Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Number: 3673
Decision Date: August 2, 2017
Associate Dean: Sue Blake
Student Name: Berenda Sayadof
Student Email: 14bs35@queensu.ca

Course: BIOL 102
Term: Fall
Year: 2015
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Wayne Snedden

Course: PSYC 100
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2015
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Jordan Poppenk

Course: MATH 121
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2015
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Scott Greenhalgh

Course: CHEM 112
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2015
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: John Carran

Course: PHYS 117
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2015
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Anne Topper


Dear Ms. Sayadof:

I have carefully considered your appeal to receive Credit standing in BIOL 102 (F 2015), CHEM 112, MATH 121, PSYC 100 and PHYS 117 (FW 2015/16). After reviewing your file I have decided to deny your request.

As you know, Academic Regulation 10.3.2. states that, Credit standing in a course is reserved for situations in which a student, who has completed and passed all of the work of the course including the final examination, but because of illness or other extenuating circumstances beyond their control, earned a substantially lower grade than might have been expected, normally a grade of C or lower€. The Calendar goes on to stress that Credit standing will only be granted 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 her control.

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 allude to some circumstances that sound extenuating in nature, it fails to include any adequate supporting documentation from a third party outside of your family that confirms your residence floor change and timeline. Without such confirmation, I cannot grant this appeal. However, if you are able to supply a letter from a Residence Don or someone from the Residence Admissions Office confirming these details and the rationale for the room change, you may forward it to me within the next 21 days and I will review your appeal again with the new documentation included.

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 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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