Academic Consideration (Absences)

Academic consideration is a good faith process allowing for a compassionate response for students experiencing an extenuating circumstances. Academic consideration is a Queen’s University Senate Policy, and does not fall under the Ontario Human Rights Code, meaning there is no duty to accommodate requests made through this process. This means that Instructors have discretion for how and whether Consideration can be granted.

Academic accommodations are available to students with visible and non-visible disabilities to remove barriers to learning. This involves removing barriers caused by unique student functional impacts, allowing students to fully access the academic environment. Academic accommodaitons can be provided for ongoing, chornic conditions, as well as temporary conditions (such as an injury). Under the Ontario Human Rights Code, Queen’s University, made up of all members of the Queen’s community, have a responsibility to uphold the Duty to Accommodate students with disabilities.

Students seeking academic accommodation due to a chronic illness, ongoing physical or mental health condition, disability or temporary accommodation for an injury are encouraged to review the Queen’s Student Accessibility (QSAS) website. If you are not able to find the information you are looking for, you can email qsas.intake@queensu.ca or attend one of their drop-in appointments.

Academic accommodations are also available for Religious Observances and Human Rights.  More information on these processes can be found in the relevant sections below or on our Academic Accommodations webpage.

For both academic considerations and accommodations students must continue to meet all essential academic requirements and standards of the course. Your instructor will determine what academic consideration is appropriate for your course based on the academic requirements you may miss and the essential requirements or learning outcomes of the course. These should be listed in your course syllabus. All students who receive academic consideration must meet all essential academic requirements of the course. Academic consideration does not guarantee academic achievement in a course or program.

Academic consideration is meant to help you manage a short-term extenuating circumstance that is beyond your control and could affect your academics, which is defined as 3 months or less.

Consideration is based on the principle of good faith, wherein the university and instructors understand that student circumstances and documented requests are legitimate.

Similarly, students understand that Academic Consideration options are provided with the best interests of the student in mind, ensuring they meet essential academic requirements.

Consideration options are at the discretion of the instructor and may include:

• An excused absence
• A deferral of an assignment or other deliverable
• An extension
• A modified schedule for assignments, projects, labs, or placements
• An alternative assignment 
• Re-weighting of term marks
• Permission for an incomplete grade (IN). This is a temporary designation where students are not able to complete all course work due to extenuating circumstances. Click through here to see the full definition.
• Permission for a late course drop

Please note that some instructors may be using universal design principles to provide considerations for absences (eg. a 3-day grace period on submission deadlines, only counting the best 3 of your 4 labs, etc.). In such cases you may not need to submit a request for consideration  for this particular course/deliverable. Please check your syllabus carefully and ask your instructor for clarification when in doubt. 

Your instructor will determine what academic consideration is appropriate for your course based on the academic requirements you may miss and the essential requirements or learning outcomes of the course. These should be listed in your course syllabus. All students who receive academic consideration must meet all essential academic requirements of the course. Academic consideration does not guarantee academic achievement in a course or program.

There are many unforeseen extenuating circumstances which may impact a student’s ability to complete their academics. While the list below captures most circumstances, cases are assessed individually, and this list should not be regarded as exhaustive.

If you are uncertain if your circumstances qualify after reviewing this section and the section "Which circumstances do not qualify?", please email the Accommodation and Consideration Advisor at engineering.aac@queensu.ca.

