor or otherwise document this stay.
  2. Employment Grounds: Students have grounds for a WE request if they experience an unexpected change in conditions of employment that is so disrupting that course requirements cannot be completed. Sudden increases in employment hours interfering with studies is likely to be sufficient evidence for a withdrawal, while a requirement to work occasional overtime is most likely not grounds for a WE.
  3. Compassionate Grounds: Students have grounds for a WE request if they have a traumatic experience that renders them unfit to complete course requirements during the term. The death of an immediate family member may be regarded as a sufficient reason.
  4. Other Grounds: Most WE applications are based on medical, compassionate, or employment-related circumstances. However, other types of overwhelming personal difficulties such as divorce or family commitments may also be considered with the appropriate explanation and supporting documents. If something substantial and unexpected has interrupted your studies, please consult the Student Advocacy Office to see if you may be eligible. studentadv.coord@sfss.ca

REASONS FOR WE APPLICATIONS TO BE DENIED

The following examples will generally NOT be considered as a basis for granting a withdrawal  (WE) and tend to be common reasons for denial:

  • You are afraid you will receive a poor grade, or you received a poor grade (unless there are extenuating circumstances that CAUSED this)
  • A class in which a PASS grade was achieved
  • A class that has been withdrawn with a WD (Withdrawl- Disciplinary) or FD (Fail-Disciplinary) notation. Any course with an academic integrity report filed in Student Services/Registrar.
  • Students experiencing language difficulties (this difficulty was present before the class started)
  • Students feel “the course was just too hard” (this is not an extenuating circumstance)
  • Administrative error in enrolling or withdrawing from a course
  • Issues with course delivery and assignment preparations
  • Academic standing
  • You are trying to get around departmental limitations on the number of attempts to repeat a given course without a new and legitimate extenuating circumstance.
  • Careless academic planning such as wrongfully registering for and not dropping courses. Students should seek counseling or advising assistance early in the term, so they can adjust their academic schedules if necessary.
  • Students having a “minor conflict” with their instructor/or other SFU staff. Please note, if you are in conflict with your instructor, please speak with the SFSS Advocate!! Significant conflicts ARE valid grounds for WEs.
  • Scheduling of course assignments that you knew about from the start
  • Grading practices you don’t like that you knew about from the start
  • No longer requiring a course due to program requirements, or transfer credit approval
  • Conferral of a degree or the approval of a degree by Senate
  • Your Study Permit expired and you didn’t apply for renewal in time
  • You got a B or a C in a class. This process is intended to deal with lower grades like Fs.
  • You applied for a WE when you can still drop the course yourself through GoSFU
  • You list five or six things (often more) that you believe impacted your studies but the supporting documentation will address only one or none of these issues directly.

From the WE application reviewer: “Students having problems because of these issues should speak to their instructor or an advisor in the department offering the course. The reality is that all of these issues could be handled earlier through a course drop or withdrawal or proactive communication with your instructor or student services. A WE is intended as a tool for students who experience unforeseen hardship that could not be predicted before the add/drop deadline.”

There is no substantial practical advantage to having a WE on your transcript as opposed to a WD!

DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

All appeals to withdraw require a high standard of documentation that must accompany each application. At times, it may be necessary for the Manager, Student Academic Appeals to verify the validity of any documents submitted.  This is a job she takes very seriously.

Some examples of required documents include:

  • An ICBC or a Police Report for motor vehicle accidents or crimes committed resulting in victim services;
  • Employment letters presented on business letterhead (the business will likely be verified);
  • Illnesses that are overseas must be presented on proper hospital or medical reports normally available from a hospital or doctor’s office. Documents must be in English or translated professionally.
  • All compassionate withdrawals must include a copy of the death certificate, prayer card, or obituary (proof of relationship may be required). All documents must be presented in English and must be certified.

Medical Documentation:

Students with a medical condition severe enough to warrant a WE request must have consulted with a medical practitioner and must document that consultation.

  • Your healthcare providers need to present the information that is requested on the SFU Health Care form. The SFU Health Care Provider Statement form must be attached to the WE application form. (SFU Health and Counseling will do these forms free of charge!!)
    • Students who did not see a doctor at the time of the accident or illness and cannot provide evidence to back up the explanation will not be awarded a withdrawal.
    • A note on a prescription pad is not adequate documentation.
    • Please DO NOT submit photos.

Employment Documentation:

Students appealing on employment grounds must submit a letter outlining details about the employment circumstance from their employer.

