Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 3721
Decision Date: October 4, 2017
Associate Dean: Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Haaya Rizvi
Student Email: 13hzr@queensu.ca
Dear Ms. Rizvi:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop DEVS 100 (FW 2014/15), PSYC 251 (W 2015), PSYC 235 (S 2015), ARTH 250 (F 2016), ENGL 100 (FW 2016/17) and HIST 214 (W 2017) past the academic deadline as well as waive the requirement to withdraw for one year. After reviewing your file I have decided the following:
1. I will waive the requirement to withdraw. Please read carefully the document to follow this letter. It contains important information concerning your current academic standing. If you have any questions about the information, please contact the Faculty Office to schedule an appointment with an academic advisor.
Upon returning to studies it is your responsibility to choose courses carefully, seek out the advice necessary to improve your academic performance, and maintain a GPA consistent with the requirements for successful completion of your Plan. I hope that you will take advantage of the variety of support services available to you at Queen's. Academic counselling is available through an advisor in the Faculty of Arts and Science Student Services Office (main floor Dunning Hall, phone 533-2470) as well as through the Continuing and Distance Studies office. The Learning Commons in Stauffer Library also provides a range of services, including workshops designed to improve study skills and develop strategies for meeting the demands of academic life. Further, the Student Wellness Services Centre located in the LaSalle Building at 146 Stuart Street (613-533-2506) offers personal and academic counselling free of charge to all Queen's students, as well as individual consultation to aid in coping with difficulties of a more personal nature.
2. I unfortunately must deny your request to drop these courses past the academic deadline.
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 healthcare professional.
While your appeal does certainly describe a number of circumstances that are extenuating in nature and I am sympathetic to them, there is no supporting documentation supplied. This is a major request that involves changing a significant number of grades on your transcript and without such documentation to confirm the timeline and severity of these circumstances, I cannot reasonably justify granting this request based on your letter alone.
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)
10125309Rizvi3
Decision Date: October 4, 2017
Associate Dean: Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Haaya Rizvi
Student Email: 13hzr@queensu.ca
Dear Ms. Rizvi:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop DEVS 100 (FW 2014/15), PSYC 251 (W 2015), PSYC 235 (S 2015), ARTH 250 (F 2016), ENGL 100 (FW 2016/17) and HIST 214 (W 2017) past the academic deadline as well as waive the requirement to withdraw for one year. After reviewing your file I have decided the following:
1. I will waive the requirement to withdraw. Please read carefully the document to follow this letter. It contains important information concerning your current academic standing. If you have any questions about the information, please contact the Faculty Office to schedule an appointment with an academic advisor.
Upon returning to studies it is your responsibility to choose courses carefully, seek out the advice necessary to improve your academic performance, and maintain a GPA consistent with the requirements for successful completion of your Plan. I hope that you will take advantage of the variety of support services available to you at Queen's. Academic counselling is available through an advisor in the Faculty of Arts and Science Student Services Office (main floor Dunning Hall, phone 533-2470) as well as through the Continuing and Distance Studies office. The Learning Commons in Stauffer Library also provides a range of services, including workshops designed to improve study skills and develop strategies for meeting the demands of academic life. Further, the Student Wellness Services Centre located in the LaSalle Building at 146 Stuart Street (613-533-2506) offers personal and academic counselling free of charge to all Queen's students, as well as individual consultation to aid in coping with difficulties of a more personal nature.
2. I unfortunately must deny your request to drop these courses past the academic deadline.
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 healthcare professional.
While your appeal does certainly describe a number of circumstances that are extenuating in nature and I am sympathetic to them, there is no supporting documentation supplied. This is a major request that involves changing a significant number of grades on your transcript and without such documentation to confirm the timeline and severity of these circumstances, I cannot reasonably justify granting this request based on your letter alone.
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)
10125309Rizvi3
Generated October 4, 2017 at 11:10:35 AM.