Requests for Records and Letters

Request for Student Records

Students may request any other non-academic records from the department in which they are kept. For example, requests for health and wellness or Accessibility Service records can be made at the office or clinic in which they were prepared. Fill out the Request a Copy of My Personal Records form and send to the appropriate department. If you prefer, you can use the fillable version of the Request a Copy of My Personal Records but you will need to print it to complete the signature portion.

Students requesting records will be asked to provide information necessary to verify their identity and, the identity of anyone wishing to access records on the student’s behalf. Where a student wishes records or information to be released to a representative, such as legal counsel or a legal guardian, they must provide written and signed authorizations for that purpose. 

Students who wish to have their records released to a third party must complete an Authorization for Release of Personal Information to Third Parties form.

 

Request for Student Letters

The Health and Wellness Centre (Counselling and Medical Clinic) occasionally receives requests from students for letters to facilitate a late withdrawal application, medical notes for missed classes, or to support requests regarding academic accommodations such as extensions on due dates. We take these requests seriously and use our professional judgment to discern whether a student is experiencing challenges with mental/physical health and well-being that interferes with their academic success. 

We can best make judgments about requests for letters when we have an ongoing clinical relationship with the student. Should a student request a letter during an initial visit to the Health and Wellness Centre, it is possible that this request may be declined on the basis of a lack of clinical information.

When possible, we encourage students to advocate on their own behalf and communicate with instructors directly. In many cases, instructors can make valid evaluations of a students’ circumstances and the resulting impact on academics without having to refer to the Health and Wellness Centre, e.g. absences due to flu/illness, major loss/grief, difficulty with basic needs such as housing, or other life stressors that arise for students.

The Registrar’s website has information about the late withdrawal application process.

See also, information about the Accessibility Services accommodation process.