Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 2043
Submitted: April 7, 2016 at 11:35:56 PM
First Name: Natasha
Last Name: Wozniak
Student Number: 10029796
Email: 1nw5@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: SOCY
Level of Study: 4
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the 21-day or one term deadline
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: To whom this may concern,
I am writing to request an appeal to waive the 21-day appeal deadline.
My name is Natasha Wozniak and I am a 5th year sociology major in the Faculty of Arts and Science. Dating back to 2012, I obtained documentation that requested that I receive ¿¿Incomplete¿ grades for multiple courses due to serious mental health concerns. The documentation was obtained from my counsellor, Kim Thomas, at Queen¿¿s University Counselling Services. During this time, I was also in contact with my Undergraduate Chair of the Sociology Department, Professor Martin Hand. With his assistance and support, as well as the support of my counsellor, we formulated a plan that would get me back on track in regards to completing my schoolwork. Throughout this process and extensive conversations with my counsellor, Professor Hand, and my other Professors, it was not brought to my attention that there was a formal appeal process established under the Faculty of Arts and Science.
When obtaining the documentation from Queen¿¿s Counselling Services and presenting it to my Professors, as well as speaking with Professor Hand, it was not brought to my attention that I would have until the end of the following semester to complete my course work. Moreover, I was not informed that that my ¿¿Incomplete¿ grades would automatically expire the semester after they were granted. Consequently, I was unaware that I would have 21 days from the end of the course to appeal this deadline if my counsellor and I felt that I would not be able to meet this timeline due to extenuating circumstances.
I would like to emphasize that, during this time, Professor Hand was also unaware that there was a formal appeal process in place. It was only when Professor Hand submitted a grade change request on my behalf, with the Faculty of Arts and Science, in March 2016 that such a process came to his attention. Consequently, Katie Phillips also notified me, soon after, on the behalf of Dr. Bénard, Associate Dean, that there was a formal appeal process that I would have to go through.
I had the best intentions to rectify my academic situation and, thus, I got into contact with my department, whom I thought would be able to point me in the right direction. I also believe that Professor Hand did what he thought would be best for me and tried to handle the situation at the department level. Had I known about this process when I was first granted the ¿¿Incomplete¿ grades, I would have done my best to take the necessary steps, according to the Faculty of Arts and Science appeal process.
After having spoken with Associate Dean Dr. Bénard and Academic Advisor Haley Everson, and I am now well aware that there is a formal appeal process in place not only to make it fair for all students but also to support students and ensure that they are able to attain their full academic potential. I am hoping that, through this request to waive the 21-day appeal deadline, it is recognized that I took the steps I saw best fit. Moreover, with the acceptance of this request, I hope to be able to, next, submit an appeal in order to complete my courses and move forward to graduate Fall 2016.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Natasha Wozniak (10029796)
I am writing to request an appeal to waive the 21-day appeal deadline.
My name is Natasha Wozniak and I am a 5th year sociology major in the Faculty of Arts and Science. Dating back to 2012, I obtained documentation that requested that I receive ¿¿Incomplete¿ grades for multiple courses due to serious mental health concerns. The documentation was obtained from my counsellor, Kim Thomas, at Queen¿¿s University Counselling Services. During this time, I was also in contact with my Undergraduate Chair of the Sociology Department, Professor Martin Hand. With his assistance and support, as well as the support of my counsellor, we formulated a plan that would get me back on track in regards to completing my schoolwork. Throughout this process and extensive conversations with my counsellor, Professor Hand, and my other Professors, it was not brought to my attention that there was a formal appeal process established under the Faculty of Arts and Science.
When obtaining the documentation from Queen¿¿s Counselling Services and presenting it to my Professors, as well as speaking with Professor Hand, it was not brought to my attention that I would have until the end of the following semester to complete my course work. Moreover, I was not informed that that my ¿¿Incomplete¿ grades would automatically expire the semester after they were granted. Consequently, I was unaware that I would have 21 days from the end of the course to appeal this deadline if my counsellor and I felt that I would not be able to meet this timeline due to extenuating circumstances.
