Academic Advocacy

fair treatment for all our members

If you feel you have been unfairly marked or that a professor has mistreated you, LUSU can help.

Whether you wish to file an appeal or simply discuss your problems with a professor, your elected executives are available to assist you. 

They won't be able to file an appeal on your behalf, but they will be able to guide you through the university’s policies and procedures while working to advocate for you and protect your rights. 

We are here to help with:

    • Difficulties in a class or with administration 
    • An accusation of a Student Code of Conduct violation
    • Inappropriate behavior and/or mistreatment by administration or faculty
    • Denied accessibility accommodations
    • Academic Appeals 
    • Grievances and more



Important contacts:

LUSU Thunder Bay Vice-President Advocacyvpadvocacy@lusu.ca 

LUSU Orillia Vice-President Orillia, vporillia@lusu.ca 

Officer of Ombudsperson, ombuds@lakeheadu.ca
Office of Human Rights and Equity, humanrights@lakeheadu.ca


Understanding the types of appeals:

  • Academic Appeal - A Final Course Mark
A Final Course Mark is the grade assigned to a student by the Office of the Registrar in respect of a completed course or project including a thesis. Student work that contributes to a Final Course Mark, as described in section III(1), may be appealed only as part of an appeal of a Final Course Mark.
Academic Appeal - Academic Decisions Other Than a Final Course Mark
Academic Decisions Other than a Final Course Mark are decisions regarding procedures, regulations, requirements or standards of the course of study in which the student is enrolled. Examples include decisions regarding course registration; the process of assigning a placement, practicum, clinical experience, or fieldwork grade or by the application of academic regulations pertaining to these experiences; academic standing; and eligibility to graduate.

Placements, Practica, Clinical Experiences and Fieldwork

Because required placements, practica, clinical experiences and fieldwork involve performance of skills learned by students and because this performance is summarily evaluated over a period of weeks, the University policy on appeal of final grades applies only to class grades and not to required placement, practicum, clinical experience or fieldwork grades. Refer to the section on “Academic Decisions Other Than a Final Course Mark” in the Senate Policy Regarding Academic Appeals  for more information on the processes to be followed.


If you would like to make an academic appeal

We strongly encourage you to familiarise yourself with the Senate Policy Regarding Academic Appeals. This document provides information on what can be appealed, how to appeal, as well as each step of the appeal process. There are important deadlines for filing your appeal, so it's very important that you read this.


Ombudsperson

In order to ensure our members are treated in a fair and equitable manner we co-fund an Ombudsperson with the university to serve as a impartial and confidential support service independent of the university administrative structure. The Ombudsperson is hired and overseen by a committee made up of members in equal parts from Lakehead and LUSU.  The Ombudsperson’s office assists students, faculty, and staff with complaints and disputes, reviews and makes recommendations on university policy, and offers mediation. 

After you have submitted your request an elected LUSU representative will contact you. Please be prepared to provide any files related to your situation, including saving PDFs of any email threads. Information you provide to us is strictly confidential and will only be seen by the executive supporting you. Your confidentiality is not guaranteed once you launch a formal complaint or appeal accusation of a Student Code of Conduct violation


@lusu_tbay

@lusu_orillia

Copyright Â© 2020 Lakehead University Student Union, Inc

SC0001-955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1 | OA1027-500 University Avenue, Orillia, ON L3V 0B9

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software