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2026 Review of the Supportive Leaves Policy

Background 

The University of Toronto is launching a review of the Supportive Leaves Policy (the Policy) which came into effect on March 1, 2023.  

The Policy provides a compassionate and non-punitive option to address serious and concerning student behaviour that threatens the safety of others, or results in negative and material impacts on their learning environments. The Policy allows the University to protect a student’s registration and academic record/standing until they can safely return to pursue their studies.  

The Policy was last updated in 2023, and the changes included the following:

  • Narrowing scope of the Policy and reinforcement of its applicability to a small number of exceptional circumstances where the safety of members of the University community are at risk and all other accommodative measures have been unsuccessful.
  • Better articulation of the Student’s rights and the University’s responsibilities and obligations.
  • Reinforcement of the compassionate intent of the Policy.

The Policy stipulates that it will be reviewed in its seventh academic year (originally approved and in effect in 2018), therefore the University is launching this review in the 2026 academic year.  

The focus of the 2026 review is to undertake an assessment of the Policy and its processes to ensure their continued efficacy. The review will receive project management support from staff in the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students, led by Alexis Archbold, Executive Director, Strategy, Programs, & Operations.  

Review Timeline 

  • Winter 2026 – Launch & Internal Stakeholder Consultations 
  • Winter/Spring 2026 – Open Consultation and Anonymous Form 
  • Spring 2026 – Feedback Review and Policy Recommendations 
  • Summer 2026 – Drafting policy revisions 
  • Fall 2026 – Governance Approval of Revised Policy 
  • Winter 2027 – Implementation 

Consultation Process 

We invite all members of our community to share their feedback. Throughout the Winter term, the review team will be reaching out to U of T offices and individuals who are directly involved in assessing and enforcing Policy for feedback. 

Community consultations will take place in February and March 2026. U of T staff, students, and faculty can participate by attending open online consultation sessions February 24-26, 2026 and/or providing input through an anonymous online form.  

After the consultation period closes on March 20, 2026, summaries of the consultation feedback will be shared with governance in the Fall.   

Feedback 

There are several ways to provide feedback on the Policy. U of T community members can:   

Online consultation sessions 

*Note: registration to participate in these sessions will close at 12 PM the day before the session. 

Students 

Staff

Faculty members & Librarians 

  • Online Tri-Campus Faculty member & Librarian session – February 26, 2:00pm – 3:00pm (Registration required) 

Anonymous online form  

All U of T community members can provide anonymous feedback through an online consultation form. This form will be open until March 20, 2026. 

Email the Review Team  
U of T community members can provide feedback directly to the review team at supportiveleaves.review.ovps@utoronto.ca. All messages will be reviewed by the review team.  

Confidentiality  

All feedback provided falls under student, staff, and faculty confidentiality and any use of individual comments will be presented in an aggregated and anonymized format.  

Accessibility 

We strive to make our review process as accessible as possible and will provide accommodations for all students, faculty members, and staff as needed. Upon request, further accessible formats and communication supports can be provided. If you have any special requests or require specific accessibility accommodations for your participation in any of the consultation opportunities, please let us know on your registration form or through e-mail at supportiveleaves.review.ovps@utoronto.ca.