Failed Year
Failed Year Standing
All students in the Bachelor of Commerce program are required to maintain a sessional average of 60%. This average is calculated on your grades from September to April. Grades from courses taken in the summer session are not used in calculating a sessional average.
If your sessional average for the Winter Session falls below 60%, you are assigned a ‘Failed Year’ standing. While students with a Failed Year standing are required to leave the BCom program, they may submit an appeal requesting permission to continue. The appeal is an opportunity for students to present any extenuating circumstances that significantly affected them during the session. The appeal can include documentary proof, where appropriate, that you connected with professionals (doctors, counselors, etc.) to help resolve the extenuating circumstances.
If you have questions about your situation or need support, consider reaching out to an Academic Advisor at the UGO or consulting other on-campus resources related to health, wellness, and financial planning:
If this is:
The first time you have a Failed Year standing and your appeal is successful: this means that you have been given permission to continue in the program. The UGO will provide you with a letter that includes details on expectations that you must meet in order to be permitted to continue in the program. This can include being placed on Academic Probation.
The first time you have a Failed Year standing and your appeal is NOT successful: you are required to withdraw from UBC for a period of at least one year. The UGO will provide you with a letter that details the requirements you must meet in order to be eligible to apply for re-admission.
The second time you have a Failed Year standing: you are required to withdraw from UBC for a period of one year. Re-admission to the BCom program after a second failed year is not granted. (UBC Calendar).
If you intend to submit an appeal:
The appeal submission form is now available. To ensure that the Academic Review Committee is able to review your appeal and provide you with a response before registration for the 2025 Winter session opens in June, you should submit your appeal by 4:30pm, Wednesday May 21st.
Appeals can still be submitted after this date, but we cannot guarantee that you will receive a response to your appeal before registration opens in June.
Requirements for submitting an appeal:
Letter of appeal – Download and complete the following appeal form: Letter of appeal
Supporting documentation – If appropriate, provide doctors’ notes, official medical documentation, or other evidence that supports the grounds of your appeal. If you are uncomfortable providing documentation, please connect with an Academic Advisor to discuss your situation. Documentation and information provided will only be seen by the Academic Advisor preparing the appeal package and the Academic Review Committee for the purpose of reviewing your appeal.
Reference campus services – If you have accessed campus services such as academic advising, peer programs, Counselling Services, the Centre for Accessibility, etc., please include this in your appeal. If you did not make use of campus resources, but intend to do so moving forward, please make specific reference to the resources you plan to use. There are fields in the appeal form to include this information.
If you have questions about the process or need support to structure your appeal, consider reaching out for additional support to an Academic Advisor at the UGO, the UBC Ombudsperson Office (see Appeal Guidelines), or reach out to AMS Advocacy.