FAQs | ACORN Help

Amara Maharaj

December 16, 2022

Make a request for an Accommodated Test

Accommodated Testing Services coordinates on-campus and online assessment accommodations for students with disabilities who are enrolled in courses offered on the St. George Campus. You can learn more about Accommodated Testing Services here.

From the ACORN dashboard, click Accommodated Testing Services under the Academics section of the left-hand navigation menu.

Screenshot of the main navigation menu highlighting the Accommodated Testing Services option on the ACORN Dashboard.
On the Accommodated Testing Services (ATS) page, you can read an introduction about ATS which includes eligibility requirements. If you would like to make requests for U of T Scarborough or U of T Mississauga, you can click on the links provided which will redirect you to the appropriate pages. If you do meet the eligibility requirements, you can click on the “Continue” button to proceed to the next steps which include requesting an accommodated test and viewing your bookings dashboard.
Screenshot highlighting information on the introduction page to ATS
1. If you are already registered with Accessibility Services, approved to write quizzes, tests or exams with accommodations and are also registered with Accommodated Testing Services, then you will be able to request to write on-campus or online accommodated tests and quizzes for St. George campus courses by clicking on the “Request Accommodated Testing” button. If you would like to make a request that is late a request, for a deferred assessment, a program qualification, or for a course that you did not enrol in via ACORN, then you will need to submit your request via the Alternate Registration Form.
  Screenshot highlighting the request accommodated testing button and how to request an accommodated test for different situations.
2. If you are not registered with Accessibility Services or do not yet have approved accommodations, then you will not be able to proceed with making a request or view your bookings dashboard.
After you click on the “Request Accommodated Testing” button, you will be asked to complete the form. Keep in mind, this form asks for information about the assessment writing details for the class and not for your requested accommodated details. The first part requires you to complete information about the type of request and activity that you are making the request for. This includes selecting the type of request, choosing a course from your list of registered courses for the current session and selecting whether your instructor has indicated that this assessment must be written in person or not.
1. Keep in mind the first part of this question is asking where your instructor said you and your class must write this assessment and not where you would like to write it.
  If you have selected a standard assessment and your instructor indicated you must complete this assessment ‘in person, on campus’, then you will be required to write this assessment in person with Accommodated Testing Services (ATS). If your instructor did not indicate that this assessment must be written in person, then you can choose whether you would like to write it in person with Accommodated Testing Services (ATS), or at home or elsewhere.
2. The next section of the form will ask you to enter the writing details of the assessment including date, time and duration. Please note, if you have selected a Makeup Assessment, then you will be required to enter the date, time and duration the instructor indicated you must write this assessment.
  1. If you have selected a Standard Assessment then enter the details that the instructor has indicated for you and your class.
    Keep in mind these questions are asking you to enter the class writing details for Standard Assessments or details arranged by the instructor for Makeup Assessments and not when you would like to write this assessment.
    E.g., My instructor indicated that I have an in-person assessment on September 14th at 2:00pm for a duration of 2 hours. You will enter the following for this scenario:
    Class Writing Date: September 7th
    Class Writing Time: 2:00pm
    Class Writing Time Limit: 2 hours
  2. Also, if your assessment takes place over the course of multiple dates, i.e., has an end date that is different from the start date, then only enter the start date and time for when this assessment will become available.
    E.g., My instructor indicated that I have an online assessment that will be available between September 14th at 9:00am to September 16th at 11:59pm. I can write this assessment anytime within that time period but once I start this assessment then I have 3 hours to complete it. You will enter the following for this scenario:
    Class Writing Date: September 14th
    Class Writing Time: 9:00am
    Class Writing Time Limit: 3 hours
  3. Additionally, only enter the duration of the assessment and not the period for when this assessment is available. For example, do not enter 48 hours, in the “Class Writing Time Limit” section for an assessment that has a 2-day availability period.
    E.g., My instructor indicated that I have an online assessment that will be available between September 14th from 9:00am to September 16th at 11:59pm . I can choose to complete this assessment any time within that period and there is no time limit. You will enter the following for this scenario:
    Class Writing Date: September 14th
    Class Writing Time: 9:00am
    Class Writing Time Limit: the time you think it will take to complete this assessment (up to 23 hours and 59 mins).
3. After completing this information, you can review your accommodations and submit your request by clicking “Submit Request”. If you have any optional accommodations, then you can opt in or out for this request by clicking on the checkbox.
4. If your accommodated testing request was created successfully, you will receive a success notice at the top-right corner of your screen. You can now submit another request or navigate to your bookings dashboard.
5. If you are making another request for a booking that you have previously made, then you will receive an error message instead. Please follow the instructions in the error message.
If your booking is successful and you return to your dashboard, then you can see your upcoming, past or cancelled bookings in the table by clicking through the different tabs. To see more options for your booking you can click on the settings icon.
1. You can review the details of your booking request by clicking “Review”.
2. If you would like details on how to cancel your booking request, then click “Cancel” and follow the instructions.

