Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 309
Decision Date: September 4, 2014
Associate Dean: J. Hugh Horton, Ph.D.
Student Name: Alexander Kecskemeti
Student Email: alex.kecskemeti@queensu.ca
Course: BIOL 102
Term: Fall
Year: 2013
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: LATN 110
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2013
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: CHEM 112
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2013
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: N. Mosey
Course: PHYS 117
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2013
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: A. K. Topper
Course: BIOL 102
Term: Summer
Year: 2014
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Mr. Alexander Kecskemeti
alex.kecskemeti@queensu.ca
Dear Mr. Kecskemeti:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop BIOL 102 (F 2013), LATN 110B (W 2014) and BIOL 102 (S 2014) past the academic deadline as well as receive Credit standing in CHEM 112B and PHYS 117B (W 2014). After reviewing your file I have decided the following:
1. I will grant your request to drop BIOL 102 and LATN 110B past the academic deadlines.
2. I will grant your request to receive Credit standing in CHEM 112B (W 2014)
3. I will grant your request to receive Credit standing in PHYS 117B. However, because you have not completed all of the work required for this course, you will be assigned a final grade of AG CR (Aegrotat Credit).
4. I will deny your request to drop BIOL 102 (S 2014) past the academic deadline.
As a result of this decision, the Required to Withdraw for One Year ruling will be removed from your transcript. You are currently eligible to return to studies for the 2014/15 academic year.
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.
The supporting documentation supplied indicates that the extenuating circumstances you experienced impacted your performance from November 2013 to April 2014. As the summer BIOL 102 course took place after this time period, the S.A.D. symptoms you experienced would not appear to impact your performance in this particular course. The lack of internet access cited in the appeal letter is not considered to be an extenuating circumstance that would warrant a late course drop. As you were aware that you were in an online course, it was your responsibility to ensure that you had proper access to the internet and if not, to seek appropriate assistance from the instructor and/or Continuing and Distance Studies.
If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to the Board of Studies, you must submit a letter of intent to appeal within 21 days of receiving this decision. Appeal forms are available from this office (F200 Mackintosh-Corry Hall) or on the web: http://www.queensu.ca/artsci/help/forms General information on appeals is available at http://www.queensu.ca/artsci/academics/academic-appeals. You may contact Mr. Harry Smith, Dispute Resolution Mechanisms Coordinator for advice on matters of procedure and on obtaining a representative. His office is located in room 153 Richardson Hall and he can be reached by phone (533-6495) or e-mail (drm@queensu.ca).
Sincerely,
J. Hugh Horton, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
10103024Kecskemeti
Decision Date: September 4, 2014
Associate Dean: J. Hugh Horton, Ph.D.
Student Name: Alexander Kecskemeti
Student Email: alex.kecskemeti@queensu.ca
Course: BIOL 102
Term: Fall
Year: 2013
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: LATN 110
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2013
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: CHEM 112
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2013
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: N. Mosey
Course: PHYS 117
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2013
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: A. K. Topper
Course: BIOL 102
Term: Summer
Year: 2014
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Mr. Alexander Kecskemeti
alex.kecskemeti@queensu.ca
Dear Mr. Kecskemeti:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop BIOL 102 (F 2013), LATN 110B (W 2014) and BIOL 102 (S 2014) past the academic deadline as well as receive Credit standing in CHEM 112B and PHYS 117B (W 2014). After reviewing your file I have decided the following:
1. I will grant your request to drop BIOL 102 and LATN 110B past the academic deadlines.
2. I will grant your request to receive Credit standing in CHEM 112B (W 2014)
3. I will grant your request to receive Credit standing in PHYS 117B. However, because you have not completed all of the work required for this course, you will be assigned a final grade of AG CR (Aegrotat Credit).
4. I will deny your request to drop BIOL 102 (S 2014) past the academic deadline.
As a result of this decision, the Required to Withdraw for One Year ruling will be removed from your transcript. You are currently eligible to return to studies for the 2014/15 academic year.
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.
The supporting documentation supplied indicates that the extenuating circumstances you experienced impacted your performance from November 2013 to April 2014. As the summer BIOL 102 course took place after this time period, the S.A.D. symptoms you experienced would not appear to impact your performance in this particular course. The lack of internet access cited in the appeal letter is not considered to be an extenuating circumstance that would warrant a late course drop. As you were aware that you were in an online course, it was your responsibility to ensure that you had proper access to the internet and if not, to seek appropriate assistance from the instructor and/or Continuing and Distance Studies.
If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to the Board of Studies, you must submit a letter of intent to appeal within 21 days of receiving this decision. Appeal forms are available from this office (F200 Mackintosh-Corry Hall) or on the web: http://www.queensu.ca/artsci/help/forms General information on appeals is available at http://www.queensu.ca/artsci/academics/academic-appeals. You may contact Mr. Harry Smith, Dispute Resolution Mechanisms Coordinator for advice on matters of procedure and on obtaining a representative. His office is located in room 153 Richardson Hall and he can be reached by phone (533-6495) or e-mail (drm@queensu.ca).
Sincerely,
J. Hugh Horton, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
10103024Kecskemeti
Generated September 4, 2014 at 11:47:47 AM.