Decision Letter
Submission Number: 13300
Decision Date: July 7, 2025
Associate Dean: Scott-Morgan Straker (Acting Associate Dean)
Student Name: JIAHAO CUI
Student Email: 20jc149@queensu.ca
Dear Tristan:
Thank you for your petition request to waive the Faculty ruling that you be Required to Withdraw for Three Years. I have carefully reviewed your request and the supporting documentation that you supplied, and while I’m unable to grant your petition, I recognize the strength of your academic plan and so I am willing to amend that ruling and require you to withdraw for one year instead of three.
Please be assured that I have taken your circumstances into account as part of this decision. A requirement to withdraw is invoked when students experience ongoing or extreme academic difficulties. The ruling is not intended to be punitive; rather it is meant to provide the student with time away from the university to reflect on and remedy the factors impeding their academic success. The Academic Petitions and Appeals Regulation 1.7.1.8. states that a petition requesting that a requirement to withdraw be waived must clearly demonstrate how significantly extenuating circumstances, beyond the student’s control, affected their academic performance. In cases where the extenuating circumstances have been temporary, the student should indicate and document how the circumstances have been overcome and why the student is confident that they will not continue to be a factor in academic performance. In cases where the extenuating circumstances are ongoing rather than temporary, the student should also indicate and document how these personal challenges will be managed if the requirement to withdraw is waived.
I recognize the challenges that you faced during the 2024/2025 academic year, as reported within your petition letter. However, your request did not include documentation to suggest that extenuating circumstances prevented you from dropping affected courses by the applicable academic deadlines. In addition, your file reflects a pattern of ongoing academic difficulty over several academic years. While I am sympathetic to your situation and acknowledge that you are eager to return to classes, your petition did not provide sufficient evidence that you are currently in a position to manage your circumstances in a way that is more likely to lead to academic success. Please know that this decision is not intended to be punitive. Rather, it reflects the university’s intention, when students encounter academic difficulties, to offer them time away from their studies to reflect on and address the factors that may be hindering their academic progress. While your academic plan is thoughtful and well-articulated, it is important to note that intentions alone are not sufficient; appropriate supporting documentation is required.
That said, I do recognize the timeline of the extenuating circumstance that arose in June of 2024, as confirmed within the documentation you supplied. As a result, I will allow you to drop PATH 120 and PHAR 100 (S24) after the academic deadline; the final grades in these courses will be replaced with the notation DR on your transcript and excluded from your GPA.
It is my sincere hope that you will take this opportunity away from school to make some changes and continue to access the support you need to achieve future academic success. Keep in mind that as you are enrolled in a summer term course, you will be eligible to return to the university for the 2026 Fall term.
Upon your return, I hope that you will take advantage of the support services available to you at Queen's. It will be your responsibility to take steps for the successful completion of your program and to maintain a GPA consistent with the requirements of your plan. These are some strategies that I strongly encourage you to consider:
Choose courses carefully. As you know, achieving a higher grade in a repeated course will improve your GPA. This course of action will help to ensure you will be in good academic standing and not at risk of being required to withdraw for three years.
Reflect on your program choice. Are you in the right plan for your interests and aptitudes? Your Academic Advisement Report in SOLUS will allow you to see your remaining requirements and help you plan out future courses. You can read about the other program/plan options that may interest you in the Academic Calendar at queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/schools-departments-programs/.
Seek out the advice necessary to improve your academic performance. The Arts and Science Faculty Office is located in Dunning Hall (main floor). You can also book an appointment with an Academic Advisor online at queensu.ca/artsci/undergrad-students/student-services/academic-advising. Academic advising may also be available through your Plan department.
Student Academic Success Services (SASS) sass.queensu.ca/ in Stauffer Library provides a range of services, including workshops designed to improve study skills and develop strategies for meeting the demands of academic life.
The Student Wellness Services Centre queensu.ca/studentwellness/ located in Mitchell Hall, is available to all Queen’s students. SWS offers counselling as well as individual consultation to aid in coping with difficulties of a more personal nature.
Academic Consideration is a process for the university community to provide a compassionate response to assist students experiencing a short-term extenuating circumstance. You can familiarize yourself with your consideration options at: queensu.ca/artsci/accommodations.
Additionally, if you wish to appeal this decision, you are welcome to submit an appeal to the Board of Studies. Information on the appeal process and deadlines is available at queensu.ca/artsci/undergraduate/student-services/academic-petitions-and-appeals (click on “Second Level”). The Office of the University Ombudsperson offers guidance on student rights and procedural fairness at queensu.ca/ombuds/appeal-process/procedural-fairness, and they are also available to support you at queensu.ca/ombuds.
I hope that you continue to seek out the support and resources available to you, and I wish you the best in navigating your next steps.