Tiffany Au

July 7, 2022

Complete the U of T Student Equity Census

The U of T Student Equity Census is a demographic data collection initiative that will be used to develop, assess, and maintain programs and initiatives that respond to the needs of our students. You can learn more about the U of T Student Equity Census and view the FAQs here.

You can access the U of T Student Equity Census page by going to “Profile & Settings” from the main navigation menu and selecting the Student Equity Census tab.

The U of T Student Equity Census page when you have already submitted a response.
On the U of T Student Equity Census page, you can read an introduction about the census and select the “Get Started” button.

The “U of T Student Equity Census” page in the “Profile & Settings” area containing instructions on how to complete the Census.
You will be directed to the first page of the census form. At the top of every page, you can read instructions on how to answer the questions and complete the form.
1. All questions are mandatory unless stated otherwise, so you will need to complete all the questions within each step before selecting the “Save & Continue” button to progress. This will save the answers that you’ve provided so far in case you navigate away from the Census.
  Instructions when completing and submitting a response for the first time.
  
  The “Save & Continue” button appears on every page of the form when submitting a response for the first time.
2. As you progress through the form, you can select “Previous” or use the navigation towards the top of the form to go to the previous page.
  
  How to navigate the Census form when completing the Census for the first time.
3. Depending on your answers to certain questions, additional mandatory questions may appear.
  
  An example of the “Please Specify Further” text field that appears when the option “An identity not listed (please specify below)” is selected.
4. If you don’t want to answer a question, select “Prefer not to answer”. If you select this option, you will not be able to select other options for the question.
  An example of a “Prefer not to answer” option selected for a question, with the rest of the options disabled.
5. To erase all of your answers and restart the form, select “Reset Form”. Your answers will be removed, and you will be directed to the first page of the form where you can start over. This action will not override any saved progress until you select either “Save & Continue” or “Save & Exit”.
  
  The “Reset Form” button that appears on every section in the Census when submitting a response for the first time.
6. To navigate away from the census, select “Save & Exit Form”. This will redirect you to the U of T Student Equity Census home page where ACORN will inform you that you currently have a response in progress. Please ensure that you return and complete the form as soon as possible.
  
  The “Save & Exit Form” button that appears on every section in the Census when submitting a response for the first time.
When you’ve reached the final page of the form (8. Data Collection Feedback & Submit), you can choose to provide the U of T Student Equity Census team with any feedback regarding your experience with the census. This field is optional.

The “7. Data Collection Feedback & Submit” step highlighting the large text box where students may provide feedback and comments before submitting a response.
Once you’ve answered all the required questions in the census and read the important information on the page, select “Submit Response” to save and submit your response.

The important information and the “Submit Response” button under “7. Data Collection Feedback & Submit”.
If your response was submitted successfully, a success message will appear towards the top of the page. You will be directed to the U of T Student Equity Census page where you can view your response anytime and edit it as long as you are registered for the current academic session.

Tiffany Au

View or edit my response to the U of T Student Equity Census

Once you’ve completed and submitted a response, you can return to the U of T Student Equity Census page in ACORN to view it anytime. You may edit your response as long as you are registered for the current academic session.

