Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 5570
Decision Date: April 22, 2019
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Jayde MacMillan
Student Email: 17jam@queensu.ca
Course: CHEM 112
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2018
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Jayde MacMillan:
I received your letter of appeal requesting a late drop in CHEM 112 (F/W 2018-19) and I am sorry to have read of the family challenges you experienced. After reviewing your appeal letter and documentation, 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 extenuating 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 circumstances beyond his or her control.
I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however, there is no clear indication as to why this course was impacted by your circumstances more so than your other courses nor have you outlined extenuating circumstances that took place during the Winter term which would have caused you to miss the March 1st drop date. The appeal process is not meant to manage ongoing challenges. Instead, a student should assess their progress in a class and withdraw without any academic penalty if they feel that they cannot keep up with the demands or have the academic background needed to successfully complete it.
Going forward, I suggest that you inform yourself of the academic regulations concerning deadlines as they are outlined in the Important Dates section on the Arts and Science web page and assess your progress in your courses or discuss your options with an Academic Advisor during week 7 or 8 of the term. If you find that you have fallen behind in your readings or assignments, it is your responsibility to drop by the end of week 8.
This is a difficult learning experience Jayde but one that will be valuable as you proceed with the pursuit of your university degree. The long term impact of a failure or low grade should not weigh particularly heavy when, and if, you apply to a graduate program. Please note that if you repeat a course, the lower grade will be excluded from your GPA and the higher grade would be include in your GPA once the course is completed.
If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to the Board of Studies, information and deadlines can be found at www.queensu.ca/artsci/students-at-queens/academic-appeals (click on €œBoard of Studies€). Do not use the on-line application for this process. The Office of the Ombudsman can also assist students with advice about policies and procedures. You may contact the Ombudsman at ombuds@queensu.ca or by phone at 613-533-6495.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies) 20068250MacMillan1
Decision Date: April 22, 2019
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Jayde MacMillan
Student Email: 17jam@queensu.ca
Course: CHEM 112
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2018
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Jayde MacMillan:
I received your letter of appeal requesting a late drop in CHEM 112 (F/W 2018-19) and I am sorry to have read of the family challenges you experienced. After reviewing your appeal letter and documentation, 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 extenuating 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 circumstances beyond his or her control.
I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however, there is no clear indication as to why this course was impacted by your circumstances more so than your other courses nor have you outlined extenuating circumstances that took place during the Winter term which would have caused you to miss the March 1st drop date. The appeal process is not meant to manage ongoing challenges. Instead, a student should assess their progress in a class and withdraw without any academic penalty if they feel that they cannot keep up with the demands or have the academic background needed to successfully complete it.
Going forward, I suggest that you inform yourself of the academic regulations concerning deadlines as they are outlined in the Important Dates section on the Arts and Science web page and assess your progress in your courses or discuss your options with an Academic Advisor during week 7 or 8 of the term. If you find that you have fallen behind in your readings or assignments, it is your responsibility to drop by the end of week 8.
This is a difficult learning experience Jayde but one that will be valuable as you proceed with the pursuit of your university degree. The long term impact of a failure or low grade should not weigh particularly heavy when, and if, you apply to a graduate program. Please note that if you repeat a course, the lower grade will be excluded from your GPA and the higher grade would be include in your GPA once the course is completed.
If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to the Board of Studies, information and deadlines can be found at www.queensu.ca/artsci/students-at-queens/academic-appeals (click on €œBoard of Studies€). Do not use the on-line application for this process. The Office of the Ombudsman can also assist students with advice about policies and procedures. You may contact the Ombudsman at ombuds@queensu.ca or by phone at 613-533-6495.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies) 20068250MacMillan1
Generated April 22, 2019 at 9:49:55 AM.