Sincerely,
Scott-Morgan Straker
Associate Dean (Acting)
Decision Date: July 7, 2025
Associate Dean: Scott-Morgan Straker (Acting Associate Dean)
Student Name: JIAHAO CUI
Student Email: 20jc149@queensu.ca
Dear Tristan:
Thank you for your petition request to waive the Faculty ruling that you be Required to Withdraw for Three Years. I have carefully reviewed your request and the supporting documentation that you supplied, and while I’m unable to grant your petition, I recognize the strength of your academic plan and so I am willing to amend that ruling and require you to withdraw for one year instead of three.
Please be assured that I have taken your circumstances into account as part of this decision. A requirement to withdraw is invoked when students experience ongoing or extreme academic difficulties. The ruling is not intended to be punitive; rather it is meant to provide the student with time away from the university to reflect on and remedy the factors impeding their academic success. The Academic Petitions and Appeals Regulation 1.7.1.8. states that a petition requesting that a requirement to withdraw be waived must clearly demonstrate how significantly extenuating circumstances, beyond the student’s control, affected their academic performance. In cases where the extenuating circumstances have been temporary, the student should indicate and document how the circumstances have been overcome and why the student is confident that they will not continue to be a factor in academic performance. In cases where the extenuating circumstances are ongoing rather than temporary, the student should also indicate and document how these personal challenges will be managed if the requirement to withdraw is waived.
I recognize the challenges that you faced during the 2024/2025 academic year, as reported within your petition letter. However, your request did not include documentation to suggest that extenuating circumstances prevented you from dropping affected courses by the applicable academic deadlines. In addition, your file reflects a pattern of ongoing academic difficulty over several academic years. While I am sympathetic to your situation and acknowledge that you are eager to return to classes, your petition did not provide sufficient evidence that you are currently in a position to manage your circumstances in a way that is more likely to lead to academic success. Please know that this decision is not intended to be punitive. Rather, it reflects the university’s intention, when students encounter academic difficulties, to offer them time away from their studies to reflect on and address the factors that may be hindering their academic progress. While your academic plan is thoughtful and well-articulated, it is important to note that intentions alone are not sufficient; appropriate supporting documentation is required.
That said, I do recognize the timeline of the extenuating circumstance that arose in June of 2024, as confirmed within the documentation you supplied. As a result, I will allow you to drop PATH 120 and PHAR 100 (S24) after the academic deadline; the final grades in these courses will be replaced with the notation DR on your transcript and excluded from your GPA.
It is my sincere hope that you will take this opportunity away from school to make some changes and continue to access the support you need to achieve future academic success. Keep in mind that as you are enrolled in a summer term course, you will be eligible to return to the university for the 2026 Fall term.
Upon your return, I hope that you will take advantage of the support services available to you at Queen's. It will be your responsibility to take steps for the successful completion of your program and to maintain a GPA consistent with the requirements of your plan. These are some strategies that I strongly encourage you to consider:
Choose courses carefully. As you know, achieving a higher grade in a repeated course will improve your GPA. This course of action will help to ensure you will be in good academic standing and not at risk of being required to withdraw for three years.
Reflect on your program choice. Are you in the right plan for your interests and aptitudes? Your Academic Advisement Report in SOLUS will allow you to see your remaining requirements and help you plan out future courses. You can read about the other program/plan options that may interest you in the Academic Calendar at queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/schools-departments-programs/.
Seek out the advice necessary to improve your academic performance. The Arts and Science Faculty Office is located in Dunning Hall (main floor). You can also book an appointment with an Academic Advisor online at queensu.ca/artsci/undergrad-students/student-services/academic-advising. Academic advising may also be available through your Plan department.
Student Academic Success Services (SASS) sass.queensu.ca/ in Stauffer Library provides a range of services, including workshops designed to improve study skills and develop strategies for meeting the demands of academic life.
The Student Wellness Services Centre queensu.ca/studentwellness/ located in Mitchell Hall, is available to all Queen’s students. SWS offers counselling as well as individual consultation to aid in coping with difficulties of a more personal nature.
Academic Consideration is a process for the university community to provide a compassionate response to assist students experiencing a short-term extenuating circumstance. You can familiarize yourself with your consideration options at: queensu.ca/artsci/accommodations.
Additionally, if you wish to appeal this decision, you are welcome to submit an appeal to the Board of Studies. Information on the appeal process and deadlines is available at queensu.ca/artsci/undergraduate/student-services/academic-petitions-and-appeals (click on “Second Level”). The Office of the University Ombudsperson offers guidance on student rights and procedural fairness at queensu.ca/ombuds/appeal-process/procedural-fairness, and they are also available to support you at queensu.ca/ombuds.
I hope that you continue to seek out the support and resources available to you, and I wish you the best in navigating your next steps.
Sincerely,
Scott-Morgan Straker
Associate Dean (Acting)
Generated July 7, 2025 at 1:15:56 PM.