Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 3788
Decision Date: October 23, 2017
Associate Dean: Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Ryerson Smylie
Student Email: 12rls3@queensu.ca
Course: STAT 263
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: CHEM 223
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: CHEM 222
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: CLST 103
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Mr. Smylie:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop CHEM 222, CHEM 223, CLST 103 and STAT 263 (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 certainly describe some circumstances that are extenuating in nature, the documentation supplied is unfortunately not sufficient. The receipt for your ADHD assessment does not confirm the timeline of your circumstances, how severe they were or what specific impact they had on your 2016 fall term classes and your 2017 winter term classes. I also understand that you did not attend these classes but there is no evidence supplied of your non-attendance. Without such evidence, I unfortunately cannot waive the academic regulations.
Given your circumstances, I would be willing to review your appeal again as well as consider a late drop of your Fall 2016 classes if you are able to provide some documentation that confirms the timeline and severity of your circumstances and non-attendance of your winter term classes. You may submit any additional documentation to asc.appeals@queensu.ca within the next 21 days with a request to drop your fall term classes late and I would be happy to reconsider your appeal.
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)
10090815Smylie2
Decision Date: October 23, 2017
Associate Dean: Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Ryerson Smylie
Student Email: 12rls3@queensu.ca
Course: STAT 263
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: CHEM 223
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: CHEM 222
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: CLST 103
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Mr. Smylie:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop CHEM 222, CHEM 223, CLST 103 and STAT 263 (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 certainly describe some circumstances that are extenuating in nature, the documentation supplied is unfortunately not sufficient. The receipt for your ADHD assessment does not confirm the timeline of your circumstances, how severe they were or what specific impact they had on your 2016 fall term classes and your 2017 winter term classes. I also understand that you did not attend these classes but there is no evidence supplied of your non-attendance. Without such evidence, I unfortunately cannot waive the academic regulations.
Given your circumstances, I would be willing to review your appeal again as well as consider a late drop of your Fall 2016 classes if you are able to provide some documentation that confirms the timeline and severity of your circumstances and non-attendance of your winter term classes. You may submit any additional documentation to asc.appeals@queensu.ca within the next 21 days with a request to drop your fall term classes late and I would be happy to reconsider your appeal.
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)
10090815Smylie2
Generated October 23, 2017 at 9:34:10 AM.