Bader College FAQ

Students are being strongly encouraged to take their belongings with them. They may choose to order boxes and arrange shipping, if they are travelling before returning to Canada, but they are being advised that shipping is a slow process. Students should keep all related  receipts.

International students are being assigned to speak with one of our international student advisors (who have immigration advising certification) at the Queen’s University International Centre who will discuss their options and processes. 

Yes, every student will get the disruption payment. 

Among eligible expense reimbursements (see below), students can submit 50% of the student visa application fee to study at Bader College, and 50% of the cost of the Immigration Health Surcharge paid for access to the National Health Service. Students should upload their documentation showing the full cost for each and then enter 50% of the cost in ERS as their claim.

No, though Queen’s will use economy fare rates for the purposes of reimbursements 

We will reimburse flights if they are non refundable or non-exchangeable.

All Bader College students who will be submitting out-of-pocket travel/disruption-related expenses for reimbursement must review/update the following information in their SOLUS student account before Sunday December 3, 2023, at 11:59 pm GMT/Monday December 4, 2023, 5 am ET, to ensure timely payment:

• Primary Name in SOLUS: This name should be the same as the name associated with the bank account you will be using to receive reimbursement.
• Mailing Address: This field must be filled out. You can use your primary home address, or you can use Queen’s University 77 University Ave, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6
• How to do this in SOLUS
• Up-to-date Bank Account Information: funds will be e-transferred into this account
• How to do this in SOLUS

Eligible expenses will include:

• Ticket Change Costs: Fees charged to change the travel date for a previously booked flight to a student’s home destination, and the cost difference (if any) between the previous flight and the changed (economy class) ticket.
  • If your ticket is with Air Canada, please see “Air Canada Flights” on the FAQ page.
• Ticket Cancellation: Any non-refundable cost of a cancelled flight, only if a student’s pre-existing flight cannot be changed, and is not covered by a credit issued by the airline, or through a credit card, or independent travel insurance.

Please note: If you receive any credit from your airline, your credit card, or trip insurance for changes or cancellations to previously booked travel, this amount MUST be deducted from your reimbursement request. This includes the value of a voucher for future travel.

• Airline Excess Baggage Fees: The cost of additional luggage/boxes above the number included in the ticket booked.
• Airline Overweight Baggage Fees.
• Travel from Bader College to the closest departure airport: Travel to the airport should be by the most economical means available. Shuttles provided by Bader College should be utilized as a first option. Where taxi travel is required, it should be shared among multiple students, when possible.
• Shipping box purchases, shipping costs, and related expenses: Students are encouraged to bring as much with them when they leave Bader College, however reasonable shipping expenses will be considered, particularly where students are not traveling directly home.
• 50% of the student visa application fee to study at Bader College.
• 50% of the cost of the Immigration Health Surcharge paid for access to the National Health Service.

Fall term credits that will be applied to SOLUS accounts:

• 50% of the fall term room and board fee (approx. $8,000)
• Full refund for the Fall Field Studies Fee (approx. $2,700)
• $1,000 disruption payment

• We have followed up with students who did not complete Step 1 (updating/confirming their banking information in SOLUS).
  • Students who have not completed this step will experience delays in receiving their payment.
• Access to the university’s Expense Reimbursement System, and a step-by-step guide for Bader College students, is now available.
• Students can start uploading their receipts and information to prepare their request at any time.
• Students will be able to submit their expense request between
  January 2-31, 2024.

• Bader College students who need to update their banking information in SOLUS should email derek.evans@queensu.ca to advise the university ASAP.
• You will need to wait until this new information is uploaded to the university’s Expense Reimbursement System (ERS) before you are able to access the system and start uploading your receipts and information to make your reimbursement request.

International students arriving in Kingston to begin their winter semester are strongly encouraged to wait to submit their expense claim until they have opened a Canadian bank account and updated this new banking information in SOLUS.

If you have questions about this, please contact your International Student Advisor at the Queen’s University International Centre.

We have been made aware that a Bader College parent has discussed favourable terms with Air Canada for Bader College students (thank you!).