On the U of T Student Equity Census page in ACORN, you can see the date when you last submitted or updated your response. To view and/or edit it, select the “View & Edit Submission” button (for non-registered students, select the “View Submission” button).
The U of T Student Equity Census page when you have already submitted a response.
You will be directed to the first page of the census form. At the top of every page, you can read instructions on how to edit and answer the questions. You can edit any of your previous answers to the questions. If you remove an answer (e.g., removing all selected options or removing a typed response), you will not be able to progress to the next pages in the form until you have selected or typed a new response.

Instructions when viewing & editing a response.
1. You can use the navigation at the top of the form to navigate to any page, or select “Back” or “Next” to go to the previous or next page.
  
  How to navigate the Census form when viewing & editing a response.
2. To erase all of your answers and restart the form, select “Reset Form”. Your answers will be removed, and you will be directed to the first page of the form where you can start over. This will not override your previous submission until you answer all the questions and select “Update Submission”.
3. To navigate away from viewing or editing your response, select “Exit Form”. This will re-direct you to the U of T Student Equity Census home page. If you have made any changes to your response, your response will not be updated to reflect those changes unless you select “Update Submission”.
Once you’ve finished making changes, select “Update Submission” to save and submit your response. The “Update Submission” button appears on every page of the form and will submit any changes you have made on every page.
If your response has updated successfully, you will be directed to the U of T Student Equity Census home page and see a success message.

Tiffany Au

March 28, 2022

Get help with academic or financial issues

If you have questions regarding academics, finances, and anything else at the University, the “Contacts & Resources” tab on ACORN’s “Need Help?” page directs you to the appropriate office. This page also provides links to helpful resources that may answer your questions.

First, after logging into ACORN, select the “Need Help?” button located towards the top or bottom of the page.

The “Need Help” button is located the ACORN header.

The “Need Help” button is also located in the ACORN footer.
Next, make sure you are on the “Contacts & Resources” tab.

Several issue topics are available on “Contacts & Resources” tab.
Select the topic that relates to your question or issue. Some topic categories have more specific options underneath that you can choose from. If you’re not sure what topic your question or issue falls under, select “I’m not sure”.
Depending on the topic you choose, you will be directed to different offices to contact and provided with helpful links and resources about your issue.

Contacts for each topic:
1. Academics, Personal information, Financial account, Financial advice, or I’m not sure: Your registrar is your first stop when it comes to academic and financial matters in the University, and you can email your Registrar’s Office directly in ACORN, or by finding their website from this list of registrars. Please note, if you have more than one registrar, you will need to select which registrar to contact. You can describe your issue and upload relevant screenshots or attachments. Once you’re done, you can choose whether you’d like a copy of the email and select submit to send the email.
2. Payments, Tax receipts and information, Student awards, Financial aid, or Transcripts: You will be directed to Enrolment Services’ Service Now form where you can follow instructions to submit a ticket regarding your issue.
3. Housing and residences: You will be directed to a list of residence offices with their emails and phone numbers.

Stefanos Kythreotis

February 11, 2022

How do I filter the search results?

In the Search for Courses area, you can select a specific course, enter a keyword, or select specific departments.

Moreover, you can click on the “Show More Filters” link which will display several more filters to help you narrow down your search results. For example, you can select specific Breadth Requirements, or filter by Delivery Mode, Course Level, and any Time Preference.

Laura Klamot

June 17, 2021

Edit an existing absence declaration

You can edit an existing absence declaration until 11:59 PM on the date that it was created. Absence declarations cannot be cancelled. Next to the absence, select the Edit button.