Health Condition or Injury 

• Short-term physical or mental illness episodes (e.g., flu, pneumonia, mononucleosis, pneumonia, short-term anxiety or depression)
  (Students with respiratory illness (COVID, flu, RSV, etc.) need to follow guidelines outlined on the Queen's Respiratory Illness Information page.  In summary, students should stay home and not visit in person medical centres (including Student Wellness Services) unless extremely unwell and treatment is required. Students may submit one request per term without documentation for these absences, or visit an online clinic. Please see Student Wellness Services "Get Help Now" webpage for a list of online clinic resources under Non-Life-Threatening Illnesses and Injuries). 
• Serious injury (e.g., concussion, broken bones)
• Treatment (e.g., surgery, administration of medication or updating medication )

Traumatic Event/Confidential Situation  

• Bereavement (e.g., death of family member or close friend)
• Serious injury or illness of significant other/family member (e.g., car accident, palliative care)
• Required treatment of significant other/family member (e.g., surgery)
• Personal Traumatic event (e.g., divorce, sexual assault)
• Societal Traumatic event (personally affecting the student) including political unrest (e.g. student’s home country’s instability affecting their family), social injustice, and natural disasters (e.g. earthquakes, floods, hurricanes)

Requirements by Law or Public Health Authorities

• Court dates (e.g., jury duty, summons)

Significant Event (please see Requests for Excused Absence for Significant Event section) 

• Varsity Athletic Event
• Non-Varsity Athletic Events
• Distinguished Event
• Serving in the Reserve Force
• Design Competitions (Verified at the Faculty Level, do not submit to the Division of Student Affairs)

If you are uncertain if you situation fits the scope of Academic Consideration, please email engineering.aac@queensu.ca to speak with the Academic Accommodation and Consideration Advisor.

The following circumstances are not covered by the Academic Consideration Policy. 

Course Scheduling Conflicts, including midterm, assessment and team work conflicts. For scheduling conflicts please reach out to your course instructors.

Personal events are not covered by this policy as they are planned, foreseeable commitments. This includes:

• Work, interviews, volunteering, extra-curricular activities
• Vacations, social commitments, family events
• Transportation delays
• Scheduled elective medical appointments 

Students should avoid making personal plans that fall within the official exam period (refer to the sessional dates). Until the final exam schedule is published (the Friday before Thanksgiving for Fall term, and Family Day for Winter term) it should be assumed that exams could be scheduled any time during the period. Students will not be granted consideration for any personal or travel plans made in conflict with their exam schedule.

Technological difficulties are not covered as it is the student’s responsibility to ensure they have access to the tools they require for their studies.

• e.g., persistent hardware/software failure, prolonged poor Internet coverage, lack of planning or knowledge of software/onQ, missing notifications/reminders

In cases such as these, students should refer to their course syllabus and contact their instructor(s) directly to discuss alternative arrangements. Note that your instructor has the discretion to approve or deny your request.

If you are experiencing a high level of exam-related stress, please seek support through our Smith Engineering Wellness Advisor, and/or review the Student Academic Success Services resources for Managing Test Anxiety.

Short Term (1-3 consecutive days absence)

Without documentation

• Students can submit one (1) Request for Academic Consideration per term without documentation. If you do have documentation, we encourage you to submit it.

With documentation

• After the request without documentation, all subsequent requests will require documentation. Please see the “Supporting Documentatoin” section for more information.

Long Term (4 days – 3 months absence)

All requests that are 4 days or longer require documentation. Please see the “Supporting Documentation” section for more information. 

Exam Period Requests (any length)

• All requests during the final exam periods require supporting documentation. Please see the “What documentation is accepted” section for more information.
• All requests submitted during the final exam period will be reviewed to determine if they are eligible for an Incomplete Grade (IN).
• Submitting a request for consideration does not guarantee that an Incomplete Grade will be granted. 

All requests (with documentation, without documenation and during exam) should be submitted within 7 days of the first day of absence. Delays in submission could limit the consideration options available to you. If you are unable to submit within this timeframe or have difficulty attaining documentation, please email engineering.aac@queensu.ca to request an extension based on the circumstances.

All requests must be submitted before all impacted courses have closed/ended (the last day of the exam period for the term the course was taken in).

Requests for Academic Consideration (RAC) can be submitted using the form linked at the top of this webpage. You will need to indicate all courses impacted by the request and upload all supporting documentation.

Requests for Academic Consideration (RACs) must be submitted as soon as academic consideration is needed, and no later than 7 days after the initial absence.

