FAQs for Faculty and Staff
Use of Supporting Evidence for Exceptions to Academic Regulations/Missed Term Work/Examinations
Documentation for missed course assessments and exam absences
While the university is here to support students during these unexpected moments, you may require them to provide supporting documentation if they've missed a course component such as an exam.
You can ask students for some documentation to verify their medical situation or illness, but you cannot require a medical note.
The section of the university calendar is M.1 Supporting Documentation.
Yes, a student is able to choose the form of evidence that verifies their illness/absence. Some students will already have this information.
Statutory declarations are one form of supporting documentation a student may choose to provide. Statutory declarations are made through commissioners for oaths and involve swearing an oath. 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 Government of Alberta offers information on commissioners for oaths.
Instructors have the discretion to accept or reject the reason presented. For example, if a student presents a medical note 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 a statutory declaration 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 exception to regulations. The University of Calgary has made it clear through our Campus Mental Health 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 statutory declaration is fraudulent, please contact the Commissioner for Oaths who signed the document to verify. Should you find the declaration has been forged, please file a complaint with the student conduct office who will advise on the next steps.
These documents 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 (asc.ucalgary.ca/marrs/undergraduate) and 98.0018 Student Academic Files – Graduate (asc.ucalgary.ca/marrs/graduate).
The course outline can be used for instructors to highlight expectations of engagement in a course. See https://taylorinstitute.ucalgary.ca/resources/course-outlines for advice on course outlines.
No, unless you are also a student of the University of Calgary. The training and certification of our staff as Commissioners of Oaths has been completed using university funds as a support service to University of Calgary students.