Decision Letter
Submission Number: 13285
Decision Date: August 11, 2025
Associate Dean: Dorit Naaman (Associate Dean Academic)
Student Name: Bevin Amarasinghe
Student Email: 23djb5@queensu.ca
Course: MATH 120
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Maria Teresa Chiri / Khoa Nguyen
Dear Bevin:
Thank you for your petition request to drop MATH 120 (FW24/25) past the academic deadline. I have carefully reviewed your petition, and while I’m unable to grant your request, I want to assure you that your circumstances were considered thoughtfully and with care as part of the decision-making process.
As outlined in the Academic Petitions and Appeal Regulations 1.1, petitions are only granted in cases where extenuating circumstances significantly impaired a student’s ability to meet academic responsibilities, and where these impacts can be clearly supported by documentation. The regulations also emphasize the importance of demonstrating how these circumstances directly prevented the student from taking academic actions within established timelines, such as dropping a course by the published deadline.
I acknowledge the academic impacts that you described in your petition letter, particularly the ongoing difficulties with focus and concentration. I am hopeful that you will consider connecting with Student Wellness Services at Queen’s for ongoing support, and that you consider a reduced course load as you navigate your healthcare options.
While I do not doubt the sincerity or the severity of this extenuating circumstance, I want to let you know that the petition process is not meant to be used to manage a chronic condition. Academic impacts from ongoing circumstances should be managed proactively. Your petition did not contain evidence that you pursued available remedies at the time, such as seeking academic consideration, requesting an extension, or deferring final exams in this course. Although the documentation that you supplied from your family member does suggest undiagnosed ADHD, with the absence of documentation from a health-care professional to demonstrate how the circumstances affected your ability to meet course requirements or act within the drop deadline, I am unable to grant this request.
If you are concerned about the impact that this course has on your GPA, I would suggest that you consider repeating it in a future term. If you repeat the exact same course code, both attempts will appear on your transcript, but only the higher grade will be included within the calculation of your cumulative GPA.
Going forward, you should know that it is your responsibility to pause and evaluate the impact of extenuating circumstances on your coursework prior to the drop deadline of the
term. If you fall behind in a course or find the material too difficult, you should drop the course by deadline. The drop deadlines, outlined in the “Important Dates” section on the Faculty of Arts and Science web page, have been established to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all students.
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, PhD
Associate Dean (Academic)
Decision Date: August 11, 2025
Associate Dean: Dorit Naaman (Associate Dean Academic)
Student Name: Bevin Amarasinghe
Student Email: 23djb5@queensu.ca
Course: MATH 120
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Maria Teresa Chiri / Khoa Nguyen
Dear Bevin:
Thank you for your petition request to drop MATH 120 (FW24/25) past the academic deadline. I have carefully reviewed your petition, and while I’m unable to grant your request, I want to assure you that your circumstances were considered thoughtfully and with care as part of the decision-making process.
As outlined in the Academic Petitions and Appeal Regulations 1.1, petitions are only granted in cases where extenuating circumstances significantly impaired a student’s ability to meet academic responsibilities, and where these impacts can be clearly supported by documentation. The regulations also emphasize the importance of demonstrating how these circumstances directly prevented the student from taking academic actions within established timelines, such as dropping a course by the published deadline.
I acknowledge the academic impacts that you described in your petition letter, particularly the ongoing difficulties with focus and concentration. I am hopeful that you will consider connecting with Student Wellness Services at Queen’s for ongoing support, and that you consider a reduced course load as you navigate your healthcare options.
While I do not doubt the sincerity or the severity of this extenuating circumstance, I want to let you know that the petition process is not meant to be used to manage a chronic condition. Academic impacts from ongoing circumstances should be managed proactively. Your petition did not contain evidence that you pursued available remedies at the time, such as seeking academic consideration, requesting an extension, or deferring final exams in this course. Although the documentation that you supplied from your family member does suggest undiagnosed ADHD, with the absence of documentation from a health-care professional to demonstrate how the circumstances affected your ability to meet course requirements or act within the drop deadline, I am unable to grant this request.
If you are concerned about the impact that this course has on your GPA, I would suggest that you consider repeating it in a future term. If you repeat the exact same course code, both attempts will appear on your transcript, but only the higher grade will be included within the calculation of your cumulative GPA.
Going forward, you should know that it is your responsibility to pause and evaluate the impact of extenuating circumstances on your coursework prior to the drop deadline of the
term. If you fall behind in a course or find the material too difficult, you should drop the course by deadline. The drop deadlines, outlined in the “Important Dates” section on the Faculty of Arts and Science web page, have been established to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all students.
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, PhD
Associate Dean (Academic)
Generated August 11, 2025 at 9:52:31 AM.