Academic Consideration

Faculty/Staff Resources

Instructor Handbook

Instructors are encouraged to review a copy of the Instructor Handbook for yearly updates.

Redirecting Consideration Emails Guide

We know that receiving emails from the Portal, sometimes multiple per request, can be overwhelming. To assist with managing email volume, we recommend implementing the suggestions in our “Redirecting Considerations Email” Guide.

Video Tutorials

Meet the Team

What Circumstances Qualify?

Types of Requests

Remedies Offered Through Consideration

Deferred Exam Process

Academic Consideration & Instructor Handbook

Evaluation, Timelines, and Referrals

Responsibilities

Consideration vs Accommodation

Webpage Resources

Academic Accommodation Support

For comprehensive information on the difference between Academic Consideration and Accommodation, please refer to the main Academic Consideration website.

If you need support in administering Accommodations for a specific student, we recommend reviewing the student’s Accommodation Plan in Ventus to determine the student’s Accessibility Advisor. The Accessibility Advisor is best postured to assist, or you can contact qsas.intake@queensu.ca for general support. More information can also be found on �ʹ��’s Student Accessibility Services’ website.

If you would like support in adding accessibility or principles of Universal Design to your course(s), you may want to access support through the Instructional Design Support team through Arts and Science Online. Please refer to the Teaching and Learning page for more information.

Deferred Exam/Incomplete (IN) Grade Process

Once an academic consideration request has been verified by the consideration team, it is the student’s responsibility to reach out to their instructor(s) to discuss the options available to them.

While our office verifies severity and the timeline being requested, it is the instructor who will decide if offering a deferred exam, or an IN-grade, is an appropriate consideration option for their course.

If the instructor has agreed to defer an exam, or IN-grade for a student, they have two options:

Allow the student to write the exam during the deferred exam period:
1. The instructor is responsible for submitting all deferred student names to the Exam Office, as the Exam office will then schedule and proctor the exam.
2. The Exams Office is responsible for scheduling and administering deferred final exams in December and April.
3. For instructions on how to arrange a deferred exam, please visit the Exam Office webpage.
4. The deferred exam period is usually approximately 1-2 weeks after the end of term. Please see the sessional dates in the current Academic Calendar for the exact dates each term.
Allow the student to write the deferred exam outside of the deferred exam period, or an incomplete (IN) grade:
1. It is the instructor’s responsibility to arrange the time, location, and proctor the exam, or timeline for the remaining course work to be completed.
2. Complete a Permission for an Incomplete Grade form with your student. This helps to set clear expectations for outstanding work and deadlines.
3. Deferred exams or Incomplete work can be submitted no later than the end of the subsequent term.

Limitations of a Deferred Final Exam

Deferred Exam Period: It is the instructor's decision as to when to schedule the deferred exam the first time, whether that is during the deferred exam period, or outside of this time (to a maximum of the end of the following term). Once the agreed scheduled time has passed, the student will need to consider other options (e.g., petition to the Associate Dean for extended incomplete, late drop etc.). The consideration portal will not accept requests to defer exams a second time.
Request verified Beyond the Deferred Period: If a consideration request is originally verified for an end date that extends past the official deferred exam period, the student will need to discuss the timeline with their instructor to see what they are able to offer. It will be at the instructor’s discretion when the deferred exam is to be written.
Exam Format: All deferred exams are to be written in the format they were originally scheduled. For example, if a student’s original exam was scheduled to be in-person, they must write their deferred exam in-person. This is an important factor to consider, especially if the student knows they will not be in Kingston during the deferred exam period.

Faculty/Staff FAQs

Can I ask students for information about their extenuating circumstance?

To maintain the student’s privacy, please do not ask the student for more information about their extenuating circumstance, for medical notes, or to upload correspondence to OnQ or another online platform which may include personal information. If you require verification of a student’s circumstance to be tracked in any way, the student is copied on the verification email you receive and may use this correspondence for this purpose.

How many requests for Consideration can a student make?

There is no set limit on the number of Academic Consideration requests a student can make. The Faculty Office does audit how many Academic Consideration requests a student submits but the purpose of this is not to limit or cut-off further requests. At a certain point, the student will be required to meet with the Academic Consideration Manager in the Faculty Office to ensure that they have adequate support for their health and wellness needs before they are able to submit further requests.

Students receiving Academic Considerations must meet all essential academic requirements/learning outcomes and standards of the course. If Academic Consideration is not possible, the student should be referred to an Academic Advisor to discuss reducing course load and/or appeal options, etc. The student is informed that Academic Consideration does not guarantee academic achievement in a course/program.

What if a student from another Faculty is taking my FAS course?

Students in other Faculties and Schools who are enrolled in this course should refer to the Academic Consideration protocol for their home Faculty. This means you will receive requests from other Faculties' Consideration departments. Please honour these requests as you would those coming from the Arts & Science Academic Consideration Team.

I would like all requests sent to a specific email address. Can you direct students to do so?

As students input this information directly into the Portal which sends automated emails, we cannot control where requests are sent. We recommend including a statement in your syllabus or on OnQ to inform students of the email address you’d like them to use when submitting a Request for Academic Consideration.

I haven’t received confirmation of a student’s Consideration request.

The student likely incorrectly entered your email address when submitting their request. Please contact us at asc.consideration@queensu.ca and we can send along the confirmation email.

How long do requests take to be processed?

Short-term Requests

Short-term requests are deemed valid unless instructors are notified otherwise by our office. Our office aims to review these requests within 1 business day of submission. When this is not possible (long weekends, peak periods) requests are always reviewed within 2 business days. If our team requires additional time to follow up with the student or if the request has not been verified, we will notify you by email.

Updates and withdrawals of short-term requests occur in less than 5% of requests, so we ask that these requests are assumed valid until instructors are notified otherwise.

If you receive a short-term withdrawal and you have already provided Academic Consideration in good faith, instructors have the right to withdraw/remove the academic consideration provided to date.

Long-term Requests

As students are given 5 business days to submit supporting documentation, long-term requests can take between 2 – 6 business days to be processed. If our office needs longer than 6 business days, we will contact you to advise of any processing delays.

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