Academic Regulations are in place to provide consistency and fairness to all students and to ensure the integrity of the Bachelor of Science (Engineering) degree. In addition to this information provided by the Engineering and Applied Science Faculty Office regarding academic appeals, you may also want to refer to the Academic Grievance Centre.

It is important that students become familiar with Smith Engineering at Queen's Academic Regulations and Sessional Dates.

If students require any assistance or encounter any difficulty with their studies, they should contact their Academic Advisor.

Students may request academic privileges provided for in the regulations, such as supplemental exams, course substitutions, and exam re-reads. Such privileges will be granted if students adhere to the specified deadlines and meet all specified requirements.

While regulations are necessary to provide uniform standards for all students, the Faculty recognizes that some students may encounter extenuating circumstances (that is, circumstances beyond their control, such as illness, injury, death in family) that may affect their academic performance. Students who encounter such extenuating circumstances may request that certain regulations be waived. Please be advised that probationary regulations (Regulation 2g, 2h, and 10) are not appealable. 

What is an extenuating circumstance? For more information on what is considered an extenuating circumstance, please see this document.

Guidelines

For a printable PDF version of these guidelines, please see Student Guidelines for Academic Progress Committee (APC) Requests.

  • The relevant application forms are listed below.
  • Complete the forms carefully and accurately and follow all instructions.
  • Ensure you provide all of the required information.
  • Attach any relevant documentation to the form.
  • State the reasons you are making the request as clearly as possible. You are encouraged to attach typed notes to the form if necessary. Poorly stated reasons or lack of justified extenuating circumstances (i.e. things that have happened to the student that are beyond the student's control, such as injury, illness, death in the family) will delay the processing of your request and may also lead to its denial.
  • Discuss your request with your Academic Advisor and ensure that you obtain all the required signatures before submitting the form. NOTE: In certain circumstances, email approval by Faculty is acceptable but needs to be provided in a specific format. Please check with your department before proceeding with this form of approval.
  • Submit the completed form along with the appropriate administrative fee (as listed below). Each form provides the location to which the final completed form should be submitted.
  • Fees are payable by cheque or money order made payable to "Queen's University" or online via credit card here.
  • It is the student's responsibility to fully and correctly complete the form and to obtain all the required signatures.

Refer to the Academic Appeals section below for information regarding academic decisions and appeals.

Regulation Requests

Request Form Regulation To * Admin Fee
Request to change Academic Plan in Smith Engineering at Queen's Academic Plan Change - See forms page 1.f AD(A) No Fee
Exemption of a course based on prior studies or work experience. Course Exemption - See forms page 2.c APC No Fee
Substitution of a required course with another course. Course Substitution - See forms page 2.d APC Queen's Course: There is no fee for substitution requests for courses to be taken at Queen's University. Other University Course: If the substituted course is to be taken at another institution, a Letter of Permission (LOP) is required and there is a $60 fee for LOP's. To submit the payment online via credit card for this form, click here
Substitute a completed Queen's course with another Queen's course. Designation of Substitution - See forms page N/A APC No Fee
Formal re-read of final exam. Mark can increase or decrease. Exam Re-read - See forms page 13 AD(A) $50 - Fee will be refunded if the mark is increased. To submit the payment online via credit card for this form, click here
A re-write exam provides students with a second opportunity to write the final exam in a first-year course. Exam Rewrite - See forms page 1.i DFYS Refer to re-write website for cost details.
Temporary grade of "incomplete" for a designated period of time. Incomplete Grade - See forms page 4.b APC No Fee
A supplemental exam provides students with a second opportunity to write the final exam in an upper-year course. Supplemental Exam - See forms page 14 AD(A) $300 (application posted in Mid May)

* APC = Academic Progress Committee
AD(A) = Associate Dean (Academic), or designate
DYFS = Director of First-Year Studies, or designate

Regulation Waivers

Waiver Form Regulation To * Admin Fee
Add a course after the deadline. Late Course Add - See forms page 1.b APC No Fee
Drop a course after the deadline. Late Course Drop - See forms page 1.e APC No Fee
Waive a fall term first-year course pre-requisite for a winter term first-year course First-Year Pre-requisite Waiver - See forms page 2.g DFYS No Fee
Withdraw after January 31 without a failed year. Late Withdrawal
- there is no form for this waiver request
- please send an email request to engineering.committees@queensu.ca for the consideration of the Academic Progress Committee.
11.a APC No Fee
Waive a requirement to withdraw. Requirement to Withdraw Waiver - See forms page refer to details below AD(A) No Fee

* APC = Academic Progress Committee
AD(A) = Associate Dean (Academic), or designate
DYFS = Director of First-Year Studies, or designate

Requirement to Withdraw

(Refer also to the Academic Appeals section below)

Students are assessed for compliance with Regulation 12 in January and for Regulations 2.g, 10, and 12 in May or June of each year and may be required to withdraw.

When a student is required to withdraw:

  1. The student is
    • notified in writing by email and regular mail,
    • provided an opportunity to request a waiver of the requirement to withdraw,
    • provided with a decision regarding the waiver request.
    • provided with an opportunity to appeal the decision (refer to Academic Appeals information below)
  2. If the requirement to withdraw waiver is approved, the student will be required to follow special conditions during the next academic year. Failure to meet those conditions may result in a subsequent requirement to withdraw.
  3. If the requirement to withdraw waiver is denied, the student will be provided the opportunity to apply for readmission to Engineering and Applied Science. However, a positive admission decision is far from automatic.
    • To be considered for re-admission, the student must provide credible and compelling evidence that he or she is likely to succeed in completing the degree requirement for the program in which readmission is being sought. Often, an important component of the case for re-admission would take the form of a record of good academic performance in courses (of similar challenge to those in the program for which readmission is being sought) taken at other academic institutions prior to applying for readmission to Queen's.
    • The re-admission decision would also be dependent upon a determination that space exists in the requested program.
    • To apply to Engineering after a voluntary withdrawal or requirement to withdraw, go to the Forms page to complete and then submit the Application for Re-Admission/Resumption of Studies form before July 15 to be considered for re-admission for the following academic session.

Academic Appeals

There are three levels of appeal for students in Smith Engineering at Queen's. The first two levels are within the Faculty and provide a verdict on the academic issues related to the case. The third and final level is an appeal to the University Student Appeal Board.

Level 1

Provides students with the opportunity to request privileges provided for in the regulations, or to request that a specific regulation be waived.

  • Student completes and submits the appropriate request or waiver form as indicated above.
  • Student provides supporting documentation verifying the extenuating circumstances (i.e. things that have happened to the student that are beyond the student's control, such as injury, illness, or death in the family)

Level 2

Provides the student with the opportunity to appeal regulation requests or waiver decisions made at Level 1.

  • Appeals to the Operations Committee regarding Level 1 decisions can be made only on the following two grounds:
  • Proper procedures have not been followed.
  • Extenuating circumstances have not been appropriately considered.
  • Student completes and submits the Academic Appeal Form.

Level 3

It provides the student the opportunity to appeal the process by which the previous Level 1 and 2 decisions were made and does not deal with the merits of the appeal.

  • USAB is intended to ensure that fair procedures have been followed and that there has not been a clear error in the exercise of discretion.\

  • You will have 14 days (2 weeks) from the date that you receive the decision to submit your appeal. To do so, you would need to contact the Secretary of USAB in the Office of the University Secretariat and Legal Counsel at appeals@queensu.ca and submit the Notice of Appeal form (Form 26a) (Word document).

  • For further details on the jurisdiction of USAB see SARD section 16.