U of T unveils new university-mandated leave of absence policy

The University of Toronto has released a revised version of the university-mandated leave of absence policy for feedback from students, faculty and staff. 

In January, U of T decided to withdraw the policy so that the university could take additional time to consider the comments received and provide a thorough response.

The revised version specifically notes the university’s duty to meet its obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code, which includes the duty to provide reasonable accommodation to the point of undue hardship. The policy emphasizes that the mandated leave of absence is to be non-punitive and applied only after accommodative measures have been unsuccessful, or the student has declined to participate with those measures.

“The revised version clarifies and amplifies key areas of the policy, including our duty to accommodate under the OHRC,” said Sandy Welsh, vice-provost, students.

Read more about the proposed policy
 

The proposed policy is posted on the university’s student consultation website where any member of the U of T community can provide feedback on the new draft.

“The university has been considering a university-mandated leave of absence policy for a few years,” said Cheryl Regehr, provost and vice-president. “The need for such a policy was first raised by the U of T Ombudsperson in 2014-15. It will now give us the tools to formally review a student’s supports and accommodations,” she said.