Course Interruptions
What should I do?
When unexpected circumstances interrupt your studies
If you are facing a challenge that impacts your ability to complete course requirements, you’re in the right spot to learn how to deal with this situation.
On this page, you will find resources and information to help you determine what steps you can take, the supporting documentation required, and whether you should plan for an exception directly with your course instructor or request formal accommodations through the Student Accommodation Policy.
Your first step for guidance is to review your course outline so you understand the direction your instructor has outlined for missed assessments.
Determining your needs
Requesting an alternate arrangement
Missed an in-courseassessment (i.e., assignment, mid-term or essay)?
Alternate arrangements can be made at the discretion of the course instructor(s). Consult the course outline(s) for details on how to review this with your instructor(s).
- You may need to provide supporting documentation as per the M.1 Supporting Documentation academic regulation.
- Find further information in our temporary absences FAQs section.
Missed a registrar-scheduled final exam?
- You will need to follow the Deferred Final Exam (DFE) process on the Registrar website.
- Learn more about DFEs on the Registrar website.
Additional support options
Sometimes more support is needed. Consult with your faculty advising office if you are facing major challenges. Access other support services below as required:
- Long-term change in health
If you are facing a permanent or long-term change in health, then please reach out to Student Accessibility Services. See our Student FAQs section on Extended Absences. - Requests on Protected Grounds
If the request is on Protected Grounds (race, religion, etc. other than disability), then complete the Request for Accommodation in Academic Courses form. Download the Request for Accommodation in Academic Courses form. See our Student FAQs on Protected Grounds.
Providing supporting documentation
Supporting documentation provides options for you to support how you can share information with your course instructor that is preventing you or prevented you from participating/completing a planned assessment.
You decide what supporting documentation is most appropriate to share with your course instructor to support your request for an alternate arrangement. The decision on whether an alternative is granted and what that will be is up to the course instructor and guided by the content of their course outline.
Common types of supporting documentation include, but are not limited to:
- The Student Declaration of Absence for In-course Assessments is a form that can be used on its own, without any other supporting documentation. You can submit additional types of supporting documentation alongside this form if you choose.
- You may choose to use the Student Declaration of Absence for In-course Assessments in situations where other forms of documentation are not readily available such as caring for a sick family member, personal illness that did not require a visit to a doctor, or an oral invitation from Elders or Traditional Knowledge Keepers.
Student Declaration of Absence for In-course Assessments form
- If you have been involved in a car accident or you’ve had an injury and there is an incident report available.
- If you have had an issue to deal with at your rental accommodation that required your immediate attention, your landlord could provide you with a letter or a report of the incident.
- Invitation letter confirming your participation or confirmation of your participation in a major sporting, academic or cultural event. This could also include an oral invitation from Elders or Traditional Knowledge Keepers.
- You cannot be required to provide supporting documentation such as a medical note. You may choose, however, to submit documentation that will support your situation.
- The decision to provide supporting documentation that best suits the situation is at your discretion. If you decide to provide a medical note as supporting documentation, it does not need to include detailed medical information such as a diagnosis.
- If you have experienced an issue where police or insurance is involved, there should be a report available and you may choose to share it.
- A is made through a commissioner for oaths and must be signed in the presence of a commissioner for oaths, who certifies that they have administered the oath or affirmation to the declarant. Many commissioners for oaths are available for a fee and by appointment. You can download the statutory declaration form and swear an oath at your appointment and then share the form with the appropriate contact regarding your situation. The offers information on
Read the for reference.
If your request for an alternate arrangement is not granted?
I provided documentation to my instructor and my request for an alternate arrangement was not granted. Now what?
Step 1
Contact the department head, associate dean or program designate in the faculty offering the course to discuss the matter further.
Step 2
If it is not possible to come to an arrangement, you can take the matter to the dean in the faculty offering the course who has final approval. No further arrangements can be made once the dean has weighed in on the matter.
For reference, see
Personal and privacy information
All documents submitted by students will be kept in accordance with the following university records retention rules:
- Undergraduate:
- Graduate:
Collection of personal information
Your personal information is collected under the authority of section 33(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. If you have any questions about the collection or use of this information, please visit our Access to Information page.
The course instructor will use the documentation submitted to inform their decision regarding the alternate arrangement. If they choose to keep the documentation, it will be handled as per the guidelines above.