This is the information we have been provided: 

• Students must call Air Canada Reservations and refer to the "Queen's Bader College Students Exceptional Process". 
• For return tickets in December, change fees are waived. If the same pricing inventory is not available, they will quote the additional charge. If not suitable, the students can choose a flight that is available for the same as their original  flight. 
• For their tickets in Jan/April - each student can have credit for their tickets to be used within 12 months of original purchase. They need an Aeroplan number, please do that before calling.  When they call, the agent will convert their ticket to a credit in the AC Wallet and waive any penalties. The credit can be used to purchase tickets for other family members. 

No, as students would have been travelling to resume studies in England in January, and any expenses incurred to cancel/change those plans, will be reimbursable, if they aren’t otherwise refunded or credited.

In addition, all students otherwise moving to Kingston (residence or off-campus) do so, throughout their studies, at their own expense.

Students and families are encouraged to bring only what they need, and consider how to make the move as sustainable as possible.

If you have questions about the eligibility of specific expenses related to your travel timing/plans, please email Derek.Evans@queensu.ca

If you need technical support with the Expense Reimbursement System as you prepare your reimbursement request, please email Kathy Polywkan at finops.provost@queensu.ca

Derek and Kathy are available Monday-Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm ET, and until noon on December 21, and then starting January 2, 2024. The university is closed December 22 – January 1, inclusive.

Bader College student accounts in SOLUS have been updated to reflect a $12,010 (CDN) waiver/credit. This includes:

• $8,304, which is 50% of the Fall Bader College room and board fee
• $2,706, which is a full refund of the Fall Bader College Field Studies fee
• $1,000, which is the additional disruption payment

Winter term tuition and fees have been assessed and have been posted to student accounts in SOLUS, so students and families will be able to see a net credit amount.

Winter term Residence fees will be posted to student SOLUS accounts by Wed Dec 13.

Students wishing to request a refund of their balance are encouraged to wait until winter residence fees are posted to their SOLUS account, if applicable.

Refund requests can be made by completing the Fee Refund Request Form.

Bader College will provide the Queen’s Faculty of Education with confirmation of the practicum hours completed to date. Students will receive options in January they can choose from that best fit their unique situations, so they are able to complete the remaining requirements by the end of July. The Faculty of Education is confident students will be able to meet the PRAC 110 requirements.

Bader College faculty have been asked to record all classes.  

Students have been advised they are required to pack, donate, or dispose of their items prior to their final departure from Bader Hall. Their rooms are expected to be empty when they leave. 

The university was made aware of the presence of mold and mildew in portions of the basement area of Bader Hall in early November, and worked with Bader College to immediately bring in a mold remediation specialist to assess the extent of the issues and to develop a remediation plan.  

The preliminary assessment by the specialist identified low concentrations of mold and mildew in two areas of the basement. The amount identified, along with the ventilation in the basement area not being connected to the occupied area of the building, led the consultant to report there was a low probability that the mold would have any impact on areas of the building.

Air samples were taken on the occupied floor above the affected area of the basement, and outdoors.Bader College’s contractors have concluded that the mold is a common form found both indoors and outdoors, and all samples taken – including in the occupied area of the facility - fall within a range that is considered normal.

Remediation is scheduled for November 29 – December 1. 

Academic accommodations for students at Bader College are put in place by the team at Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) in Kingston, so there is no additional process required.

Students will be able to defer to winter term and restart in September. They can do this and apply their fall term credits when they continue their studies. Students wishing to defer should email castle@queensu.ca ASAP to indicate this preference. Students who are receiving government financial aid should reach out to Financial Aid and Awards by emailing awards@queensu.ca before making the decision to defer to ensure that they are aware of any implications for their awards. 

• Students will be charged the domestic Arts and Science term tuition (approx. $3,000), plus student ancillary fees. 
• Students will retain full financial awards, as outlined for fall.
• Winter term tuition and fees have been assessed and have been posted to student accounts in SOLUS

Tuesday, November 28, 11 am ET

• Jenn Stephenson, Associate Dean (Academic), Faculty of Arts and Science
• Nikki Philbrook, Director, Bachelor of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences
• Peter Chin, Associate Dean, Teacher Education

Key points and next steps

Winter course schedules

• You will get an email from your Faculty proposing a draft winter schedule based on your previous winter schedule
• You can accept the draft timetable as is or adapt it
• We've worked closely together across the Faculties to make sure we create a draft schedule that is conflict free.
• After you see your draft timetable we encourage all students to speak with an academic advisor – this is a great opportunity to work through your unique interests and questions

Winter Programming

• We are continuing to build programming for January and more details will be available soon
• During the week of December 5 You will be added to "First Year Foundations 100: Bader Community" in OnQ which will give you access to modules that welcome you to Kingston and prepare you for life on main campus

Students applying to live in residence should ensure they include information about preferred roommates (up to 3) in their application. Residences will work with preferences, as much as possible. Students wishing to live off campus in small groups should specify this to the OCLA. 

