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Prior to contacting the instructor for a request for relief, you are strongly encouraged to lay out your arguments or grounds in writing and, if applicable, have all of the supporting documentation available.  

Grounds for relief on a specific course may include things such as bias, inaccuracy or unfairness.  In your arguments, clearly indicate the detailed reasons in a concise manner; for example:

• In a multiple-choice exam, provide the justifications of why your incorrect choice of a question should also be accepted as the correct answer;
• If you find an exam question ambiguous, clearly state your interpretation and how it led to your answer deemed incorrect;
• If you find the grading practice to be unfair or biased, explain how it affects your grade and the grades of other students in the same class.

Ignorance of Senate regulations and policies, and particular program requirements and policies as set out in the University Calendar, does not constitute grounds for an request for relief.

The personal need of the appellant alone (to keep a scholarship, or to qualify for an entrance requirement) does not constitute grounds for an request for relief.

If you are unsure whether the grounds of your request for relief are valid, you are advised to contact the Office of the Ombudsperson for advice. 

The appellant’s discussion with an instructor could take place either in person or in writing. In either format, the appellant should present his/her reasons for the request for relief, and allow the instructor to respond.

If the appellant and the instructor could not come to an agreement, the appellant should briefly record the points raised by both sides in writing and send the summary to the instructor for verification.

If the instructor agrees to grant the request, he/she will make the necessary changes on the appellant’s record.  No further action is required.

If the appellant is dissatisfied with the decision of the instructor, a written request for relief may be submitted to the Undergraduate Chair. The summary resulting from the consultation with the instructor should be used as the basis for the request for relief. The request for relief to the Undergraduate Chair should directly address why the instructor’s decision should be overturned. It should not contain any reasons that have not been presented to the instructor. The Undergraduate Chair will formally respond to the student in writing, informing their decision.

If the Undergraduate Chair agrees to grant you the request for relief, he/she will make the necessary changes on your record. No further reporting is required.

The contact information of Undergraduate/Department Chairs in Science and Basic Medical Sciences can be found here.

If the appellant is dissatisfied with the decision of the Undergraduate Chair, a written request for relief may be submitted to one of the following Associate Deans:

For courses offered by the Departments in Science, write to Dr. Ken Yeung (aadasci@uwo.ca).

For courses offered by the Departments in Medical Sciences, write to Dr. Walter Rushlow (wrushlow@uwo.ca).

The request for relief against the decision of the Undergraduate Chair should present arguments on why the appellant believes the decision is unfair or unreasonable. It should not contain any grounds or information that have not been presented to the Undergraduate Chair. All written correspondence between the appellant and the Undergraduate Chair must be included in the request for relief email (preferably in a separate PDF file as an attachment). The Associate Dean will respond to the student in writing, informing them of the decision.

A student may have the right to appeal the decision of a Dean to the Senate Review Board Academic only if the decision falls within it's jurisdiction of SRBA as set out below under APPEALS TO SRBA. A Dean's decision, which is appealed to SRBA, remains in full force and effect unless overturned or modified by SRBA. Please consult the for more details.