Contact and help
We are here to support you. Reach out and we will listen.
- If you’ve missed an assessment, contact your course instructor as described in the course outline.
- If you need more help, advisors within your faculty and other university services can help you decide on a path forward. Please find links to relevant support services below:
- Advising
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Getting more support
UCalgary has resources and processes in place to help you find the right support to overcome difficulties that might arise during your studies.
- has a series of videos that highlight situations students have come across before. Your situation is likely similar, and these videos offer you a path forward.
- Learn more at
Student FAQs
Temporary absences
If you are temporarily absent from classes or school activities, you should first review your course outline(s). The course outline includes information on what you should do if you miss a required component of the course. You should then connect with your course instructor to see what alternate arrangements can be made if you’ve missed an assessment.
If the missed course component is a registrar-scheduled final exam, then you should follow the DFE process outlined here.
You should inform your instructor as soon as possible that you missed or will miss a deadline to submit course work or that you were unable to complete an in-course assessment. Your course instructor may ask you for documentation, and if so, you should then arrange to provide it in a timely manner.
You should provide documentation as soon as possible.
Submission of your documentation should be made directly to your instructor. Your instructor will inform you of acceptable methods, such as in-person, during class, office hours, or by email.
You need to provide only as much information as a reasonable person would need to make an informed decision. Your course instructor will decide if the alternate arrangement is possible.
No. You can’t be asked to provide a medical note, however, you may decide to provide one if appropriate to your situation. A medical note does not need to contain detailed medical information. For example, it can include the length of absence due to the medical condition.
There are many types of supporting documentation which include the Student Declaration of absence for In-course Assessments, a compassionate absence for a death in the family, an emergency police statement, accident, evacuation or medical note.
The Student Declaration of absence for In-course Assessments can be used as a form of documentation. Whether you choose to provide additional documentation to support your absence, in addition to the form, is at your discretion.
No. Supporting documentation will be used in consideration of determining if an alternate arrangement is possible. It does not guarantee that any request will be approved. For example, documentation that explains you were absent for a family reunion, while it’s accurate, may not be deemed acceptable by your instructor. Likewise, documentation confirming an upset stomach ten days prior to an assessment due date might also not be accepted as a legitimate reason.
If your instructor has requested documentation, you should submit it directly to your course instructor in a method acceptable to them. If the supporting documentation is for another purpose — ex. deferred exam request, then you would follow the submission instructions for that process. Find information on the deferred exam process here.
You can connect with the associate dean, department head or the dean of the faculty offering the course for follow-up. If the request was based on a protected ground, the appeal process is outlined in the Student Accommodation Policy and should appear in any decision letter you receive.
The documentation you provide is not meant to “verify” the reason an in-course assessment will be or has been missed. Its purpose is to share information with your course instructor so they can determine what, if any, alternate arrangement can be offered. As such, there is no central verification process being planned or implemented.
Extended absences
Please talk with an advisor in your faculty advising office or, if you are registered with Student Accessibility Services, with your access advisor. In some cases, they may be able to help remedy the situation or help you .
An extenuating circumstances withdrawal (EW) is when a significant unforeseen incident occurs that prevents you from continuing with your courses. Typically, extenuating circumstances withdrawals apply to all courses in a term, and tuition fees are not refunded. If an EW is granted, the withdrawal does not count towards a program maximum. Find more information about in the academic calendar.
If you are unable to complete your term and you are enrolled in the SU Health and Dental Plan, the policy does, in some circumstances, cover .
Protected grounds
Protected grounds are outlined in and are also listed in the Student Accommodation Policy. If a request for accommodation was based on a protected ground, the appeal process is outlined in the Student Accommodation Policy and should appear in any decision letter you receive.
Religious accommodation requests relating to class, test or exam scheduling or absences must be submitted no later than 14 days prior to the date in question. More information is outline in Academic Regulation
If the request is related to an academic course, your course outline will indicate whether you need to connect with a Faculty contact person or associate dean. If the request is not related to academics, please complete the form and DzԳٲ v𰪳ܳ..
Falsifying documentation
The reason you request an alternate arrangement, and any supporting documentation put forward needs to reflect your situation accurately. The documentation is meant to begin a conversation with your instructor. If you are considering falsifying documentation for a missed assessment, this is a signal to have a more honest conversation with your course instructor or a faculty advisor so you can find support for your situation.