I would like to emphasize that, during this time, Professor Hand was also unaware that there was a formal appeal process in place. It was only when Professor Hand submitted a grade change request on my behalf, with the Faculty of Arts and Science, in March 2016 that such a process came to his attention. Consequently, Katie Phillips also notified me, soon after, on the behalf of Dr. Bénard, Associate Dean, that there was a formal appeal process that I would have to go through.
I had the best intentions to rectify my academic situation and, thus, I got into contact with my department, whom I thought would be able to point me in the right direction. I also believe that Professor Hand did what he thought would be best for me and tried to handle the situation at the department level. Had I known about this process when I was first granted the ¿¿Incomplete¿ grades, I would have done my best to take the necessary steps, according to the Faculty of Arts and Science appeal process.
After having spoken with Associate Dean Dr. Bénard and Academic Advisor Haley Everson, and I am now well aware that there is a formal appeal process in place not only to make it fair for all students but also to support students and ensure that they are able to attain their full academic potential. I am hoping that, through this request to waive the 21-day appeal deadline, it is recognized that I took the steps I saw best fit. Moreover, with the acceptance of this request, I hope to be able to, next, submit an appeal in order to complete my courses and move forward to graduate Fall 2016.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Natasha Wozniak (10029796)
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: NO DOC
Decision Letters
Amendment to Appeal 2043
Relevant Petition: 2043
First Name: Natasha
Last Name: Wozniak
Student Number: 10029796
Email: 1nw5@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: SOCY
Level of Study: 4
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Request aegrotat (AG) standing in a course or courses, Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses, Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Appeal Category Detail: Request for No Grade (NG)
Code: SOCY 273
Term: Winter
Year: 2015
Petition Category: Request aegrotat (AG) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: Robyn Saaltink
Code: GNDS 352
Term: Winter
Year: 2015
Petition Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor's Name: Johanna Amos
Code: SOCY 309
Term: Fall
Year: 2012
Petition Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor's Name: David Murakami-Wood
Code: SOCY 325
Term: Fall
Year: 2013
Petition Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor's Name: Rob Beamish
Code: GNDS 326
Term: Winter
Year: 2014
Petition Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: Beenash Jafri
Code: SOCY 225
Term: Winter
Year: 2014
Petition Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: Richard Day
Code: SOCY 303
Term: Fall
Year: 2013
Petition Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: Habibé Burcu Baba
Code: SOCY 235
Term: Winter
Year: 2014
Petition Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: Cynthia Levine Rasky
Code: ARTH 260
Term: Winter
Year: 2014
Petition Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor's Name: Cathleen Hoeniger
Code: RELS 235
Term: Winter
Year: 2014
Petition Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor's Name: Jason Kelly
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: To whom this may concern,
My name is Natasha Wozniak and I am 5th year sociology major in the Faculty of Arts and Science. Due to extenuating circumstances that commenced in the Fall semester of 2012, I am writing to request that the appeals be granted for the following courses:
Aegrotat (AG) standing for the following course:
- SOCY_273 (Winter 2015) - 65 of course completed;
Incomplete (IN) grade for the following courses as I hope to submit the incomplete work and receive a passing grade in each of the courses. I would like to note that I have the course syllabi and assignment guidelines for each of the courses listed below and that some of the work has already been completed and is ready to be submitted:
- GNDS_352 (Winter 2015) - Request to submit: Final paper worth 35. Note: This essay has already been completed and is ready to be submitted;
- SOCY_309 (Fall 2012) - Request to submit: Final paper worth 50;
- SOCY_325 (Fall 2013) - Request to submit: Assignment 2 worth 25 and Final Examination worth 45. Note: Assignment 2 has already been completed and is ready to be submitted. Additionally, this course is a requirement for my program, however, is no longer offered.
