Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 525
Decision Date: November 26, 2014
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Michael Nowlan
Student Email: 0mn27@queensu.ca
Course: CLST 343
Term: Fall
Year: 2014
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Mr. Michael Nowlan
0mn27@queensu.ca
Dear Mr. Nowlan:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop CLST 343 (F 2014) 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.
Your appeal does not describe any circumstances that are extenuating in nature. Upper year students are expected to be able to gauge their academic progress in a course even without the benefit of receiving direct feedback and make academic decisions within the drop deadlines. You were given permission to register in seven courses for the fall term with the written warning to monitor your progress carefully and drop courses within the published drop deadlines. You would have also been aware of what work was due and when for each course as indicated in the course syllabi that you would have received at the beginning of the term. Therefore, you were well aware of your workload prior to the drop deadline. While it is unfortunate that you find yourself in this position, I cannot reasonably waive the academic regulations.
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 Ombudsperson for advice on matters of procedure and on obtaining a representative. His office is located in room 237 Robert Sutherland Hall and he can be reached by phone (533-6495) or e-mail (ombuds@queensu.ca).
Sincerely,
Johanne Bénard, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
10008532Nowlan
Decision Date: November 26, 2014
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Michael Nowlan
Student Email: 0mn27@queensu.ca
Course: CLST 343
Term: Fall
Year: 2014
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Mr. Michael Nowlan
0mn27@queensu.ca
Dear Mr. Nowlan:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop CLST 343 (F 2014) 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.
Your appeal does not describe any circumstances that are extenuating in nature. Upper year students are expected to be able to gauge their academic progress in a course even without the benefit of receiving direct feedback and make academic decisions within the drop deadlines. You were given permission to register in seven courses for the fall term with the written warning to monitor your progress carefully and drop courses within the published drop deadlines. You would have also been aware of what work was due and when for each course as indicated in the course syllabi that you would have received at the beginning of the term. Therefore, you were well aware of your workload prior to the drop deadline. While it is unfortunate that you find yourself in this position, I cannot reasonably waive the academic regulations.
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 Ombudsperson for advice on matters of procedure and on obtaining a representative. His office is located in room 237 Robert Sutherland Hall and he can be reached by phone (533-6495) or e-mail (ombuds@queensu.ca).
Sincerely,
Johanne Bénard, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
10008532Nowlan
Generated November 26, 2014 at 1:03:58 PM.