UWindsor students need to know their rights
By Madeline MacIsaac, Robert Woodrich
Lance Writers
November 18, 2009
 Every student at this University is, or should be, aware of his or her basic rights and freedoms, including the right to free speech, right to practice religion freely, the right to peaceful assembly, the right to an unbiased trial and so on.
It might come as a shock to know that very few among us are fully aware of our rights as students at the University of Windsor.
Many students do not know that they have the right to appeal a grade, or that a $20 fee accompanies it. Many students are unaware how may exams they are allowed to have scheduled for one day, or what their rights are concerning turnitin.com.
For the next four weeks, we will be writing a series of articles to inform students of some of their rights and help point them in the right direction so that they can be well-informed.
To start, the first thing you need to know is that your rights as a student are enshrined in the Senate Bylaws and Policies, available here: http://www.uwindsor.ca/senatebylaws.
Diving in to the Bylaws can be a confusing and intimidating experience, so let us give you a tip: only Bylaws 31, 32, 33, and 51 pertain to your rights as a student.
They outline issues such as grade appeals, a commonly misunderstood issue.
Aegrotat Standing is also accounted for in the Bylaws. It is available to students for compassionate or medical reasons, such as when they experience a death in the family, encounter a serious medical issue or experience an extreme emotional trauma, such as a sexual assault, and are left unable to sit examinations.
These students must have completed at least 60 per cent of their course work, and are given a mark based on the work completed.
You have resources such as two academic advocates – both students of law – at your disposal, as well as an Aboriginal education centre, human rights office, student counselling centre, and more.
Over the course of our next three articles, we’ll be helping you make the most of your academic experience at the University of Windsor, not only by letting you know about the services available to you, but by helping you understand the freedoms and rights guaranteed to you as a student.
For more information on the campaign, or to request that a particular subject be covered in this section, please contact Woodrich, your vice-president university affairs, at vpuauwsa@uwindsor.ca.
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