Decision Letter
Submission Number: 13233
Decision Date: July 16, 2025
Associate Dean: Scott-Morgan Straker (Acting Associate Dean)
Student Name: Arsema Siraj
Student Email: 23trv2@queensu.ca
Course: PSYC100
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Request an extension of an exam deferral
Instructor: Meghan Norris
Additional Information: Winter final Exam
Course: BIOL103
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Request an extension of an exam deferral
Instructor: Dr. Baharul Choudhury
Additional Information: Winter Final Exam
Course: PHGY170
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Request an extension of an exam deferral
Instructor: Dr. Tiziana Cotechini
Additional Information: Winter final exam
Course: PHAR100
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Request an extension of an exam deferral
Instructor: Jeanne E. Mulder, PhD
Additional Information: Winter Final Exam
Course: CHEM110
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Request an extension of an exam deferral
Instructor: Alaina Boyd
Additional Information: Winter Final Exam
Dear Arsema Siraj,
Thank you for your petition regarding a deferral of the final exams in PSYC 100, PHGY 170, PHAR 100 and CHEM 112 (W25). I have carefully reviewed your request and the information that I received from the instructors of these courses, and while I’m unable to grant all of your requests, I want to assure you that your circumstances were considered thoughtfully and with care as part of the decision-making process.
The Petitions and Appeal Regulation 3.3.1.5. states that a student affected by extenuating circumstances may ask the course instructor for incomplete standing (IN) for up to one full term after the completion of a class. If this request is granted, any further request to submit incomplete work or to write a final examination after that term has elapsed must be made through a petition to the Associate Dean (Academic). In such petitions, the instructor must be consulted about a possible further extension, and a revised final date for completion of the course work in question or the final examination must also be included. Normally such requests are considered if the student has participated actively in the class and only one or two elements of the course work have not been completed due to extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control. Students with extenuating circumstances who have been unable to complete the majority of the work in a class should consider a petition to drop a class after the deadline rather than an extension of the deadline to submit incomplete work.
I acknowledge the health-related extenuating circumstances that you experienced at the end of the 2025 Winter term, as confirmed within the documentation you supplied, and I recognize that you were not able to write the final exams in these courses before the term ended.
After consulting with the instructors of PHGY 170 and PHAR 100 (W25), I will grant your request for a further exam deferral in these courses. The instructor of PHGY 170 can offer you another deferral date in the Fall term, and the instructor of PHAR 100 can offer you a deferral during the week of August 18–22. It is your responsibility to get in touch with instructors Cotechini and Mulder as soon as possible, to make the arrangements to complete these exams.
Regarding your request for deferred exams in CHEM 112 and PSYC 100 (FW24/25), I regret to inform you that I cannot grant these requests for the following reasons:
As the instructors are responsible for facilitating and grading a deferred exam, their support is required for this type of petition to be considered. According to Academic Regulation 10.3.4. – Incomplete (IN), the deadline for the work to be completed should be reached by mutual agreement between the instructor and student. I did not receive support from the instructor of CHEM 112, and therefore, I cannot grant this part of your request. I also did not receive support from the instructor of PSYC 100 (FW24/25), who confirmed that 50% of the coursework is outstanding. According to the Incomplete Grade regulation, students with extenuating circumstances who have been unable to complete the majority of the work in a class should consider a petition to drop a class after the deadline rather than requesting an incomplete grade in the class.
That said, as the documentation that you supplied confirms the timeline and academic impacts of extenuating circumstances during the 2025 Winter term, I will allow you to drop CHEM 112 and PSYC after the academic deadline instead. If you would like to accept this offer, please email asc.petitions@queensu.ca within 10 business days of receiving this letter. Please note that these course drops will remove the Faculty ruling that you be required to withdraw for 1-year, allowing you to continue taking classes in the upcoming 2025/2026 academic year.
Additionally, if you wish to appeal this decision, 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.
Student Academic Appeals Policy (SAAP) or Rules of Procedure for USAB are Queen’s university Senate approved appeal policies. In the event that an inconsistency arises between these policies and Arts & Science regulations, SAAP and USAB will supersede.