On the Absence Declaration screen, select the Edit button next to the absence that you want to edit.
Next, go through the absence information and change the details that you need to change. You can edit the Absence End Date, but not the Absence Start Date.
If your division recommends it, you can send a copy of your absence declaration to a maximum of 12 email addresses for your instructor, TA, Course Coordinator, etc. You will need to re-enter these email addresses if you want copies of your updated absence to be sent. A copy of your absence declaration will automatically be sent to your official U of T email address.
Select the Save Changes button once you have filled out all mandatory fields and see no errors. Afterwards, please check your division’s specific procedures for absences or academic consideration. There may be additional steps required by your division beyond submitting an absence declaration on ACORN.
If your absence declaration was updated successfully, you will receive a success message at the top of your screen.
In some cases, you may receive an error message that tells you that ACORN was not able to do what you requested and to try again. Occasionally, technical issues like this will occur. Please try again after an hour or two, and the problem should be resolved. If for any other reason you need help with declaring your absence, please reach out to your divisional registrar.

Laura Klamot

Declare an absence

If you are or will be temporarily absent from your studies and need to request academic consideration for a missed academic obligation (e.g., a test, quiz or paper), you can formally declare your absence using the Absence Declaration tool in ACORN. This creates an official record of your absence that can be used to support your request, so that you do not need to present additional supporting documentation.

To declare an absence, you must be registered and currently enrolled in courses. Your division must also allow absences to be declared through ACORN. Read more about the Absence Declaration process and find your division’s specific procedures for absences or academic consideration.

To get to Absence Declaration from the ACORN Dashboard, select Absence Declaration in the Academics section of the main ACORN navigation.
On the Absence Declaration screen, select the Declare a New Absence button. If this button does not appear, ACORN will tell you why on this page. Your division may not allow absences to be declared through ACORN, you may have already declared an absence during the current session, or you may not be registered in courses for the current session.
On the Declare a New Absence page, first you will be asked to provide a start and end date for your absence. Follow the instructions on this page for when and for how long your absence period can be.
Next, select the course(s) that are affected by your absence. For example, select a course if you missed its quiz, text or exam. You can also declare absences if you have an arrangement with your instructors regarding missing course-related work or assignments.
You may optionally add any additional notes regarding your absence. Please do not include any personal or medical information in this field.
If your division recommends it, you can send a copy of your absence declaration to a maximum of 12 email addresses for your instructor, TA, Course Coordinator, etc. A copy of your absence declaration will automatically be sent to your official U of T email address.
Read the Declarations and check the checkbox to confirm that you have read and agree with the statements.
elect the Submit Absence Declaration button once you have filled out all mandatory fields and see no errors. Afterwards, please check your division’s specific procedures for absences or academic consideration. There may be additional steps required by your division beyond submitting an absence declaration on ACORN.
If your absence declaration was created successfully, you will receive a success message at the top of your screen. You can now view your absence declaration. If you need to edit it, you may do so until 11:59 PM on the day that it was created. Absence declarations cannot be cancelled. Read more about editing absences here.
In some cases, you may receive an error message that tells you that ACORN was not able to do what you requested and to try again. Occasionally, technical issues like this will occur. Please try again after an hour or two, and the problem should be resolved. If for any other reason you need help with declaring your absence, please reach out to your divisional registrar.

Laura Klamot

April 13, 2021

How do I block off time in the timetable, if I have other obligations I need to schedule around?

Within the Timetable section of the application, there is a “Block Off Time” button at the top left of that section. Click on that button and select the term, day, and time you would like to block off. When you save your selections, the respective time will be filled in a black block within the Timetable.

Alternatively, you can click on any timetable slot and follow the same process from there.

Laura Klamot

How do I save, share or export my timetable?

Within the Timetable section of the application, there is a “Share/Export” dropdown button at the top left of that section. By clicking on that button, you will get a few different options to share or export your timetable. You can export your current timetable to PDF or PNG, print your timetable, or get a shareable link that you can save for later or share it with your classmates.

Laura Klamot

How do I let the system automatically generate a timetable for me, based on the courses I am interested in?

The Timetable Plan allows you to add courses to your plan by clicking on the “Add Course to Plan” button. A new section will appear at the bottom of your screen with the courses added. Once you are satisfied with your selections and time preferences, you can click on “Generate Timetable” which will schedule an optimal combination of activities from the courses you selected and based on your time preferences, if any.