Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 3762
Decision Date: September 21, 2017
Associate Dean: Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Charlie Harris
Student Email: 15ceh2@queensu.ca
Course: GEOL 104
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Daniel Layton-Matthews
Course: PSYC 100
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Jill Atkinson
Dear Mr. Harris:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop PSYC 100 (FW 2016/17) and GEOL 104 (W 2017) past the academic deadline. 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 sound extenuating in nature, the documentation supplied is unfortunately, not sufficient. Any circumstances surrounding physical or mental health challenges require some documentation from a doctor, counsellor or other healthcare professional confirming the timeline and severity of the issues and the specific impact they had on the student€™s classes.
Your letter cites that you did not receive any feedback regarding your performance prior to the drop deadlines. Before the add-drop deadline in January, all first year students are sent an email explaining where they can view their mid-year marks and where to seek academic help and support. The purpose of posting these grades are to give first year students clear indication of their performance so they can access services and seek advice and help, as needed. Your PSYC 100 mid-year mark of D- was available in SOLUS and the information about midyear performance was also covered in classes at the start of winter term. The last day to drop a winter term course was March 3, which allowed ample time to assess your performance and make a decision about dropping. GEOL 104 was a winter term course but prior to the week 8 drop deadline you wrote 6 quizzes and 4 labs and received the grades back on those. You also wrote the midterm theory and lab in Week 8 so you should have had some good indication of how you were performing in the class by the drop deadline.
Some of the information presented in your appeal letter also doesn€™t appear to match what is listed on SOLUS. You stated that your PSYC 100 lectures were at 8:30 am and your Geology labs were at 9:00 am but according to your enrollment summaries, you were enrolled in PSYC 100 lecture 002, which was scheduled on Wednesdays from 10:30 to 11:30 and you were enrolled in the GEOL 104 Section 004 lab which was scheduled on Fridays at 9:30 am (which were your two earliest scheduled classes during the year). There were later lecture and lab sections offered for both courses which you had the opportunity to switch into had you contacted the Psychology and Geology department offices for assistance.
Although I realize that this is not the news you were hoping to receive, I would like to commend you on your courage for facing your problems head-on and communicating with your parents, as well as for your determination in taking the steps needed to get your studies back on track and gaining access to the Plan of your choice. I encourage you to keep up the good work and invite you to contact the Faculty Office if you have any questions or require any assistance or advice throughout your studies.
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,
Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
20008601Harris
Decision Date: September 21, 2017
Associate Dean: Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Charlie Harris
Student Email: 15ceh2@queensu.ca
Course: GEOL 104
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Daniel Layton-Matthews
Course: PSYC 100
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Jill Atkinson
Dear Mr. Harris:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop PSYC 100 (FW 2016/17) and GEOL 104 (W 2017) past the academic deadline. 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 sound extenuating in nature, the documentation supplied is unfortunately, not sufficient. Any circumstances surrounding physical or mental health challenges require some documentation from a doctor, counsellor or other healthcare professional confirming the timeline and severity of the issues and the specific impact they had on the student€™s classes.
Your letter cites that you did not receive any feedback regarding your performance prior to the drop deadlines. Before the add-drop deadline in January, all first year students are sent an email explaining where they can view their mid-year marks and where to seek academic help and support. The purpose of posting these grades are to give first year students clear indication of their performance so they can access services and seek advice and help, as needed. Your PSYC 100 mid-year mark of D- was available in SOLUS and the information about midyear performance was also covered in classes at the start of winter term. The last day to drop a winter term course was March 3, which allowed ample time to assess your performance and make a decision about dropping. GEOL 104 was a winter term course but prior to the week 8 drop deadline you wrote 6 quizzes and 4 labs and received the grades back on those. You also wrote the midterm theory and lab in Week 8 so you should have had some good indication of how you were performing in the class by the drop deadline.
Some of the information presented in your appeal letter also doesn€™t appear to match what is listed on SOLUS. You stated that your PSYC 100 lectures were at 8:30 am and your Geology labs were at 9:00 am but according to your enrollment summaries, you were enrolled in PSYC 100 lecture 002, which was scheduled on Wednesdays from 10:30 to 11:30 and you were enrolled in the GEOL 104 Section 004 lab which was scheduled on Fridays at 9:30 am (which were your two earliest scheduled classes during the year). There were later lecture and lab sections offered for both courses which you had the opportunity to switch into had you contacted the Psychology and Geology department offices for assistance.
Although I realize that this is not the news you were hoping to receive, I would like to commend you on your courage for facing your problems head-on and communicating with your parents, as well as for your determination in taking the steps needed to get your studies back on track and gaining access to the Plan of your choice. I encourage you to keep up the good work and invite you to contact the Faculty Office if you have any questions or require any assistance or advice throughout your studies.
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,
Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
20008601Harris
Generated September 21, 2017 at 9:55:29 AM.