  • The letter must include information about the nature of the employment change, its date of onset, and duration.
  • This must be presented on business letterhead, dated, and signed.

Compassionate Grounds Documentation:

  • For students applying for a WE on compassionate grounds, such as the death of a loved one, evidence of the loss must be provided.
  • For example, an obituary, death certificate and/or memorial program/card must be submitted (verification of relationship may be requested).
  • Please DO NOT submit photos.

Personal Letter:

  • WE applicants must write a clear and concise letter (no longer than two pages double-spaced or one page single-spaced and typed) stating the reason for why they are applying to withdraw.
  • There should be a direct link between the information presented in the cover letter and the supporting documents.
  • Each argument you make for why you should be granted a WE must have evidence that supports it.
  • A chronological list of relevant events is helpful when reviewing all requests.
  • A vague cover letter accompanied by weak supporting documents or none at all will delay the outcome or result in a denied decision.

Make sure you include the following information in your letter:

  1. Who you are, what you’re studying, your student number and which class(es) and term are you applying for the WE
  2. What kind of WE application this is: (Complete, Selective, Retroactive)
  3. What category you’re applying under (Medical, Employment, Compassionate, Other)
  4. What happened?
  5. Why you couldn’t possibly control or predict it
  6. What you tried to do to address the situation with your Professor’s and/or TAs assistance (or why you didn’t do this)
  7. Why you did not drop the course before the drop deadline (i.e. the issue hadn’t happened yet, you are an international student and must maintain FT enrollment for your study permit, you thought you could handle the course with the assistance you arranged for with your Professor or TA, etc.)
  8. How the documents you have included shed light or validate what you have explained happened.
  9. If you’re applying under the medical grounds, you must have the completed health care form signed by your provider.  see: SFU Health Care Provider Statement form

PROCESS

Students who are considering a WE application, or require clarification about any of the rules, regulations, and deadlines in the academic calendar should consult an academic advisor in Student Services, located in Maggie Benston, or speak to a department advisor from the faculty in which they are enrolled. Once a decision is made to pursue a WE application, the package of information should be submitted, typically by email, to the Manager, Student Academic Appeals in Student and Academic Services.

Each WE package includes:

  1. The WE Application Form,
  2. A personal letter outlining the extenuating circumstances and how they’re affecting their academic studies and,
  3. All supporting documents to back up the information in the personal letter.

Most WE applications are adjudicated by the Manager, Student Academic Appeals.  However, when appropriate, the Manager, Student Academic Appeals, will forward WE requests to the Dean’s office of the student’s faculty.  It is the student’s responsibility to provide a clear explanation of why they are applying for this withdrawal and provide all necessary documents to back up an explanation so that the Faculty can make an assessment of the request being made.

STEPS:

  • You can only apply for a WE after week eight of the term. Before that date, withdraw through goSFU and receive a WD notation instead.
  • You submit your application package online through the form here
  • Due to the volume of requests, it is not possible to lay down a single time for how long it will take to adjudicate an application. This timeline varies widely from weeks to months based on the backlog of files and if additional information is needed.
    • If supporting documents are delayed or not received, then no decision can be made on the withdrawal application and the applicant risks receiving a denied decision or having it returned unprocessed. Communication about issues or questions will almost always be by email.
  • Once a decision is made on a WE application, the Manager, Student Academic Appeals will change the withdrawal under extenuating circumstances (WE) notation and notify you by email.
  • The notation “WE” will be placed on your record in lieu of a course grade.
Tuition Refunds

You will need to apply separately for a tuition refund after your WE is granted. This is NOT automatic. Begin here.

You have one calendar year from the last day of the term in which you took the course to apply for your tuition refund (for example, a student who got a WE in a term ending April 24, 2022, has until April 24, 2023, to apply for their tuition refund). Please note that this 1-year timeline for a refund includes retroactive withdrawals, so even though you have up to 5 years to apply for a retroactive WE, you only have 1 year to apply for the tuition refund. It is in your best interest to not let these things linger!

APPEALS

Students whose WE applications are denied and feel they have grounds for appealing a WE decision should refer to the Advocacy Office’s Page on Appeals and Appeal Letters and the Senate Appeals Board (SAB) for detailed information. Your appeal letter must address every deficiency identified in your denial letter.

Appeals will be considered when you provide documented evidence to support the following:

  • new information or documentation not originally presented is provided (this is the most common reason for appeals);
  • a decision under appeal was made without jurisdiction;
  • a fundamental procedural error occurred; or
  • inconsistent application of the relevant regulations occurred.