Credit (CR) standing for the following courses:
- GNDS_326 (Winter 2014) - Grade received was a D+;
- SOCY_225 (Winter 2014) - Grade received was a D-;
- SOCY_303 (Fall 2013) - Grade received was a C-;
- SOCY_235 (Winter 2014) - Grade received was a D+
No Grade (NG) for the following courses as I plan to retake two new elective courses:
- ARTH_260 (Winter 2014) - Grade received was an F;
- RELS_235 (Winter 2014) - Grade received was an F
I am asking for you to consider the requests above due to extenuating circumstances in my personal life, including persistent mental health issues, that impacted my academics and prevented me from completing my schoolwork, during the period of Fall 2012-Winter 2015. The semester of Winter 2014 was the most difficult period of time for me, which involved a temporary hospitalization.
I first sought out counseling at Queen's Counseling Services in the Fall of 2013 and continued to work with a counselor, Kim Thomas, while trying my best to continue with my studies. Kim and I met on a bi-weekly basis and worked on overcoming the obstacles I was faced with. With Kim's discretion, I received extensions for assignments and final papers, which my Professors granted. However, with the demands of a full course load, a full time job, and the pressure to catch up on outstanding work, I fell behind. This led to me receiving incomplete standing in several courses. Upon receiving these incomplete grades and having the best intentions to rectify my academic situation, I approached my faculty, advised them of the situation, and received their full support. Professor Martin Hand, Undergraduate Chair of the Sociology Department, and I discussed the situation and decided that it would be best that I continue with my courses and complete my outstanding schoolwork gradually. With Professor Hand's support and the assistance of my counselor, I formulated a plan that would get me back on track with regards to completing my schoolwork. It was my best intention to complete my outstanding coursework, however, as I began to revisit past assignments and final papers, I was overcome with anxiety due to the pressure of having such a long list of outstanding items to complete. Additionally, revisiting this work forced me to revisit a period of my life that is still extremely distressing to me.
I am hoping that, through this request, it is recognized that I completed my work to the best of my ability and, considering the circumstances, completed it to a high standard. While I was able to pass multiple courses despite having completed only a portion of the work, I feel that given the opportunity, the requested accommodations listed above would allow my grades to better reflect the quality of my work. These accommodations listed above were recommended to me after having spoken with Associate Dean Dr. Johanne Bénard and Academic Advisor Haley Everson about the appeal process.
My name is Natasha Wozniak and I am 5th year sociology major in the Faculty of Arts and Science. Due to extenuating circumstances that commenced in the Fall semester of 2012, I am writing to request that the appeals be granted for the following courses:
Aegrotat (AG) standing for the following course:
- SOCY_273 (Winter 2015) - 65 of course completed;
Incomplete (IN) grade for the following courses as I hope to submit the incomplete work and receive a passing grade in each of the courses. I would like to note that I have the course syllabi and assignment guidelines for each of the courses listed below and that some of the work has already been completed and is ready to be submitted:
- GNDS_352 (Winter 2015) - Request to submit: Final paper worth 35. Note: This essay has already been completed and is ready to be submitted;
- SOCY_309 (Fall 2012) - Request to submit: Final paper worth 50;
- SOCY_325 (Fall 2013) - Request to submit: Assignment 2 worth 25 and Final Examination worth 45. Note: Assignment 2 has already been completed and is ready to be submitted. Additionally, this course is a requirement for my program, however, is no longer offered.
Credit (CR) standing for the following courses:
- GNDS_326 (Winter 2014) - Grade received was a D+;
- SOCY_225 (Winter 2014) - Grade received was a D-;
- SOCY_303 (Fall 2013) - Grade received was a C-;
- SOCY_235 (Winter 2014) - Grade received was a D+
No Grade (NG) for the following courses as I plan to retake two new elective courses:
- ARTH_260 (Winter 2014) - Grade received was an F;
- RELS_235 (Winter 2014) - Grade received was an F
I am asking for you to consider the requests above due to extenuating circumstances in my personal life, including persistent mental health issues, that impacted my academics and prevented me from completing my schoolwork, during the period of Fall 2012-Winter 2015. The semester of Winter 2014 was the most difficult period of time for me, which involved a temporary hospitalization.
