Course Directors and Teaching Assistants receive various types of letters from students requesting accommodations.
There are often questions about the validity and nature of a letter and what to do if there is a concern about a recommendation.
Below is information about different types of official letters generated by offices within the Division of Students and who to contact with questions.
Read more about each type of letter below.
Students with disabilities who are registered with Student Accessibility Services will provide a letter of outlined academic accommodations that are intended to remove barriers in the learning environment. These accommodations allow students with disabilities an opportunity to demonstrate their degree of mastery of course content.
Recommended accommodations may include accommodations for tests/exams, classroom note-taking and/or field placement accommodations.
Accommodations are based on a review by the Accessibility Counsellor of the medical/ psychological documentation of the functional limitations associated with the diagnosed disability.
Your duty to is to accommodate under The Ontario Human Rights Code and York Senate Policy on Academic Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
Contact the Accessibility Counsellor listed on the LOA or the main office at (416) 736- 5755 for more information.
Students in psychological distress who are engaged in counselling with a personal counsellor will provide a letter to request academic consideration for a short-term event. The letter may include suggestions for how the professor can support the student -- often through extensions in course assignments or deferrals.
The student's counsellor assesses their need for academic consideration due to temporary extenuating circumstances.
You may grant the student's request based on Compassionate Grounds, at your own discretion.
Contact the student’s Counsellor listed on the letter or the Student Counselling, Health & Well-being office at (416) 736-5297 for more information.
Students in crisis and/or students dealing with multiple complex issues and are not registered with Student Accessibility Services will provide a letter to request academic consideration for a short-term event. The letter may include a broad description of student issues/impact and suggestions around how you can support -- often through extensions in course work or deferrals.
Staff at OSCR work with the student to understand their situation and the impact on their ability to function. Often there is supporting medical documentation.
You may grant the student's request based on Compassionate Grounds, at your own discretion.
Contact the Office of Student Community Relations at (416) 736-5297 for more information.
Students who have disclosed sexual violence (e.g., sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, voyeurism, sexual exploitation.) will provide a letter to request support as they move through their trauma. The letter may include a request for support -- usually an academic accommodation or a letter of support for a petition process.
Staff at the Centre work with the student to understand their situation. Often there is supporting medical documentation, a complaint or a police report.
You may grant the student's request based on York's Policy on Sexual Violence.
Contact the Centre for Sexual Violence Response, Support & Education at (416) 736-5297 for more information.
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