Are you seeking a Letter of Support or Leniency for a U of L Staff or Instructor?
First, if you are seeking a letter of support, its important to reflect on how your circumstances are impacting you, could you benefit from attending a counselling session? We are here to support your emotional and psycho-social wellbeing! We offer same-day appointments at our Walk-In Wednesdays, Group Therapy, Wellness Workshops, Single Sessions appointments, and on-going Personal Counselling. Please visit our website, or drop by our office, email, or give us a call to inquire more.
Counselling Services has moved away from providing personal Letters of Support or Leniency for students who are not current clients of Counselling Services, however, we recognize and honor the need for advocacy letters. Therefore, we created the Student Declaration of Extenuating Circumstances document which is a self-reporting advocacy letter. Students can fill out this declaration when in need of a formal Letter of Support or Leniency for a U of L staff or instructor. Once completed, a Counselling Services staff will review the declaration and forward it (via email) to the U of L staff and/or instructor you identify in the document.
Who might use this Student Declaration of Extenuating Circumstances? Anyone seeking a letter for:
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Request for Leniency or Accommodation
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Letter for an Incomplete
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Letter for Withdraw with Cause
Leniency/Accommodation - an advocacy letter to a professor during a term to request accommodation given an unexpected personal situation that has impacted your attendance and/or timely completion of course assignments.
Incomplete - an advocacy letter to extend the deadline for a course past the final exam date. This usually is an extension of 1 month maximum and is appropriate for students who have completed most of the course. Incompletes for a course must be approved by the professor and advising.
Withdrawal with Cause – as referenced in the academic calendar, the designation ‘WC’ is recorded only in case of serious illness or other extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the student, which make continuation in a course impossible and where an ‘Incomplete’ designation is not in order.
As stated above, you must be a current client to request a personalized letter from a Counsellor. “Current client” is defined as someone who:
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has an on-going relationship with their assigned personal counsellor
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attended counselling services for a minimum of 2-3 sessions
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has attended counselling during the current term
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the assigned counsellor has knowledge about their current circumstances and how its impacting them
We do not provide letters for:
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Mental Health Diagnosis confirmation
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Medical related concerns (hospital visits, medical appointments, or physical illness)
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Immigration or international travel
Before requesting a letter, ask yourself:
- Can my needs be resolved without a formal letter?
- Does my instructor require a letter to provide accommodation? (Instructors will often accommodate without a formal letter)
- Does my situation make it feel unsafe to request accommodation directly from my instructor?
- Is my personal issue more medical in nature? If so, consult a Physician.
- For a WC request, have I considered withdrawing on my own on the Bridge? (For most programs a ‘WC’ is not necessary or recognized as different than a ‘W’)
Process of Declaration:
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Student completes this declaration and emails it to Counselling Services.
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Counselling Services has up to 72 business hours to review the declaration to ensure it is completed correctly and not used more than once per semester.
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Counselling Services will email the declaration to the U of L staff identified by the student in the document. Student will also be cc’d in the email.
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Student must follow up with the instructor and/or staff on the outcome of their request.