I first sought out counseling at Queen's Counseling Services in the Fall of 2013 and continued to work with a counselor, Kim Thomas, while trying my best to continue with my studies. Kim and I met on a bi-weekly basis and worked on overcoming the obstacles I was faced with. With Kim's discretion, I received extensions for assignments and final papers, which my Professors granted. However, with the demands of a full course load, a full time job, and the pressure to catch up on outstanding work, I fell behind. This led to me receiving incomplete standing in several courses. Upon receiving these incomplete grades and having the best intentions to rectify my academic situation, I approached my faculty, advised them of the situation, and received their full support. Professor Martin Hand, Undergraduate Chair of the Sociology Department, and I discussed the situation and decided that it would be best that I continue with my courses and complete my outstanding schoolwork gradually. With Professor Hand's support and the assistance of my counselor, I formulated a plan that would get me back on track with regards to completing my schoolwork. It was my best intention to complete my outstanding coursework, however, as I began to revisit past assignments and final papers, I was overcome with anxiety due to the pressure of having such a long list of outstanding items to complete. Additionally, revisiting this work forced me to revisit a period of my life that is still extremely distressing to me.
I am hoping that, through this request, it is recognized that I completed my work to the best of my ability and, considering the circumstances, completed it to a high standard. While I was able to pass multiple courses despite having completed only a portion of the work, I feel that given the opportunity, the requested accommodations listed above would allow my grades to better reflect the quality of my work. These accommodations listed above were recommended to me after having spoken with Associate Dean Dr. Johanne Bénard and Academic Advisor Haley Everson about the appeal process.
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: Although the events that impacted my academics were isolated, I would like to emphasize that they have had ongoing repercussions in my academic and personal life. At present, I have made significant progress in overcoming the obstacles that prevented me from performing well academically in the past. For instance, this past Winter 2016 semester, I completed two seminar courses at the 400 and 500 Level, completing all of my work on time and in good standing.
By having this appeal granted, I would have 6 sociology units at the 300L or above and 6 units in elective courses, in order to complete my degree. For the upcoming Fall 2016 semester, I am enrolled in a 3 unit elective course, a 3 unit sociology course (at the 300L), and have received confirmation that I will be enrolled in an undergraduate sociology thesis course (6 units) once my thesis supervisor is confirmed. With your approval and support, I look forward to continuing my studies with the goal of graduating in the Winter 2016 semester.
By having this appeal granted, I would have 6 sociology units at the 300L or above and 6 units in elective courses, in order to complete my degree. For the upcoming Fall 2016 semester, I am enrolled in a 3 unit elective course, a 3 unit sociology course (at the 300L), and have received confirmation that I will be enrolled in an undergraduate sociology thesis course (6 units) once my thesis supervisor is confirmed. With your approval and support, I look forward to continuing my studies with the goal of graduating in the Winter 2016 semester.
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: Letter of support from counselor (Kimberly Thomas)
Documentation Detail: Letter of support from the Undergraduate Chair of the Sociology Department (Martin Hand)
History
Originally submitted April 7, 2016 at 11:35:56 PM.
| Field | Reference | Old Value | New Value | Note | User | Date/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| status | N/A | Received | Prepared for Review | Carrie Roosenmaalen | 2016-04-08 10:23:31 AM | |
| status | N/A | Prepared for Review | In Review | Spring Forsberg | 2016-04-08 2:16:07 PM | |
| status | N/A | In Review | Granted | Haley Everson | 2016-04-19 10:35:59 AM | |
| associate_dean | N/A | Sue Blake | Haley Everson | 2016-04-19 10:35:59 AM | ||
| decision_letter | N/A | N/A | Decision letter sent | Haley Everson | 2016-04-19 10:36:18 AM |