• To be considered for a room in residence, students need to finalize their application by Sunday, November 26, 2023, at 6:59 pm ET (11:59 pm GMT)
• We expect to issue residence room assignments on November 29 with a deadline specified to accept the room offer.   
• No deposit is required to apply.  Students will be assessed winter term residence fees (which includes their meal plan) following their acceptance of a room offer. 
• If you have any questions, please contact the Residence Admissions team at reshouse@queensu.ca or via LiveChat on the Residence website [8:30 am – 4:30 pm ET (1:30 pm – 9:30 pm GMT) Monday – Friday], or visit our winter intake page.

Students living in residence will be able to move in any time after January 3, 2024.

Please note: The campus dining halls reopen from the winter break for dinner on Sunday January 7.

Winter term classes in Kingston start Monday January 8.

Approximately 85% of the Bader College students who applied to residence received an offer. We were able to increase the number of available spaces from approx. 110 to 132. We also worked to respond to the preferences students stated on their application, including preferred roommates (up to 3), and we created as many per-room groupings in residence as possible. All students were assigned a lottery number, then rooms were assigned in that order, aligned with the student’s first choice, for as long as that room type remained available.

In a few cases, we have identified individual houses off-campus, in nearby neighbourhoods, so preferred roommate groups could remain together.

Students who wish to explore off-campus options are encouraged to contact the Off-Campus Living Advisor, at ocla@queensu.ca

We have identified many rental housing options available off-campus, close to the university, ranging from private one-bedroom apartments, currently vacant multi-occupancy apartments/houses where students can live on their own, with a friend or friend group, or join an existing student household. Students who want to explore these options are encouraged to contact the Off-Campus Living Advisor, at ocla.queensu.ca.

Students can also choose to decline their offered room and be placed on a waitlist for their preferred option in residence, if such a room were to become available.

Please note: at this time, we do not expect many additional rooms to become available. A room change process is available in residence after you move in, however preferred room options may not become available.

Students who are not able to live in residence due to capacity will be connected to the Off-Campus Living Advisor.

Between residence rooms and off-campus housing options, including a significant number of student sublets, we will ensure all students have a place to live for the winter term.

There is an existing priority process for Bader College students to secure an off-campus house owned by Queen’s Community Housing for their second year. This application process for May 1, 2024, leases going forward, is already underway.

For students living off campus, off-campus meal plans will be available to provide easy opportunities for Bader College students to eat together in the campus dining halls, etc. if they choose.

Off-campus meal plans 

Activities will include social connections, access to clubs, intramurals, and other extra-curriculars, and support for finding on-campus jobs. 

There is a tight network of former Bader College students in Kingston, some of whom participate in our Bader College Transition Program for newly arrived Bader College students. These connections will be offered.

Bader College students have been "enrolled” in a First Year Foundation 100: Bader Community “course” in OnQ (Queen’s online course management system), which provides access to modules that welcome students and help prepare them effectively for their time in Kingston.

Students can log in to onQ using their net ID.

• The week of December 11, 2023, Bader College students will receive an email asking them to activate their new RAFTR account.
• RAFTR is a social media platform used by all first-year students both on and off-campus at Queen's.
• We've created a space where students can continue connecting with their Bader community when they come to Kingston.
• Students are encouraged to activate their account to access events, information and connect with our upper-year Bader Ambassadors.

• Bader College students are invited to this in-person event to welcome them all to Kingston campus!
• Saturday, January 13, 11 am - 4:30 pm
• Students are encouraged to check RAFTR, and FYF 100: Bader Community in onQ, in the coming weeks for more information, and to RSVP.