Complaints & Appeals

COMPLAINTS AND APPEAL PROCESS

The Toronto Film School is committed to the maintenance of an academicenvironment free of discrimination that complies with the federal and provincial laws of civil rights. The President will have the responsibility to review charges and complaints from any student. The President will have the dual function of safeguarding the rights and safety of the Institute community.

General student complaints should be addressed to the administrator of the department at which the complaint is directed.

Complaints regarding academic issues should first be addressed to the faculty. Academic problems remaining unresolved should then be addressed to the appropriate program chair.

ACADEMIC APPEALS PROCEDURES

The student will initiate the appeal in writing. Appeals will be submitted to the program Coordinator or a designate. The written appeal must contain:

• The student’s name and student ID number
• The date the appeal was submitted
• The student’s program and last class section
• The date of last attendance (for inactive students)
• The reason and nature of the appeal
• The specific relief or decision change that is sought by the appeal
• An explanation and documentation of any extenuating circumstances
• Additional details as required for appeals after academic dismissal (see below)
• The student’s signature

When deadlines for submitting appeals are established by academic policy, it is the student’s responsibility to meet these deadlines. Such deadlines usually relate to progression restrictions. Late appeals may result in a one-term interruption of studies. In cases where no deadlines are established, an academic appeal should be submitted within one week of the occurrence prompting the appeal.

The Program Coordinator or designate will take timely action on the appeal and will meet any time restrictions established by separate policy. Written documentation of the final appeal decision will become a part of the student’s permanent file. The student submitting the appeal may be notified of the final decision in writing.

Conditions for future performance over and above any conditions specified in the policy may be established through an advising session. Such conditions must be recorded as a part of the appeal document that becomes a part of the student’s permanent file.

If the Coordinator does not approve the appeal, the student may request a review of that decision by the director of education. A written request to review an appeal decision must be submitted within two (2) class days of the rejection. The director of education will also document the decision for inclusion in the student’s permanent file. The request for review, and the decisions and signatures of the Coordinator and the director of education may be a part of the same appeal form submitted by the student. The director of education will inform the student and the Coordinator in writing of the decision regarding the appeal’s review.

GENERAL COMPLAINTS PROCEDURES

General complaints must be made in writing to student services or designate[1]* who will direct the complaint to the administrator designated as the most able to address and resolve the complaint.

• Within five (5) business days of receiving the complaint, the designated administrator will meet with the student and provide an opportunity to make an oral submission(s).
  • Complainants are entitled to have another person present throughout the complaint process and/or to make oral submissions on behalf of the student.
  • There will be a written record of this meeting and the student will receive a copy of this record.
• Within fifteen (15) business days, the designated administrator will respond to the complaint in writing. This response will include a decision statement, rationale for the decision and the record of the meeting with the student.
• Should the complaint still not be resolved to the satisfaction of the student, s/he may appeal the decision to the president. All appeals must be in writing and addressed to:

Andrew Barnsley
President, Toronto Film School
460 Yonge Street, Toronto,
ON M4Y 1W9

The appeal statement must indicate why the student disagrees with the designated administrator’s decision. The appeal documentation must include the original decision and any supporting and background information.

• Within ten (10) days of receiving the appeal, the president will meet with the complainant when s/he will have an opportunity to make an oral submission(s).
  • Complainants are entitled to have another person present throughout the complaint process and/or to make oral submissions on behalf of the student.
  • There will be a written record of this meeting and the student will receive a copy of this record.
• The president will provide a written response to the student within ten (10) business days from the meeting. This response will include a decision statement, rationale for the decision and the record of the meeting with the student.
• Should the student not be satisfied with this decision, s/he may escalate the complaint to the Superintendent of Private Career Colleges.

Superintendent of Private Career Colleges
Private Career Colleges Branch
Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
77 Wellesley Street West, Box 977
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1N3

• Student services will maintain a file of each student complaint along with any submissions and decisions. A complainant has access to her/his complaint file which will be maintained for three (3) years from the original date of the complaint.