Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Number: 6213
Decision Date: October 24, 2019
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Nadia Mahdi
Student Email: n.mahdi@queensu.ca

Course: DEVS 221
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Robert Lovelace

Course: DEVS 320
Term: Fall
Year: 2017
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Marc Epprecht

Course: DEVS 492
Term: Fall
Year: 2018
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Ayca Tomac

Course: GNDS 380
Term: Winter
Year: 2018
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Lorrinda Peterson

Course: GNDS 401
Term: Fall
Year: 2018
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Habibe Burcu Baba

Course: DEVS 392
Term: Winter
Year: 2018
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Ayca Tomac

Course: GNDS 432
Term: Winter
Year: 2019
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Elizabeth Brule

Course: GNDS 311
Term: Fall
Year: 2017
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Jane Tolmie

Course: GNDS 321
Term: Winter
Year: 2018
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Melissa Houghtaling

Course: DEVS 240
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: ARAB 100
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2019
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline


Dear Nadia Madhi:

I have carefully considered your appeal to extend the Incomplete grades in DEVS 221 (W 2016); DEVS 320, GNDS 311 (F 2017); GNDS 380, DEVS 392, GNDS 321 (W 2018); DEVS 492, GNDS 401 (F 2018); GNDS 432 (W 2019) and drop DEVS 240 (W 2016) and ARAB 100 (FW 2018/19). After reviewing your file I have decided to deny your request.

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. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond your control and debilitating to your overall academic performance and takes place after the drop deadline. The appeals process is not meant to manage an ongoing or chronic condition.
Appeal Regulation 3.3.5 notes that Incomplete grades are approved by instructors with outstanding work deadlines extended for a period of one full term after the completion of a class. If this timeline is not met, any further request to submit incomplete work or to write a final examination after that term has elapsed must be made through a formal appeal. A medical certificate or other documentation outlining how the personal extenuating circumstances prevented the student from completing the outstanding work by the end of that next term must be provided.

The circumstances you outline in your letter were, I€™m sure difficult to manage, but you have received significant academic consideration for your chronic condition and you were advised to register with QSAS to assist you with implementing some long term academic accommodations. In addition, you had many previous advising appointments where you were advised to submit an appeal to extend Incomplete grades. Had you submitted your appeal at those times, it would have been received in a much more timely fashion and requests to extend incomplete grades would have been more realistic. It is not clear why you have not submitted your appeal until now and also not clear why courses were not completed within the timeframe of the original Incomplete grade timeline. Further, you had submitted a previous appeal for Winter term 2016. You may not be aware of Appeal Regulation 3.2.2.5 which states that students are not able to revisit the same time period in submitting subsequent appeals.

I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however extending Incomplete grades to this extent would not be fair to other students nor to instructors.

Please be advised that if a student repeats a course, the low grade will be excluded from their cumulative GPA and the higher grade will be included. This may be a good strategy for you to consider if you are concerned about the impact these grades will have on your GPA.

Going forward, I strongly suggest that you carefully evaluate your progress in a course by week 7 of the term and if you are finding the material too difficult or have not kept up with the course work, you should drop the course by the week 8 drop deadline. The drop deadline is set at Week 8 to allow students plenty of time to 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.

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. You may contact the Office of the Ombudsman (www.queensu.ca/ombudsman) for advice on matters of procedure and on obtaining a representative.

Sincerely,


Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)

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