ACORN Absence Declaration Tool (ADT): Academic Consideration Requests

If you will be absent due to any of the following circumstances and require academic consideration, check with your faculty, college, or campus registrar’s office for existing processes: 

• Athletic obligations (e.g., participation in a Varsity sporting event) 
• Attendance of a University sponsored event (e.g., field trip, awards ceremony) 
• Chronic and ongoing health conditions, or a disability 
• Contact the Accessibility Services Office for more support 
• Mandatory legal obligations (e.g., jury duty) 
• Religious observances 
• Will be accommodated according to Policy on Scheduling of Classes and Examinations and Other Accommodations for Religious Observances. See U of T’s Religious Accommodation Support website for more information. 

You can find support from your faculty, college, or campus registrar’s office if you are unsure of what resources are available.

See the faculty, college, or campus procedures section below for a list of participating faculty, college, or campus’.

Alternatively, login to ACORN and click the Profile & Settings tab. Next, click on the ‘Display and update absence declarations’ link.

For faculty, college, or campus’ that do use the tool:

• You will have the ability to declare your absence in ACORN.
• Proceed to Step Two, and use ACORN to declare your absence.

For faculty, college, or campus‘ that do not use the tool:

• You will see a message that states: “You cannot declare absences as your division does not allow absence declarations via ACORN.”
• Consult your faculty, college, or campus procedures for additional next steps for absences or academic consideration.

If you have completed Step One, and your faculty, college, or campus participates in the ACORN Absence Declaration Tool, you can follow the instructions in ACORN to declare your absence.

1. The ACORN Absence Declaration Tool requires you to select the course(s) you plan to seek academic consideration for.
2. You may provide the email address for your course contact(s) listed by your course syllabus or faculty, college, or campus’ website (e.g., instructor, TA, advisor).
3. A record of the absence is sent to the email(s) that you provide at the time of submission, and a receipt of the absence declaration is also sent to your University of Toronto email address.

Note: Submitting an absence declaration through ACORN does not start the process of academic consideration on its own. It is your responsibility to arrange for academic consideration by following instructions provided by the course syllabus, or by your home academic faculty, college, or campus procedures for absences or academic consideration.

After you have used the Absence Declaration Tool in ACORN to declare your absence, ensure that you do the following:

• Check your U of T email address for the ACORN Absence Declaration receipt
  Once submitted, a receipt for the absence declaration will be sent to your U of T email address as well as to email addresses you provided in the declaration. You can also view and print a record of absences that you have declared during the current academic term in ACORN at any time.
• Arrange for academic consideration
  Follow the instructions outlined in your course syllabus, or by your home academic faculty, college, or campus’ procedures and make your academic consideration request with the appropriate contact(s). For example: email your professor, notify them of your absence declaration sent to them through ACORN, then make your academic consideration request for missed academic work.
• Reach out to your faculty, college, or campus registrar’s office at any point if you need support with reporting your absence or seeking academic consideration.

Once you have declared an absence, you will be restricted from using the ACORN Absence Declaration Tool to report any further absences in the current term. The term duration is defined by your home faculty, college, or campus (e.g., the start and end of classes). If you need clarification on term dates, please see your faculty, college, or campus published academic dates.  
 
More than one short-term absence to declare in the current term 
For any additional absences, you will need to:  

• Follow the instructions outlined in your course syllabus, or by your home academic faculty, college, or campus procedures and make your academic consideration request with the appropriate contact(s). 
•  You may be asked to provide supporting documentation such as the verification of illness form (VOI).

You may use the ACORN Absence Declaration Tool to declare an absence for a maximum period of seven (7) consecutive calendar days. The seven-day declaration period can be retroactive for up to six (6) days in the past, or proactive, up to six (6) days in the future.  
 
An absence declaration longer than seven (7) consecutive days will not be accepted by the ACORN Absence Declaration Tool.  
 
Please contact your faculty, college, or campus registrar’s office for assistance should you wish to record an absence for a longer period. 

The ACORN Absence Declaration Tool cannot be used to seek academic consideration for any matters that requires a petition such as missing a final exam or final assessment.

If you need academic consideration or have a concern about a final examination or final assessment, please refer to your academic faculty, college, or campus website on petitions or contact your faculty, college, or campus registrar’s office for assistance.

Note: Your faculty, college, or campus may impose additional restrictions for using the Absence Declaration Tool for in-class assessments that do not require a petition. Please contact your faculty, college, or campus registrar’s office for more information about additional restrictions.

Canceling a submission 

After an absence declaration is submitted in ACORN it cannot be cancelled.  

Modifying a submission 

If you are trying to correct information in the declaration, you can modify the absence declaration until the end of the submission day (11:59PM EST). You can update the absence end date, courses selected, notes, and email addresses within this period.  

If you are seeking to cancel or modify an absence declaration submission after this period, please contact your faculty, college, or campus registrar’s office. 

Note: Modifying a submission will resend it to the email(s) that you provided.  

Dual Registration

If you are a student registered in two academic faculty, college, or campus‘ (e.g., dual degree) the ACORN Absence Declaration Tool cannot be used to declare your absence. You will be directed to contact your registrar’s office for next steps on how to declare an absence.