Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 2990
Decision Date: January 30, 2017
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Pablo Opazo
Student Email: 14po@queensu.ca
Course: ANAT 100
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Leslie MacKenzie
Dear Mr. Opazo:
I have carefully considered your appeal to add ANAT 100 (W 2017) after the academic deadline. After reviewing your file, I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, courses must be added 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 ability to add a course within the deadline was significantly compromised by extenuating circumstances beyond his or her control.
The deadlines for adding courses have been designed and established in order to provide sufficient time for students to obtain the relevant permission, determine their interest in the course material, to consider their ability to handle each course, and to evaluate their overall workload. In the absence of extenuating circumstances, beyond your control, which would have prevented you from meeting the add deadline as published in the Arts and Science Calendar, I can not reasonably waive the Faculty Regulation.
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.
Your appeal does not present any extenuating circumstances which prevented you from adding these courses by the deadline, nor does it supply any sufficient supporting documentation. I understand from your letter and from your activity on SOLUS that you were undecided as to whether or not to add ANAT 100. This is not considered to be an extenuating circumstance outside of your personal control that would warrant adding a course this late into the winter term. You had since late August to add Winter term courses and waiting until the final day to choose your elective course and add and drop it twice just before the midnight deadline was a choice you made that was within your control. Furthermore, I am not convinced that you are fully prepared to commit to this course and catch up on the material missed given your indecisiveness. I think it would be in your best academic interests to carry on with your current load and meet with an academic advisor to discuss the options available for making up the missed credits. Appointments can be made by calling the Faculty Office at 613-533-2470.
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 Ombudsman for advice on matters of procedure and on obtaining a representative. His office is located in room 421 Richardson Hall and he can be reached by phone (533-6495) or e-mail (ombuds@queensu.ca).
Sincerely,
Johanne Bénard, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
10158648Opazo
cc: Professor MacKenzie
Decision Date: January 30, 2017
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Pablo Opazo
Student Email: 14po@queensu.ca
Course: ANAT 100
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Leslie MacKenzie
Dear Mr. Opazo:
I have carefully considered your appeal to add ANAT 100 (W 2017) after the academic deadline. After reviewing your file, I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, courses must be added 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 ability to add a course within the deadline was significantly compromised by extenuating circumstances beyond his or her control.
The deadlines for adding courses have been designed and established in order to provide sufficient time for students to obtain the relevant permission, determine their interest in the course material, to consider their ability to handle each course, and to evaluate their overall workload. In the absence of extenuating circumstances, beyond your control, which would have prevented you from meeting the add deadline as published in the Arts and Science Calendar, I can not reasonably waive the Faculty Regulation.
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.
Your appeal does not present any extenuating circumstances which prevented you from adding these courses by the deadline, nor does it supply any sufficient supporting documentation. I understand from your letter and from your activity on SOLUS that you were undecided as to whether or not to add ANAT 100. This is not considered to be an extenuating circumstance outside of your personal control that would warrant adding a course this late into the winter term. You had since late August to add Winter term courses and waiting until the final day to choose your elective course and add and drop it twice just before the midnight deadline was a choice you made that was within your control. Furthermore, I am not convinced that you are fully prepared to commit to this course and catch up on the material missed given your indecisiveness. I think it would be in your best academic interests to carry on with your current load and meet with an academic advisor to discuss the options available for making up the missed credits. Appointments can be made by calling the Faculty Office at 613-533-2470.
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 Ombudsman for advice on matters of procedure and on obtaining a representative. His office is located in room 421 Richardson Hall and he can be reached by phone (533-6495) or e-mail (ombuds@queensu.ca).
Sincerely,
Johanne Bénard, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
10158648Opazo
cc: Professor MacKenzie
Generated January 30, 2017 at 10:24:16 AM.