If you are unable to submit your request within the required timeframe, please  contact engineering.aac@queensu.ca with an explanation of your circumstances.

Requests for Excused Absences for Significant Events are governed by the Queen's University Senate Policy on Academic Consideration Requests for Excused Absences for Significant Event/Activity.  If you are participating in an Varsity Athletics event, the student reserve forces, a design competitoin, or a non-varsity event at the provincial, national, or international level or an event to which you were invited as a distinguished guest, you can submit a Request for Excused Absence for Significant Events (REASE).

Students participating in Varsity Athletic events, serving in the student reserve forces, or participating in a non-varsity event at the provincial, national, or international level or an event to which you were invited as a distinguished guest, must follow the process outlined on the the Division of Student Affairs Request for Excused Absence for Significant Event Participation (REASE) webpage.

• Students must submit their REASE form to either Varsity Athletics, or the Office of the Vice-Provost and Dean of Student Affairs a minimum of two (2) weeks before the sanctioned event, or as soon as the event is scheduled.
• Once students have recieved a signed copy of their REASE form from Varsity Athletics or the Office of the Vice-Provost and Dean of Student Affairs, they need to upload it to the REASE request form available at the top of this page. You will need to indicate all courses impacted by the request and upload all supportive documentation.

Students participating in Design Competitions should follow the below process: 

• Students complete the top half of the REASE form and have it signed by a Staff or Faculty member in Smith Engineering who can speak to the importance of this competition and your requirement to be there. This could include your Department Head, your Design Team’s Faculty Liaison, your Undergraduate Chair, or any other Smith Engineering Faculty or Staff who can speak to your participation.
• Submit the REASE form (with Smith staff signature) along with all relevant supporting documentation about the design competition to the Smith REASE form available on our Academic Consideration (Absences) webpage. Relevant supporting documentation could include:
  • Copy of invitation
  • Tournament information
  •  Name of team
  • List of participating members
• Please ensure you submit this information to the Smith REASE form available at the top of this webpage webpage a minimum of two (2) weeks before the first date of your absence to ensure that there is enough time to verify your request. You will need to indicate all courses impacted by the request and upload all supportive documentation. Requests submitted within 2 weeks of REASE event will be reviewed, but may not be verified in time and may impact the academic consideratoin options available.  

Academic Accommodations are put in place to equalize learning opportunities and access to the academic environment for students with disabilities. A disability may include a temporary (e.g., concussion or broken arm) or permanent (e.g., learning disability) condition. For an overview of the differences between Academic Consideration and Academic Accommodation see our Academic Accommodations and Considerations (Absences) webpage. All academic accommodations are managed centrally at the University by Queen's Student Accessibility Services (QSAS). 

The functional limitations resulting from a disability can at times intersect with the academic environment in a way that creates a barrier for students. Academic accommodation is any adaptation that reduces or eliminates barriers to participation, which arise when a student with a disability interacts with the academic environment.  Some examples of accommodations include extra time on exams, permission to use assistive technology for exams, or permission to audio record lectures. You can find more information and examples of Academic Accommodations on the Queen's Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) Academic Accommodations webpage. 

• Academic Accommodations are issued by Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) to students who have an ongoing medical condition or other disabilities that affect their academics, as well as for students who require temporary accomodation due to an injury.  
• Registering with QSAS is easy! Check out their Intake Guide or visit the New Students to QSAS webpage for direction on using the Ventus accommodation system to register.

Engineering students requiring assistance with this process can contact their Engineering Academic Accommodation and Consideration Advisor by email at engineering.aac@queensu.ca or by booking an appointment. 

Students in need of accommodation for religious observance are asked to complete the Religious Observance and Academics activities form within a week of receiving their course syllabus (each term).  

• Please use this form: Religious Observance and Academics activities 
• Alternative assignments are considered a "reasonable accommodation" under the Ontario Human Rights Code 
• Please refer to the Queen’s Multi-faith calendar for all of this year’s faith dates 
• Students with questions about their rights and responsibilities regarding religious accommodation should contact chaplain@queensu.ca.

