Decision Letter
Submission Number: 13606
Decision Date: October 7, 2025
Associate Dean: Dorit Naaman (Associate Dean Academic)
Student Name: Elizabeth Bartolo
Student Email: 22eib@queensu.ca
Course: CHEM 112
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Dr. Alaina Boyd
Course: ANAT 100
Term: Fall
Year: 2025
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Dr. Leslie MacKenzie
Course: PHGY 170
Term: Fall
Year: 2025
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: T. C.
Dear Elizabeth,
I have carefully considered your request to waive the Faculty ruling that you be Required to Withdraw for Three Years and your requests to add CHEM 112 (FW25/26), PHGY 170, and ANAT 100 (F25) after the academic deadline. While I’m unable to grant all of these requests, I want to assure you that I’ve taken your circumstances into account as part of this decision.
After reviewing your file, I have decided to grant your request to waive the requirement to withdraw for three years. You may now resume your studies at Queen’s University. I have granted this request as the documentation that you supplied attests to an unaccommodated disability. I will also allow you to drop PHYS 115 (F22), ANAT 100, CISC 151 (W23), MATH 121 (FW22/23), ANAT 100, PHYS 115 (F23), ANAT 100 (S24) and PHGY 216 (W25) after the academic deadline. Your final grades in these courses will be replaced with the notation DR on your transcript and excluded from your GPA.
Going forward, please remember that it is every student’s responsibility to pause and evaluate the impact of extenuating circumstances on their classes prior to the drop deadline of the term. If you have fallen behind in a course or find the material too difficult, you should drop the course by the 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 there are additional courses that were impacted by these circumstances, you may submit a new petition request outlining the academic impacts in those courses. Please know that to be eligible for a request for Credit Standing, a student must have completed each graded component in the course (including the final exam) and met the learning outcomes in it.
I will also grant your request to add CHEM 112 (FW25/26). I see that you previously took this course during the 2023/2024 academic year, and the instructor has confirmed that they will accommodate you for the assessments that you have missed. Tuition fees will be charged to your student account once the course is added to your transcript which could take a few days. You will be added to OnQ once your registration is processed. Please ensure that you monitor your academic progress very carefully and drop courses as needed within the academic deadlines. Registering late for a course is not considered grounds for petitioning to drop the course after the published deadline.
Regarding your requests to add PHGY 170 and ANAT 100 (F25) after the academic deadline, 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.
While I understand the reason why you were not able to enroll in these courses prior to the September 15 add deadline, and I recognize the effort you made in proactively seeking support from the instructors, starting a 12 week course in week 6 of the term places a student at a great disadvantage. It also 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.
Going forward, I recommend a gradual return to studies so that you can focus on catching up in CHEM 112 (FW25/26) while preparing for enrollment in additional courses during the 2026 Winter term.
As you continue in your course of study, it is your responsibility to take steps for the successful completion of your program and maintain a GPA consistent with the requirements of your plan. These are some strategies that I strongly encourage you to consider:
· Choose courses carefully. As you know, achieving a higher grade in a repeated course will improve your GPA. This course of action will help to ensure you will be in good academic standing and not at risk of being required to withdraw in a future year.
· Reflect on your program choice. Are you in the right plan for your interests and aptitudes? Your Academic Advisement Report in SOLUS will allow you to see your remaining requirements and help you plan out future courses. You can read about the other program/plan options that may interest you in the Academic Calendar at queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/schools-departments-programs/.
· Seek out the advice necessary to improve your academic performance. The Arts and Science Faculty Office is located in Dunning Hall (main floor). You can meet with an Academic Advisor online at queensu.ca/artsci/undergrad-students/student-services/academic-advising. Academic advising may also be available through the Department of the Plan that you are pursuing. · Student Academic Success Services (SASS) sass.queensu.ca/ in Stauffer Library provides a range of services, including workshops designed to improve study skills and develop strategies for meeting the demands of academic life. · The Student Wellness Services Centre queensu.ca/studentwellness/ located in Mitchell Hall, is available to all Queen’s students. SWS offers counselling as well as individual consultation to aid in coping with difficulties of a more personal nature.
· Academic Consideration is a process for the university community to provide a compassionate response to assist students experiencing a short-term extenuating circumstance. You can familiarize yourself with your consideration options at: queensu.ca/artsci/accommodations.
Note that any change in academic registration may impact government or private-firm student financial assistance eligibility and/or funding. Please consult with the Student Awards Office, Office of the University Registrar, Gordon Hall, to understand the potential implications of changes to course or program registration and/or the consequences of not successfully completing the required course load.
