Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 410
Decision Date: October 1, 2014
Associate Dean: J. Hugh Horton, Ph.D.
Student Name: Emily Murphy
Student Email: 12emm8@queensu.ca
Course: HLTH 101
Term: Fall
Year: 2014
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Elaine Power
October 1, 2014
Ms. Emily Murphy
12emm8@queensu.ca
Dear Ms. Murphy:
I have carefully considered your appeal to add HLTH 101 (F 2014) 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 this course by the deadline. HLTH 101 is a high-demand course and as a second year student seeking it as an elective course (as you are not currently in a HLTH Plan), you have the lowest priority for access, as determined by Academic Regulation 2. Therefore, to allow you to register in this course after the academic deadline would unduly penalize the other students who did follow the academic regulations and registered for the course during the open enrolment period. I would also like to note that your transcript shows a weak academic performance to date and your decision to be away from Queen€™s during the first week of classes does not seem to be a responsible one. It is certainly not an extenuating circumstance that would warrant waiving the academic regulations to allow you to add a course at this late date.
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/student-forms General information on appeals is available at http://www.queensu.ca/artsci/students-at-queens/academic-appeals 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 153 Richardson Hall and he can be reached by phone (533-6495) or e-mail (ombuds@queensu.ca).
Sincerely,
J. Hugh Horton, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
Cc: E. Power, SKHS
A. Van der Meulen, SKHS
10096278Murphy
Decision Date: October 1, 2014
Associate Dean: J. Hugh Horton, Ph.D.
Student Name: Emily Murphy
Student Email: 12emm8@queensu.ca
Course: HLTH 101
Term: Fall
Year: 2014
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Elaine Power
October 1, 2014
Ms. Emily Murphy
12emm8@queensu.ca
Dear Ms. Murphy:
I have carefully considered your appeal to add HLTH 101 (F 2014) 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 this course by the deadline. HLTH 101 is a high-demand course and as a second year student seeking it as an elective course (as you are not currently in a HLTH Plan), you have the lowest priority for access, as determined by Academic Regulation 2. Therefore, to allow you to register in this course after the academic deadline would unduly penalize the other students who did follow the academic regulations and registered for the course during the open enrolment period. I would also like to note that your transcript shows a weak academic performance to date and your decision to be away from Queen€™s during the first week of classes does not seem to be a responsible one. It is certainly not an extenuating circumstance that would warrant waiving the academic regulations to allow you to add a course at this late date.
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/student-forms General information on appeals is available at http://www.queensu.ca/artsci/students-at-queens/academic-appeals 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 153 Richardson Hall and he can be reached by phone (533-6495) or e-mail (ombuds@queensu.ca).
Sincerely,
J. Hugh Horton, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
Cc: E. Power, SKHS
A. Van der Meulen, SKHS
10096278Murphy
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