Decision Letter
Submission Number: 13647
Decision Date: November 5, 2025
Associate Dean: Dorit Naaman (Associate Dean Academic)
Student Name: William Vowles
Student Email: 24bqg1@queensu.ca
Dear Will:
I have carefully considered your petition request to Waive the Petition Deadline related to the last date to add a course for the 2025 Fall term and while I’m unable to grant your petition, I want to assure you that I’ve taken your circumstances into account as part of this decision.
As you know, courses must be added on SOLUS within the published deadlines. The deadlines for adding courses have been designed and established to provide sufficient time for students to obtain the relevant permission, determine their interest in the course material, to consider their ability to handle each course, and to evaluate their overall workload.
I acknowledge the circumstances that you described within your petition letter and recognize the efforts you made in exploring your petition options with the Student Services office. That said, Fall term course enrollment began in July, and starting a course beyond week 4 in a 12-week term places a student at a great disadvantage, and structurally inhibits their chance of success. Instructors are not obligated to accommodate a student for missed work resulting from late enrollment, and the academic deadlines are in place to ensure fairness and clarity for all students.
While I recognize the health-related circumstance that you experienced in September, your petition did not demonstrate an extenuating circumstance beyond your control that prevented you from enrolling in a full-time course load during the July registration period.
Going forward, I encourage you to meet with an Academic Advisor to discuss your academic goals and create a plan that supports your path to graduation.
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,
Dorit Naaman, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academics)
Decision Date: November 5, 2025
Associate Dean: Dorit Naaman (Associate Dean Academic)
Student Name: William Vowles
Student Email: 24bqg1@queensu.ca
Dear Will:
I have carefully considered your petition request to Waive the Petition Deadline related to the last date to add a course for the 2025 Fall term and while I’m unable to grant your petition, I want to assure you that I’ve taken your circumstances into account as part of this decision.
As you know, courses must be added on SOLUS within the published deadlines. The deadlines for adding courses have been designed and established to provide sufficient time for students to obtain the relevant permission, determine their interest in the course material, to consider their ability to handle each course, and to evaluate their overall workload.
I acknowledge the circumstances that you described within your petition letter and recognize the efforts you made in exploring your petition options with the Student Services office. That said, Fall term course enrollment began in July, and starting a course beyond week 4 in a 12-week term places a student at a great disadvantage, and structurally inhibits their chance of success. Instructors are not obligated to accommodate a student for missed work resulting from late enrollment, and the academic deadlines are in place to ensure fairness and clarity for all students.
While I recognize the health-related circumstance that you experienced in September, your petition did not demonstrate an extenuating circumstance beyond your control that prevented you from enrolling in a full-time course load during the July registration period.
Going forward, I encourage you to meet with an Academic Advisor to discuss your academic goals and create a plan that supports your path to graduation.
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,
Dorit Naaman, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academics)
Generated November 5, 2025 at 1:02:33 PM.