Graduate students whose application to opt in or out of the UPASS or Extended Health and Dental Plans is denied may file an appeal. Common reasons for opt-ins/outs to be denied include:
- Missed the opt-in and/or opt-out deadline
- Graduate students that are in a situation that does not match opt-in/opt-out criteria
An appeal means your application to opt in or out will be reviewed by the GSS Appeals Committee to ensure that GSS policies were fair and applied correctly. Submitting an appeal does not guarantee that your opt-in/out will be approved.
The Appeals Committee assesses the validity of appeals on the basis of two criteria:
- Administrative unfairness (by the University of Victoria or the GSS); and/or
- Extenuating personal circumstances.
This means that in order for the Appeals Committee to approve an appeal, you must document how either administrative unfairness or extenuating personal circumstances made it impossible for you to meet the opt-in/out criteria, including deadlines. Please note that under University policy, it is the students’ responsibility to be familiar with University and GSS service deadlines.
The Appeal Form is in the Forms section of the website. This form must include an explanation of your reason for appealing in detail. Please add supporting documents as necessary to explain extenuating circumstances and/or administrative unfairness that prevented your opt-in/out by the deadline.
The GSS encourages you to consult with the Office of the Ombudsperson for support in preparing your appeal. The Ombudsperson is an impartial advocate for fairness at UVIC.
Submit your Appeal form and supporting documents by email to the Health and Dental Coordinator: gsoc@uvic.ca.
Graduate students that have received an appeal decision may submit another appeal form if the graduate student would like to include additional or new information that was not previously on their form. It is important to include clear documentation of how administrative unfairness or personal extenuating circumstances prevent you from meeting the opt-in/out criteria, including deadlines.
The Appeal Form is in the Forms section of the website. This form must include an explanation of the new or additional information and/or documents in detail that contributed to missing the opt-in and/or opt-out deadline. Submit your Appeal form and supporting documents by email to the Health and Dental Coordinator: gsoc@uvic.ca
Graduate students that disagree with the decision of the Appeals Committee may submit a request of the decision to the GSS Executive Board. This submission must include and clearly outline how:
- The grounds in how the process or procedure for the appeal(s) was not following; AND
- The hearing or decision was biased
The Appeal Form in the Forms section of the website. This form must include an explanation in detail the process or procedure that was not followed by the Appeals Committee to the GSS Executive Board. Submit this form and any other documentation to the GSS Executive Director: gssmgr@uvic.ca or the GSS Executive Board Chair: gsschair@uvic.ca.