Rights & Responsibilities
Understanding your rights and responsibilities as a student helps you navigate your post-secondary experience with confidence and self-advocacy.
⚖️ Your Rights
Transparency
You have the right to clear information about policies, procedures, grading criteria, course requirements, and institutional policies.
Respectful Treatment
You have the right to be treated with respect, dignity, and without discrimination based on protected grounds (race, gender, religion, disability, etc.).
Accommodation Process
You have the right to request reasonable accommodations for disabilities, medical conditions, or other barriers to learning, and to have those requests considered in good faith.
Privacy
Check your school's privacy policy for how personal information and academic records are handled, and how to raise a privacy concern. Applicable rules depend on the institution.
Due Process
You have the right to fair procedures, notice of allegations, opportunity to respond, and appeal processes for academic or disciplinary matters.
Right to Appeal
Where available, you have the right to appeal grades, academic decisions, or disciplinary actions through formal institutional appeal processes.
✅ Your Responsibilities
Academic Integrity
You are responsible for submitting original work, properly citing sources, avoiding plagiarism, and following academic honesty policies.
Respectful Conduct
You are responsible for treating peers, instructors, and staff with respect, following codes of conduct, and contributing to a positive learning environment.
Deadlines
You are responsible for meeting assignment deadlines, understanding course requirements, and communicating proactively if you need extensions.
Documentation
You are responsible for providing required documentation for accommodations, appeals, or special circumstances in a timely manner.
Professional Communication
You are responsible for communicating professionally with instructors and staff, reading emails, checking course announcements, and responding appropriately.
📊 Grade Review & Appeal Options
First check your school's current policy, permitted grounds and filing deadline. A grade review and an appeal of an academic decision may be different processes. These are possible contacts, not a universal sequence. Note: Processes vary by institution. Always check your school's academic calendar or student handbook for specific procedures. See UBC Vancouver's review policy and SFU's grade appeal guidance as school-specific examples, not rules for other institutions.
Contact Your Instructor
Discuss your concerns directly with the instructor who assigned the grade. Ask for clarification on how the grade was calculated, request feedback, and seek understanding of the grading criteria.
Check the actual filing deadline now; do not let informal discussions make you miss it
Course Lead / Program Chair
If your school's policy directs you to a Course Lead or Program Chair, provide your documentation and the specific concerns that remain.
Use this route only where your school's procedure calls for it
Program Director / Dean
Contact a Program Director or Dean only where your school's procedure directs you. Include relevant correspondence and a clear summary of your concerns.
Not every process includes this contact
Formal Review or Appeal Route
Submit a formal appeal through your institution's official appeal process. This may involve a department committee, academic appeals committee, or senate-level review. Follow your school's specific procedures and deadlines.
Confirm the deadline, grounds, required form, possible outcomes and any fee in your school's current policy
Ombudsperson / Student Advocacy
An institutional ombudsperson can explain policies and provide impartial process guidance, rather than decide your appeal. A student advocacy office may have a different role, including supporting your case. Check each office's scope; you can ask for guidance at any stage.
Available at any stage if your institution has this service
⚠️ Important: Appeal processes, timelines, and available steps vary significantly by institution. Always check your school's academic calendar, student handbook, or policy documents for the specific procedures and deadlines that apply to you.
🔗Helpful Links
BC Ombudsperson
The BC Ombudsperson provides independent oversight for public post-secondary institutions in BC, including helping with complaints about administrative fairness.
Visit BC Ombudsperson →BC Human Rights Tribunal
If you believe you've experienced discrimination based on protected grounds (race, gender, religion, disability, etc.), you can file a complaint with the BC Human Rights Tribunal.
File a Human Rights Complaint →Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB)
If you're attending a private training institution in BC and have concerns about quality, policies, or tuition protection, PTIB handles complaints and provides oversight.
PTIB Complaints & Claims →