The Board will want to see either new supporting evidence or new information that can help the Board to overturn the original decision. The new information or evidence has to be substantive information that wasn’t already presented.

STEPS

  1. Re-read the denial letter you received. Identify every reason Concetta articulated for why your application was denied
  2. Identify which grounds you are appealing on (see the list above)
  3. Gather evidence to back up your claim. This evidence MUST be substantial and NEW.
  4. Write a new letter addressed to the Senate Appeals Board explaining the new evidence, its relevance to your case, and why your appeal should be granted.
  5. If you would like the Student Advocate to proofread your appeal letter, please email a copy of the letter to studentadv.coord@sfss.ca and/or schedule a time to meet here: https://calendly.com/sfssadvocacy
  6. Fill out this form: Senate Appeals Non-Disciplinary
  7. Email your complete appeal package to sabapp@sfu.ca.

A complete package includes:

  • The above form
  • Your first WE application letter
  • Your denial letter
  • Your second appeal letter
  • Your new evidence

TIMELINE

You have 3 weeks from the date you receive your denial letter to initiate your appeal to the Senate Appeals Board. If you will require more time to gather evidence, email the main form to sabapp@sfu.ca to start the process and let them know that you will need additional time to get evidence (eg. medical documents, translated documents, etc.). You must at least initiate the appeal before the 3-week window closes.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I need a WE or I will lose my academic standing! What should I do?

If you have a legitimate case for a WE, go for it! Focus your attention on what happened and keep the drama out of the letter. Stick to the extenuating circumstances and what impacted your ability to complete the term. Why was one class impacted but not the others? Include a timeline of what happened when, what you did to try and help yourself, conversations with faculty and support services etc. Contact the Advocacy Office, the Ombudsperson, the Centre for Accessible Learning, the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Office or other relevant Units that assist students and equity groups who may be able to help you directly, or work with WE on your behalf.

If you are simply having difficulty with your SFU courses, you need to make an appointment with an academic advisor as soon as possible. See sfu.ca/students/academicadvising/contact_us for information about how to book an appointment with an academic advisor. Detailed information regarding academic standings, policies associated with academic difficulty, and resources can be found here.

Perhaps you knew you were on academic probation and you tried so hard this term but you have a feeling that you didn’t quite make that minimum 2.00 term GPA that you needed to continue with your studies at SFU and are worried about being required to Withdraw! What do you do now?!

Option 1: Readmission

You can quickly apply to a local college and take transferable courses to meet the readmission requirements to return to SFU. The information for readmission will be mailed to you, but you can also access it online in the Guide to Academic Standing and Continuance.

It is strongly advised that you first meet with an academic advisor to discuss your academic standing and your course options at college. Contact Us for information about how to book an appointment with an academic advisor.

Option 2: SFU’s Back on Track Program

You can participate in the Student Success program, Back on Track (BOT) which will provide you with concentrated assistance from various professionals and resources to get yourself refocused on your studies. When you join the program, you will be placed on Extended Academic Probation (EAP), and will have the Required to Withdraw standing removed from your transcript. Interested in learning more about the program? Start with the Program Overview.

WHY do they make this so hard? Requiring so much documentation is a huge burden and an invasion of privacy!

The burden of proof is on you to demonstrate hardship has occurred. You may feel like the University should just trust a student in distress or difficulty and not add on additional burdens, but the reality is that changing grades is an academic concession and this documentation and rules are in place to ensure a level playing field for all students and to ensure WEs are not being taken advantage of or used unfairly. This is an act of Academic Integrity. The current policies are in place to ensure equity and procedural fairness and the staff and faculty are sticklers to these rules after seeing cases of WE abuse over the years.

Remember, SFU Health Centre should not charge you for related medical forms and documentation, though other doctors off-campus might.

Note that this policy will be up for review in the next year or so (expected 2023ish). If you have better ideas on how this could work, PLEASE share these with the Advocacy Office so we can push to make the process easier for students who really need it while also maintaining the academic standards of the University and the value of everyone’s degrees.

What happens if I make up or falsify evidence to support my request for a WE?

Please don’t go there. The officials in charge of WE take their jobs seriously and will confirm your evidence. If you are caught lying, you will be sent through the Academic Integrity process before the University Board of Student Discipline who have a broad range of powers, including recommending a student’s expulsion in egregious situations.

Can I get my tuition refunded?

To receive a tuition refund for a withdrawal (WD) or withdrawal under extenuating circumstances (WE), begin here. THIS IS NOT AUTOMATIC! YOU MUST APPLY FOR THIS!

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