Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dean Bénard,

The purpose of this letter is to appeal to drop PSYC 235 for the Fall 2015 term as the Winter 2016 term has already been removed through SOLUS.

The extenuating circumstances that have affected my academic performance could be considered to be the result of an unusual academic event. The drop date for Fall 2015 courses was on November 6th, however the first graded assignment was returned on November 10th. On November 11th I engaged in a conversation with a woman named Jennifer through the Continuing & Distance Studies email and another individual through the Faculty of Arts and Science Appeals email account. Their responses reassured that the drop date for full year online courses was not until February 27, 2016:

On Nov 11, 2015, at 11:58 AM, Faculty of Arts and Science Appeals asc.appeals@queensu.ca wrote:
Hello Shauna,
Since this is a full year (F/W) course, you can drop this course without academic penalty up to February 27th and there would be no impact on your GPA. If you choose to drop the course now, you will receive half the tuition back (the winter term portion) but no tuition for the fall term portion of the tuition. If there are extenuating circumstances that are leading to the drop, you can appeal the financial piece to the Registrar's Office (Gordon Hall) to request a greater refund. They have a process to follow and you could check with that office regarding that piece.
I hope this helps

Following this conversation, I spoke with the instructor of the course (Layla Hall) to inform her that I would no longer be enrolled in the course. She responded by assuring that she would inform the teaching assistants (TAs). I accessed the Continuing & Distance Studies webpage to learn how to go about dropping the course which stated:

http://www.queensu.ca/artsci_online/apply/add-drop-a-course
You may drop an online course on SOLUS
(Reiterating below that the drop deadline for Fall/Winter 2015-16 is in February)

This is an unfortunate situation of either incorrectly informed staff or miscommunication. After believing for the last three weeks that I had correctly followed procedure, I am now informed that I must submit this appeal (which may not be approved) which is causing a considerable amount of anxiety and distress in the week leading into final examinations.

I am not seeking any economic retribution, only academic. I am a student on OSAP, who pays for the majority of the fees that allow her to pursue an academic career (including extracurriculars as I am very involved with the Queen's community). While monetary reimbursement would be greatly appreciated I understand that Queen's is an institution and the student body pays for the privilege to attended such a reputable school. I am rather seeking out an academic settlement. Hopefully, through the aforementioned circumstances, it is apparent that an unusual chain of events has led to this unfortunate situation. If emotion or psychological symptoms did not first exist in the beginning of November there is no doubt that they are active agents now. I look forward to a response, especially in this stressful season of finals and the looming holiday season.

Thank you for your time and consideration,
Shauna Bartlett