More information can be found on our Academic Accommodations webpage. 

For student privacy, all documentation must be uploaded to your request in the Academic Consideration Request Portal. We do not accept documentation via email.

All documentation must include your name, be dated, and include a clear duration of the circumstance and it's impact on your ability to engage in academics.  Ideally documentation will also provide a sense of the severity of the situation.

Medical Extenuating Circumstances Documentation

• Note from a health care professional 
• Verification of Extenuating Circumstances Form completed by a medical professional
• Medical report, or medical prescription (Patient name, prescription date and duration, and dosage must be visible. You may need to upload multiple images). Please note, not all prescriptions will be suitable documentation for a request. We may ask for additional information and/or documentation.
• Discharge paperwork from the hospital showing your name, date of visit, and recovery timeline

Other Extenuating Circumstances Documentation 

• Note from a health care professional or other professional (i.e. social worker, counsellor, occupational therapist)
• Verification of Extenuating Circumstances Form completed by a Counsellor, Wellness Advisor, or medical professional
• Obituary or death certificate 
• Accident report or police report (name and date of incident must be clearly stated)
• A court order

Please note that we do not accept photos of injury or incident as we cannot verify when the photo was taken and who it pertains to. We also do not accept hospital wristbands as they do not indicate the date of the hospital visit. 

Significant Event Documentation

All Requests for Excused Absence for Significant Event (REASE) require a completed REASE form. Please make sure to read through the form in its entirety.

Below are the supplementary documentation requirements required in addition to the completed REASE form, depending on the nature of the significant event/activity

Design Competitions: 

• Personal Statement - Please outline why participation in the event/activity is significant 
• Name of team & list of participating members
• Copy of event invitation
• Tournament information (incluing as availale: name of team or organization hosting, countries/members participating, event/organization website, schedule, etc.)

Varsity Athletics, Student Reserve Forces, Non-Varsity Athletics, and Distinguished Guests

Students participating in Varsity Athletic events, serving in the student reserve forces, or participating in a non-varsity event at the provincial, national, or international level or an event to which you were invited as a distinguished guest, must follow the process and documentation requirements outlined on the the Division of Student Affairs Request for Excused Absence for Significant Event Participation (REASE) webpage.  A summary has been provided below 

• Varsity Athletic Events 
  • Include documentation issued by the Queen’s Athletic & Recreation senior management team or Athletics Services Coordinator that includes details of the event (i.e. itinerary, invitation, schedule, travel team list, etc.)
• Non-Varsity Athletic Events & Distinguihed Guests  
  •  Event/activity name, description, invitation to participate, event/organization website, schedule, details on nominating/selection process
• Students Serving in the Reserve Forces: 
  • Event/activity name, description, invitation to participate, or Reserve class, event/organization website, schedule, details on nominating/selection process).
  • Documentation from a student-reservist’s chain of command (i.e. Adjutant or Sub-Unit Commander) will typically be required to substantiate the request for academic consideration. 

Please review the Frequently Asked Questions section below. You may be able to find an answer quicker than reaching out to us as emails can take between 2-5 business days to receive a response during peak periods.

If you need to speak with someone, you can email engineering.aac@queensu.ca or book an appointment with the Academic Accommodations and Consideratoins Advisor. 

If you are ill, we recommend not sitting the midterm/exam/deliverable. Please submit a Request for Consideration (RAC) as soon as is possible. Students who complete deliverables while ill generally cannot recieve academic consideration/have their grades changed after the fact.

If you have not yet submitted a request without documentation this term, please start there.

If you require an extension to an original request or have already used your request without documentation for this term and do not have doucmentation, please email engineering.aac@queensu.ca to discuss your circumstances.

Yes – as an Engineering student, all requests for all courses should be submitted through the Engineering Portal.

