[SGS] Termination Template and Sample Letters

SGS #004, 2010-2011
TO: Graduate Chairs and Directors, Graduate Coordinators and Administrators
FROM: Berry Smith, Vice-Dean, Students
CC: Council of Graduate Deans, School of Graduate Studies Staff
DATE: October 18, 2010
RE: Termination Template and Sample Letters
______________________________________________________________________________
On occasion it becomes necessary to consider the termination of a student's registration in their graduate program. As termination is a serious request, SGS has produced a termination template letter as well as four sample letters for the most common reasons for termination:
· failed courses(s);
· failed comprehensive exam(s);
· lack of satisfactory progress and,
· failure to achieve candidacy.

These documents can be accessed at: http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/governance/policies/termination.htm

The letter requesting termination should be sent to me as SGS Vice-Dean, Students by the chair or director of the graduate unit. It should carefully document the reasons for the recommendation. Reference should be made to any previous discussions or correspondence with the student related to the matter. It is expected that the Chair or Graduate Coordinator will have discussed the issue with the student (and with the supervisor, where appropriate) prior to the letter being sent. Students should be informed of their exit options so that the difference between withdrawal and termination is clearly understood. Departments are encouraged to have a departmental committee on academic standing that reviews termination requests before they are sent to SGS.

In responding to a graduate unit’s request for termination of a student’s program SGS will consider such matters as: was there sufficient cause to terminate, was the case properly documented, was adequate feedback and warning given, were student’s circumstances fairly considered, were conditions of performance and time lines to correct the problem or to show acceptable improvement reasonable and was due process followed.

As noted in the accompanying documentation, these are sample letters only and consultation with the SGS Vice-Dean Students at any step leading to termination is welcome. The SGS Vice-Dean Students is available to mediate a problematic situation and provide advice on how academic regulations such as Good Academic Standing and Satisfactory Academic Progress and the principles of Graduate Student Supervision may be applied.

Should you have any questions about the template or sample letters, please contact the Director of Student Services, Heather Kelly at heather.kelly@utoronto.ca.