Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Number: 1326
Decision Date: November 3, 2015
Associate Dean: Sue Blake
Student Name: Stanko Banic
Student Email: 13sb75@queensu.ca

Course: Math 120
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2015
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Prof. Hao-Wei Huang

Course: Biol 102
Term: Fall
Year: 2014
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dr. Snedden

Course: Biol 103
Term: Winter
Year: 2015
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dr. Boag

Course: Phar 100
Term: Winter
Year: 2015
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dr. William Racz

Course: Geol 104F
Term: Fall
Year: 2014
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dr. Sandra McBride

Course: Gphy 102 F
Term: Fall
Year: 2014
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dr. Paul Treitz



Dear Mr. Banic:

I have carefully considered your appeal to drop GEOL 104 (F 2014) past the academic deadline as well as receive Credit standing in CHEM 112B, MATH 120B and BIOL 103 (W 2015). After reviewing your file I have decided to deny your request.

As you know, courses must be dropped on SOLUS within the published deadlines. The Academic Regulations (Appeal of Academic Decisions, IIIb) stress that exceptions to this will only be waived under exceptional circumstances. The integrity of Arts and Science transcripts in general would be greatly diminished if the Faculty were to effect changes to students€™ records without clear and compelling documentation indicating that the student€™s performance was significantly compromised by extenuating circumstances beyond his or her control.

The deadlines for dropping courses have been designed and established in order to provide sufficient time for students to determine their interest in the course material, to consider their ability to handle each course, and to evaluate their overall workload.

Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond your control and debilitating to your overall academic performance. Additionally, these kinds of extraordinary situations are normally supported by documentation from a professional.

While your appeal does describe some circumstances that are extenuating in nature, the medical documentation supplied is very weak. There is no indication as to how serious or severe your illness or psychological issues were from October 2014 to May 2015, nor is there any indication of what impact these issues had on your studies over this time period. Without proper documentation to confirm the full timeline and severity of your condition as well as the impact that it had on your studies during the time of your illness, I cannot reasonably waive the academic regulations.

If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to the Board of Studies, you must submit an appeal to the Board of Studies within 21 days of the date this decision was sent. Guidelines for appealing to the Board of Studies and the appeal form can be found at: http://www.queensu.ca/artsci/students-at-queens/academic-appeals (click on €œBoard of Studies€) Do not use the on-line application for this process. You may contact Mr. Harry Smith, Office of the Ombudsperson for advice on matters of procedure and on obtaining a representative. His office is located in room 421 Robert Sutherland Hall and he can be reached by phone (533-6495) or e-mail (ombuds@queensu.ca).

Sincerely,

Sue Blake
Assistant Dean (Studies)



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