If you are not an Engineering student, please use your Faculty’s considerations process for your request. Please see the list of other Faculty contacts under the “Info for Students” section and “Links to Faculty/School Office Websites”.

Generally, no. If you are not missing an assignment or deliverable, and there are not marks for attending a class/tutorial/lab, you do not need to submit a request.

Please double check your syllabi to ensure you are not missing any deliverables.

If you need to add a course after submission, please email engineering.aac@queensu.ca and include the course code, instructor name and instructor email of the course you need added to your submission.

Please email engineering.aac@queensu.ca with the amendment requested for your submission.

You will need to submit a new request for additional dates and include supporting documentation that reflects the dates for which you are requesting additoinal academic consideration. We take into consideration the entire history of requests when evaluating submissions for extension.

If you are unable to obtain supporting documentation, please contact the Academic Accommodation and Consideration Advisor by email at engineering.aac@queensu.ca or book an appointment.

Student Wellness Services (SWS) has daily walk-in appointments and pre-booked appointments available to all Queen’s students. However, Student Wellness is not providing notes for Respiratory Illness or minor infections unless they require medical treatment. Students may submit one request per term without documentation for these absences, or visit an online clinic. Please see Student Wellness Services "Get Help Now" webpage for a list of online clinic resources under Non-Life-Threatening Illnesses and Injuries.

If you are unable to get in with SWS and need to be seen sooner for an urgent condition, you can try going to CDK Family Medicine & Walk-in Clinic or urgent care at Hotel Dieu Hospital, additional walk in clinic information is available on the Student Wellness Services "Get Help Now" webpage under Non-Life-Threatening Illnesses and Injuries.

Our Smith Engineering Counsellors and Wellness Advisors can also provide documentation for mental health, social justice and political unrest related issues. Student Wellness Services (SWS) also has a Same-Day Mental Health Therapy Clinic, Monday - Friday from 11am-3:30pm. 

If you have tried these options and are either waiting to be seen by a physician/counsellor or unable to book an appointment, please contact engineering.aac@queensu.ca to discuss your circumstances.

1. If you are registered with QSAS, and are experiencing an exacerbation of your disability:

• Extenuating circumstances can exacerbate symptoms of ongoing disability. Students can receive support for exacerbation through QSAS without providing additional documentation. Please send an email to your instructor regarding your specific accommodation needs and copy your accommodation advisor. If you don’t know who your advisor is, you can contact qsas.intake@queensu.ca 

2. You are registered with QSAS and are NOT experiencing exacerbation of your disability:

• If your request is related to extenuating circumstances that is not exacerbating your disability, please submit a Request for Academic Consideration using the link at the top of this webpage.  

3. If you have an ongoing disability and are not already registered with QSAS:

• Your needs will be best served by registering with Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS). Please refer to the Accommodations section above for more information. 

Consideration options are at the discretion of the instructor and may include:

• An excused absence
• A deferral of an assignment or other deliverable
• An extension
• A modified schedule for assignments, projects, labs, or placements
• An alternative assignment
• Re-weighting of term marks
• Permission for an incomplete grade (IN)
  This is a temporary designation where students are not able to complete all course work due to extenuating circumstances. Click through here to see the full definition.
• Permission for a late course drop

Please note that some instructors may be using universal design principles to provide considerations for absences (for example a grace period of 3 days beyond the submission deadline). In such cases you may not need to submit a request for consideration for the particular course/deliverable. Please check your syllabus carefully, and ask your instructor for clarification when in doubt.

Essential academic requirements and standards refer to the knowledge and/or skill that must be acquired and/or demonstrated, for a student to successfully meet the learning outcomes of a course or academic work. All students who receive academic consideration must meet all essential academic requirements of the course. Academic consideration does not guarantee academic achievement in a course or program.

Students who request academic consideration after completing a deliverable are not considered eligible to re-do the deliverable. Please contact engineering.aac@queensu.ca to discuss further.