Decisions, on whether you are eligible for and have successfully completed each stage of the PLAR program, are made by the PLAR Committee.

In making these decisions, this Committee of registered naturopaths and public members, reviews and considers all documentation, including submissions made by you to support an assessment, documents received from third parties (e.g., language testing or credential assessment agencies), as well as recommendations made by your PLAR assessors.

In some cases, you may disagree with the Committee’s decision and may wish to appeal. Appeals are reviewed and decided on by the PLAR Appeals Panel, which is a panel of PLAR Committee members who were not involved in making decisions on your PLAR program file.

Criteria for a PLAR appeal

PLAR appeals are limited to questions concerning:

• A procedural irregularity, which is an irregularity resulting from changes to a process or procedure. For example, being told you have an hour to complete an assignment but only being provided with 45 minutes.
• An environmental irregularity, which is an inequality resulting from changes in the testing or assessment environment. For example, a fire alarm sounds during your assessment.OR
• A perception of undue bias, which is an awareness of having been treated differently (for example, by an assessor or examiner) based on your gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, race, creed, country of origin or other.

Process & Timelines

To appeal a decision of Stages 1 (Paper-based Assessment), 4 or 5 (Demonstration-based Assessments) of the PLAR program, you must submit a request in writing, noting the reason for the appeal, within 60-days following your receipt of results of the assessment. Appeals received after this period cannot be considered. Appeals are processed in accordance with the PLAR Appeals Policy. Appeals of Stages 2 or 3 (the PLAR Exams) are handled in accordance with the College’s Exam Appeals Policy.

The typical timeline for receiving the PLAR Appeal Panel’s decision on your appeal is 60 days from the date the appeal fee is received by the College.

Additional information regarding appealing a PLAR decision is available in the PLAR Applicant Handbook.

Cost

The fee to appeal a PLAR decision is $84 (HST included).  This fee is charged only if the appeal criteria have been met and the appeal is accepted for review by the PLAR Appeals Panel.