Decision Letter
Submission Number: 14227
Decision Date: May 19, 2026
Associate Dean: Dorit Naaman (Associate Dean Academic)
Student Name: Xinyao Lin
Student Email: 21xl76@queensu.ca
Course: MATH 210
Term: Winter
Year: 2026
Category: Request an extension of an exam deferral
Instructor: Gregory Smith
Additional Information: final exam
Course: MATH 339
Term: Winter
Year: 2026
Category: Request an extension of an exam deferral
Instructor: Luke Steverango
Additional Information: final exam
Dear Alice,
Thank you for your petition regarding a mid-term exam deferral in MATH 210 and MATH 339 (W26). I have carefully reviewed your request and while I’m unable to grant your petition, I want to assure you that your circumstances were considered thoughtfully and with care as part of the decision-making process.
Academic Petitions and Appeal Regulation 1.1 states that 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 due to an unexpected health‑related circumstance, you were unable to write the final exams for MATH 210 and MATH 339 as originally scheduled on April 9 and April 10, 2026. Traditionally, students who are unable to write an exam as scheduled within the context of the course may be eligible for a deferral through Academic Consideration or, where applicable, through Queen’s Student Accessibility Services. I note that you previously requested Academic Consideration for exam deferrals in these courses; however, it appears that the request was withdrawn.
In your current petition, you are requesting an opportunity to defer the final exams on the basis that you will begin an internship on May 18 and have already travelled to your destination. While I recognize that this internship represents an important opportunity for you, travel plans are not considered unexpected extenuating circumstances and are not typical grounds for a petition.
While I appreciate the documentation you provided confirming your internship offer, in the absence of documentation from a healthcare professional indicating that an unexpected extenuating circumstance prevented you from writing the exams as scheduled in April, or documentation demonstrating that such circumstances will prevent you from writing during the deferral period in May, I am unable to grant this request.
If you are concerned with the impact that your final grade in these courses have on your GPA, I would suggest that you consider repeating them in a future term. When repeating the same course code, both attempts will appear on your transcript however, only the higher grade will be included within the calculation of your cumulative GPA.
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”). Appeals to the Board of Studies must be submitted within 10 business days of the date of this decision. 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 (Academic)
Decision Date: May 19, 2026
Associate Dean: Dorit Naaman (Associate Dean Academic)
Student Name: Xinyao Lin
Student Email: 21xl76@queensu.ca
Course: MATH 210
Term: Winter
Year: 2026
Category: Request an extension of an exam deferral
Instructor: Gregory Smith
Additional Information: final exam
Course: MATH 339
Term: Winter
Year: 2026
Category: Request an extension of an exam deferral
Instructor: Luke Steverango
Additional Information: final exam
Dear Alice,
Thank you for your petition regarding a mid-term exam deferral in MATH 210 and MATH 339 (W26). I have carefully reviewed your request and while I’m unable to grant your petition, I want to assure you that your circumstances were considered thoughtfully and with care as part of the decision-making process.
Academic Petitions and Appeal Regulation 1.1 states that 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 due to an unexpected health‑related circumstance, you were unable to write the final exams for MATH 210 and MATH 339 as originally scheduled on April 9 and April 10, 2026. Traditionally, students who are unable to write an exam as scheduled within the context of the course may be eligible for a deferral through Academic Consideration or, where applicable, through Queen’s Student Accessibility Services. I note that you previously requested Academic Consideration for exam deferrals in these courses; however, it appears that the request was withdrawn.
In your current petition, you are requesting an opportunity to defer the final exams on the basis that you will begin an internship on May 18 and have already travelled to your destination. While I recognize that this internship represents an important opportunity for you, travel plans are not considered unexpected extenuating circumstances and are not typical grounds for a petition.
While I appreciate the documentation you provided confirming your internship offer, in the absence of documentation from a healthcare professional indicating that an unexpected extenuating circumstance prevented you from writing the exams as scheduled in April, or documentation demonstrating that such circumstances will prevent you from writing during the deferral period in May, I am unable to grant this request.
If you are concerned with the impact that your final grade in these courses have on your GPA, I would suggest that you consider repeating them in a future term. When repeating the same course code, both attempts will appear on your transcript however, only the higher grade will be included within the calculation of your cumulative GPA.
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”). Appeals to the Board of Studies must be submitted within 10 business days of the date of this decision. 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 (Academic)
Generated May 19, 2026 at 2:31:11 PM.