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 , PHD
Acting Associate Dean (Academic)
Decision Date: July 16, 2025
Associate Dean: Scott-Morgan Straker (Acting Associate Dean)
Student Name: Arsema Siraj
Student Email: 23trv2@queensu.ca
Course: PSYC100
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Request an extension of an exam deferral
Instructor: Meghan Norris
Additional Information: Winter final Exam
Course: BIOL103
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Request an extension of an exam deferral
Instructor: Dr. Baharul Choudhury
Additional Information: Winter Final Exam
Course: PHGY170
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Request an extension of an exam deferral
Instructor: Dr. Tiziana Cotechini
Additional Information: Winter final exam
Course: PHAR100
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Request an extension of an exam deferral
Instructor: Jeanne E. Mulder, PhD
Additional Information: Winter Final Exam
Course: CHEM110
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Request an extension of an exam deferral
Instructor: Alaina Boyd
Additional Information: Winter Final Exam
Dear Arsema Siraj,
Thank you for your petition regarding a deferral of the final exams in PSYC 100, PHGY 170, PHAR 100 and CHEM 112 (W25). I have carefully reviewed your request and the information that I received from the instructors of these courses, and while I’m unable to grant all of your requests, I want to assure you that your circumstances were considered thoughtfully and with care as part of the decision-making process.
The Petitions and Appeal Regulation 3.3.1.5. states that a student affected by extenuating circumstances may ask the course instructor for incomplete standing (IN) for up to one full term after the completion of a class. If this request is granted, any further request to submit incomplete work or to write a final examination after that term has elapsed must be made through a petition to the Associate Dean (Academic). In such petitions, the instructor must be consulted about a possible further extension, and a revised final date for completion of the course work in question or the final examination must also be included. Normally such requests are considered if the student has participated actively in the class and only one or two elements of the course work have not been completed due to extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control. Students with extenuating circumstances who have been unable to complete the majority of the work in a class should consider a petition to drop a class after the deadline rather than an extension of the deadline to submit incomplete work.
I acknowledge the health-related extenuating circumstances that you experienced at the end of the 2025 Winter term, as confirmed within the documentation you supplied, and I recognize that you were not able to write the final exams in these courses before the term ended.
After consulting with the instructors of PHGY 170 and PHAR 100 (W25), I will grant your request for a further exam deferral in these courses. The instructor of PHGY 170 can offer you another deferral date in the Fall term, and the instructor of PHAR 100 can offer you a deferral during the week of August 18–22. It is your responsibility to get in touch with instructors Cotechini and Mulder as soon as possible, to make the arrangements to complete these exams.
Regarding your request for deferred exams in CHEM 112 and PSYC 100 (FW24/25), I regret to inform you that I cannot grant these requests for the following reasons:
As the instructors are responsible for facilitating and grading a deferred exam, their support is required for this type of petition to be considered. According to Academic Regulation 10.3.4. – Incomplete (IN), the deadline for the work to be completed should be reached by mutual agreement between the instructor and student. I did not receive support from the instructor of CHEM 112, and therefore, I cannot grant this part of your request. I also did not receive support from the instructor of PSYC 100 (FW24/25), who confirmed that 50% of the coursework is outstanding. According to the Incomplete Grade regulation, students with extenuating circumstances who have been unable to complete the majority of the work in a class should consider a petition to drop a class after the deadline rather than requesting an incomplete grade in the class.
That said, as the documentation that you supplied confirms the timeline and academic impacts of extenuating circumstances during the 2025 Winter term, I will allow you to drop CHEM 112 and PSYC after the academic deadline instead. If you would like to accept this offer, please email asc.petitions@queensu.ca within 10 business days of receiving this letter. Please note that these course drops will remove the Faculty ruling that you be required to withdraw for 1-year, allowing you to continue taking classes in the upcoming 2025/2026 academic year.
Additionally, if you wish to appeal this decision, 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.
Student Academic Appeals Policy (SAAP) or Rules of Procedure for USAB are Queen’s university Senate approved appeal policies. In the event that an inconsistency arises between these policies and Arts & Science regulations, SAAP and USAB will supersede.
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 , PHD
Acting Associate Dean (Academic)
Generated July 16, 2025 at 10:08:02 AM.