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, PhD
Associate Dean (Academic)
Decision Date: October 7, 2025
Associate Dean: Dorit Naaman (Associate Dean Academic)
Student Name: Elizabeth Bartolo
Student Email: 22eib@queensu.ca
Course: CHEM 112
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Dr. Alaina Boyd
Course: ANAT 100
Term: Fall
Year: 2025
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Dr. Leslie MacKenzie
Course: PHGY 170
Term: Fall
Year: 2025
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: T. C.
Dear Elizabeth,
I have carefully considered your request to waive the Faculty ruling that you be Required to Withdraw for Three Years and your requests to add CHEM 112 (FW25/26), PHGY 170, and ANAT 100 (F25) after the academic deadline. While I’m unable to grant all of these requests, I want to assure you that I’ve taken your circumstances into account as part of this decision.
After reviewing your file, I have decided to grant your request to waive the requirement to withdraw for three years. You may now resume your studies at Queen’s University. I have granted this request as the documentation that you supplied attests to an unaccommodated disability. I will also allow you to drop PHYS 115 (F22), ANAT 100, CISC 151 (W23), MATH 121 (FW22/23), ANAT 100, PHYS 115 (F23), ANAT 100 (S24) and PHGY 216 (W25) after the academic deadline. Your final grades in these courses will be replaced with the notation DR on your transcript and excluded from your GPA.
Going forward, please remember that it is every student’s responsibility to pause and evaluate the impact of extenuating circumstances on their classes prior to the drop deadline of the term. If you have fallen behind in a course or find the material too difficult, you should drop the course by the 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 there are additional courses that were impacted by these circumstances, you may submit a new petition request outlining the academic impacts in those courses. Please know that to be eligible for a request for Credit Standing, a student must have completed each graded component in the course (including the final exam) and met the learning outcomes in it.
I will also grant your request to add CHEM 112 (FW25/26). I see that you previously took this course during the 2023/2024 academic year, and the instructor has confirmed that they will accommodate you for the assessments that you have missed. Tuition fees will be charged to your student account once the course is added to your transcript which could take a few days. You will be added to OnQ once your registration is processed. Please ensure that you monitor your academic progress very carefully and drop courses as needed within the academic deadlines. Registering late for a course is not considered grounds for petitioning to drop the course after the published deadline.
Regarding your requests to add PHGY 170 and ANAT 100 (F25) after the academic deadline, 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.
While I understand the reason why you were not able to enroll in these courses prior to the September 15 add deadline, and I recognize the effort you made in proactively seeking support from the instructors, starting a 12 week course in week 6 of the term places a student at a great disadvantage. It also 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.
Going forward, I recommend a gradual return to studies so that you can focus on catching up in CHEM 112 (FW25/26) while preparing for enrollment in additional courses during the 2026 Winter term.
As you continue in your course of study, it is your responsibility to take steps for the successful completion of your program and maintain a GPA consistent with the requirements of your plan. These are some strategies that I strongly encourage you to consider:
· Choose courses carefully. As you know, achieving a higher grade in a repeated course will improve your GPA. This course of action will help to ensure you will be in good academic standing and not at risk of being required to withdraw in a future year.
· Reflect on your program choice. Are you in the right plan for your interests and aptitudes? Your Academic Advisement Report in SOLUS will allow you to see your remaining requirements and help you plan out future courses. You can read about the other program/plan options that may interest you in the Academic Calendar at queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/schools-departments-programs/.
· Seek out the advice necessary to improve your academic performance. The Arts and Science Faculty Office is located in Dunning Hall (main floor). You can meet with an Academic Advisor online at queensu.ca/artsci/undergrad-students/student-services/academic-advising. Academic advising may also be available through the Department of the Plan that you are pursuing. · Student Academic Success Services (SASS) sass.queensu.ca/ in Stauffer Library provides a range of services, including workshops designed to improve study skills and develop strategies for meeting the demands of academic life. · The Student Wellness Services Centre queensu.ca/studentwellness/ located in Mitchell Hall, is available to all Queen’s students. SWS offers counselling as well as individual consultation to aid in coping with difficulties of a more personal nature.
· Academic Consideration is a process for the university community to provide a compassionate response to assist students experiencing a short-term extenuating circumstance. You can familiarize yourself with your consideration options at: queensu.ca/artsci/accommodations.
Note that any change in academic registration may impact government or private-firm student financial assistance eligibility and/or funding. Please consult with the Student Awards Office, Office of the University Registrar, Gordon Hall, to understand the potential implications of changes to course or program registration and/or the consequences of not successfully completing the required course load.
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, PhD
Associate Dean (Academic)
Generated October 7, 2025 at 4:28:18 PM.