Decision Letter
Submission Number: 13520
Decision Date: February 23, 2026
Associate Dean: Dorit Naaman (Associate Dean Academic)
Student Name: Gillian Snider
Student Email: 22xcpk@queensu.ca
Course: CLST 205
Term: Summer
Year: 2025
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Gill,
I have carefully considered your request to drop CLST 205 (S25) after the academic deadline 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.
According to the Academic Appeal and Petition Regulation 1.7.1.2. a petition to drop a class late must clearly demonstrate the significant extenuating circumstances, beyond the student’s control, which prevented them from dropping the class by the deadline, as indicated in the Faculty’s Sessional Dates. A medical certificate or other documentation that outlines how the personal extenuating circumstances hindered the student’s ability to drop the class prior to the deadline should be provided with the petition.
I acknowledge the health-related extenuating circumstances that you described in your petition letter and appreciate the documentation you provided outlining the timeline of these challenges from September to December 2024. Without documentation to confirm that an unexpected extenuating circumstance during the 2025 Summer term affected your ability to drop CLST 205 (S25) prior to the academic drop deadline, I am unable to grant this request.
If you are concerned about the impact that your grade this course has on your cumulative GPA I would suggest that you consider repeating it in a future term. When repeating the exact 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.
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.
Also, it is your responsibility to discuss accommodations with each instructor at the beginning of the term and to contact your Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) Advisor if appropriate accommodations are not put into place.
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.
Sincerely,
Dorit Naaman, PhD
Associate Dean (Academic)
Decision Date: February 23, 2026
Associate Dean: Dorit Naaman (Associate Dean Academic)
Student Name: Gillian Snider
Student Email: 22xcpk@queensu.ca
Course: CLST 205
Term: Summer
Year: 2025
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Gill,
I have carefully considered your request to drop CLST 205 (S25) after the academic deadline 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.
According to the Academic Appeal and Petition Regulation 1.7.1.2. a petition to drop a class late must clearly demonstrate the significant extenuating circumstances, beyond the student’s control, which prevented them from dropping the class by the deadline, as indicated in the Faculty’s Sessional Dates. A medical certificate or other documentation that outlines how the personal extenuating circumstances hindered the student’s ability to drop the class prior to the deadline should be provided with the petition.
I acknowledge the health-related extenuating circumstances that you described in your petition letter and appreciate the documentation you provided outlining the timeline of these challenges from September to December 2024. Without documentation to confirm that an unexpected extenuating circumstance during the 2025 Summer term affected your ability to drop CLST 205 (S25) prior to the academic drop deadline, I am unable to grant this request.
If you are concerned about the impact that your grade this course has on your cumulative GPA I would suggest that you consider repeating it in a future term. When repeating the exact 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.
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.
Also, it is your responsibility to discuss accommodations with each instructor at the beginning of the term and to contact your Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) Advisor if appropriate accommodations are not put into place.
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.
Sincerely,
Dorit Naaman, PhD
Associate Dean (Academic)
Generated February 23, 2026 at 10:14:16 AM.