Decision Letter
Submission Number: 14002
Decision Date: March 4, 2026
Associate Dean: Dorit Naaman (Associate Dean Academic)
Student Name: Emilie Naimark
Student Email: 24wpk1@queensu.ca
Dear Emilie Naimark:
I have carefully considered your petition request to waive the petition deadline for adding a Winter 2026 course after the academic deadline. While I’m unable to grant this request, 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 and Winter term enrolment began during the 2025 Summer term in July. 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.
The deadline to add Winter term courses through SOLUS was January 16, and the petition deadline to request permission to add a course late was January 23, 2026.
According to the Academic Appeal and Petition Regulation 1.1 petitions are only granted where there are significantly extenuating circumstances, which would merit the waiving of a particular Faculty regulation or decision. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond a student’s control and debilitating to their academic performance. These kinds of extraordinary situations should be supported by official documentation from a health care practitioner or other relevant professional.
I understand that you experienced a health-related extenuating circumstance in January, and I appreciate that you supplied a letter from your parent outlining these challenges. While I am empathetic to your situation, and I appreciate the efforts you made to seek instructor support regarding enrollment in this course, your petition did not include documentation from a health-care professional demonstrating that an extenuating circumstance beyond your control prevented you from meeting the January 23 petition deadline. As a result, I am unable to grant this request.
It is also important to note that starting a course at this stage of a 12-week term places a student at a great disadvantage and structurally inhibits their chance at 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.
I would also like to reference your previous petition requests from September 2025 when permission was granted to enroll in courses after the academic deadline. While those requests were supported at that time, the petition process is not meant to be used to manage a chronic condition. Academic impacts from ongoing circumstances should be managed proactively by utilizing options such as academic consideration or accommodations through QSAS.
Going forward, I would suggest that you consider registering with Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) if you have not done so already, so that you can obtain ongoing support from an Accessibility Advisor who can help manage the ongoing impacts of your health on your academics.
Additionally, if you are hoping to complete a FILM course prior to your second year, you may wish to consider enrolling in a Summer term offering, as Summer enrollment is currently open.
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: March 4, 2026
Associate Dean: Dorit Naaman (Associate Dean Academic)
Student Name: Emilie Naimark
Student Email: 24wpk1@queensu.ca
Dear Emilie Naimark:
I have carefully considered your petition request to waive the petition deadline for adding a Winter 2026 course after the academic deadline. While I’m unable to grant this request, 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 and Winter term enrolment began during the 2025 Summer term in July. 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.
The deadline to add Winter term courses through SOLUS was January 16, and the petition deadline to request permission to add a course late was January 23, 2026.
According to the Academic Appeal and Petition Regulation 1.1 petitions are only granted where there are significantly extenuating circumstances, which would merit the waiving of a particular Faculty regulation or decision. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond a student’s control and debilitating to their academic performance. These kinds of extraordinary situations should be supported by official documentation from a health care practitioner or other relevant professional.
I understand that you experienced a health-related extenuating circumstance in January, and I appreciate that you supplied a letter from your parent outlining these challenges. While I am empathetic to your situation, and I appreciate the efforts you made to seek instructor support regarding enrollment in this course, your petition did not include documentation from a health-care professional demonstrating that an extenuating circumstance beyond your control prevented you from meeting the January 23 petition deadline. As a result, I am unable to grant this request.
It is also important to note that starting a course at this stage of a 12-week term places a student at a great disadvantage and structurally inhibits their chance at 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.
I would also like to reference your previous petition requests from September 2025 when permission was granted to enroll in courses after the academic deadline. While those requests were supported at that time, the petition process is not meant to be used to manage a chronic condition. Academic impacts from ongoing circumstances should be managed proactively by utilizing options such as academic consideration or accommodations through QSAS.
Going forward, I would suggest that you consider registering with Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) if you have not done so already, so that you can obtain ongoing support from an Accessibility Advisor who can help manage the ongoing impacts of your health on your academics.
Additionally, if you are hoping to complete a FILM course prior to your second year, you may wish to consider enrolling in a Summer term offering, as Summer enrollment is currently open.
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 March 4, 2026 at 4:11:35 PM.