Recognizing there may be extenuating circumstances that may impact your academic responsibilities, Brescia requires supporting documentation for academic relief. For a list of circumstances that would be grounds for relief and the required supporting documentation, please download the document below.
Types of Academic Consideration
There are four ways you can request academic consideration:
The nature of your situation/request will determine which route to pursue when requesting academic consideration. Factors affecting your eligibility for consideration or which method would be most appropriate for you to submit your request are:
If you experience a short-term unexpected illness or extenuating circumstance (48 hours or less) that prevents you from completing a course component or assessment, you may be eligible to submit a Self-Reported Absence. through the online portal linked from your Student Center main page.
Any absence (up to 48 hours) for course work worth 30% or less of your final course grade can be self-reported with the exception of the following:
Students are able to submit a maximum of two self-reported absences during the academic year (September-April) and a maximum of one self-reported absence during the summer term (May-August).
No. Documentation is not required for a self-reported absence. Please see below for when documentation will be required.
For absences beyond your two self-reported absences, you must submit an academic consideration request, along with supporting documentation, to The Hive as soon as possible.
Please review the full self-reported absence policy as noted in the Academic Calendar.
To facilitate requesting an academic consideration due to COVID-19 symptoms and/or a directive to self-isolate (i.e., as a result of direction obtained from a COVID-19 Self-Assessment), a Self-isolation Reporting Tool (SIRT) is now available.
This tool will provide you with the ability to report a need to self-isolate due to COVID-19 only. If you complete this form, you will be expected to remain off campus for a minimum of five days. For academic considerations that do not require self-isolation, you should instead submit a Self-Reported Absence or request academic considerations via the usual process for your faculty.
The Self-Isolation Reporting Tool has been provided as a convenient way to indicate your need to self-isolate to your Academic Counsellors, but the notice sent by them to your instructors will conform to the format used for all academic considerations and will not include personal details. As with any documentation submitted to your counselling office, an academic counsellor may contact you for further information before approving your absence.
Please follow the step-by-step guide on how to use the Self-isolation Reporting Tool (SIRT). For support in using the tool, please connect with the Hive at Brescia.
All medical and non-medical requests must be submitted alongside supporting documentation. For circumstances that would be grounds for consideration, and the required supporting documentation, please see the Types of Accommodation and Documentation chart.
The University recognizes that a student’s ability to meet his/her academic responsibilities may, on occasion, be impaired by medical illness. Illness may be acute (short term), or it may be chronic (long term), or chronic with acute episodes. The University further recognizes that medical situations are deeply personal and respects the need for privacy and confidentiality in these matters. However, in order to ensure fairness and consistency for all students, academic accommodation for work representing 10% or more of the student’s overall grade in the course shall be granted only in those cases where there is documentation indicating that the student was seriously affected by illness and could not reasonably be expected to meet his/her academic responsibilities.
Documentation shall be submitted, as soon as possible, to The Hive at Brescia together with a "Request for Academic Consideration " form specifying the nature of the consideration being requested. These documents will be retained in the student’s file, and will be held in confidence in accordance with the University’s Official Student Record Information Privacy Policy. Once the petition and supporting documents have been received and assessed, appropriate academic consideration shall be determined by the Academic Dean’s Office in consultation with the student’s instructor(s). Academic consideration may include extension of deadlines, waiver of attendance requirements for classes/labs/tutorials, arranging Special Exams or Incompletes, re-weighting course requirements, or granting late withdrawals without academic penalty. Academic consideration shall be granted only where the documentation indicates that the onset, duration and severity of the illness are such that the student could not reasonably be expected to complete his/her academic responsibilities. (Note – it will not be sufficient to provide documentation indicating simply that the student “was seen for a medical reason” or “was ill.”)
Whenever possible, students who require academic consideration should provide notification and documentation in advance of due dates, examinations, etc. Students must follow up with their professors and their Academic Advisor in a timely manner.
A Western Student Medical Certificate (SMC): is required where a student is seeking academic consideration. This documentation should be obtained at the time of the initial consultation with the physician or walk-in clinic. Hard copies of the SMC are available from The Hive at Brescia.
Students wishing to obtain documentation from Student Health Services will be required to have a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) completed during their appointment. Students will be required to pay $20.00 to have the SMC completed by their doctor. The form is available by following the link above.
Students who will miss academic responsibilities due to varsity commitments should submit their supporting documentation as soon as they are able. Athletes must submit the Intercollegiate Athletics Program Commitment Verification Form with the appropriate signatures.
As a Brescia student you may need to meet with an Academic Advisor. Please connect with the Hive to determine whether this is necessary. An Academic Advising appointment (if needed) can be booked by calling The Hive at Brescia at 519.858.5151.
As a Brescia student you have a dedicated team of Academic Advisors ready to support you through your journey of academic success.
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