Falsification of any supporting documentation will be taken very seriously and may result in disciplinary action through the Student Non-Academic Misconduct policy.
Faculty and staff FAQs
FAQs about supporting documentation for missed in-course assessments
All students can face challenges that impact their ability to complete course requirements as indicated in the course outline. While the university is here to support students during these unexpected moments, you may require them to provide if they have missed a course component.
The section of the university calendar is .
Students decide what supporting documentation is most appropriate to share with you to support their request for an alternate arrangement.
Common types of supporting documentation include, but are not limited to:
Student Declaration of Absence for In-course Assessments
- The Student Declaration of Absence for In-course Assessments is a form that can be used on its own, without any other supporting documentation. Students can choose to submit additional types of supporting documentation alongside this form.
- Students may choose to use the Student Declaration of Absence for In-course Assessments in situations where other forms of documentation are not readily available such as caring for a sick family member, personal illness that did not require a visit to a doctor, or an oral invitation from Elders or Traditional Knowledge Keepers.
Student declaration of Absence for In-course Assessments form
Accident report
- If the individual has been involved in a car accident orhad an injury and there is an incident report available.
Landlord letter
- If the individual has had an issue to deal with at their rental accommodation that required their immediate attention, their landlord could provide a letter or a report of the incident.
Participation in a major event
- Official invitations or confirmation of participation in a major sporting academic or cultural event.
- Invitation letter confirming participation or confirmation of participation in a major sporting, academic or cultural event. This could also include an oral invitation from Elders or Traditional Knowledge Keepers.
Medical note
- A student cannot be required to provide supporting documentation such as a medical note. Students may choose, however, to submit documentation that will support their situation.
- The decision to provide supporting documentation that best suits the situation is at the student’s discretion. If they decide to provide a medical note as supporting documentation, it does not need to include detailed medical information such as a diagnosis.
Police or insurance reports
- If an individual has experienced an issue where police or insurance is involved, there should be a report available and the student may choose to share it.
Statutory declaration
- A is made through a commissioner for oaths and must be signed in the presence of a commissioner for oaths, who certifies that they have administered the oath or affirmation to the declarant. Many commissioners for oaths are available for a fee and by appointment. An individual can download the statutory declaration form and swear an oath at their appointment and then share the form with the appropriate contact regarding their situation. The offers information on .
The Student Declaration of Absence for In-course Assessments can be used as documentation to support a request for an alternate arrangement for missed in-course assessments.
No additional documentation is required; however, additional documentation can be provided if a student chooses.
Student Declaration of Absence for In-course Assessments form
No. A medical note cannot be requested as a form of documentation from a student; however, a student may choose to provide it. If a student chooses to provide a medical note as a form of documentation, it does not need to contain detailed medical information about their diagnosis, it provides documentation for their illness or absence.
Yes, a student can choose the form of documentation for their illness/absence. Some students will already have this information.
Instructors have the discretion to accept or reject the documentation presented. For example, if a student presents documentation that indicates they suffered from an upset stomach ten days prior, then it may not be relevant to an assignment due the next day. Likewise, if the student presents documentation indicating they were away from university for a family reunion, the reason may not be valid.
In both cases, the situations may be accurate and the evidence valid, but not acceptable to you as a valid reason for an alternate arrangement.
The ɫ has made it clear through our Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy that we need to support and value all members of our community, and thus would normally expect instructors to support requests from students who are reporting current physical or mental illnesses.
If you suspect a Student Declaration of Absence for In-course Assessments is not credible, this provides an opportunity to have a personal conversation with the student to gain a better understanding of their situation. For additional supports, consult the of Teaching and Learning or the Associate Dean Teaching and Learning.
If you decide to keep the documents, they should be kept in the student’s department or faculty file and are subject to the university’s records retention rule 99.0006 Student Academic Files – Undergraduate () and 98.0018 Student Academic Files – Graduate ().
The course outline is used by course instructors to highlight expectations of engagement in a course. For additional information consult Regulations and . See also for advice on course outlines.
The documentation a student provides is not meant to "verify" the reason an in-course assessment will be or has been missed. Its purpose is to share information with you so you can determine what, if any, alternate arrangement can be offered. As such there is no central verification process being planned or implemented.