Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 6209
Decision Date: November 27, 2019
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Caitlin Reid
Student Email: 16cpr1@queensu.ca
Course: BIOL 243
Term: Summer
Year: 2019
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Caitlin Reid:
I have read with interest your appeal to drop BIOL 243 (S 2019), taking note of the challenges you have outlined. After reviewing your appeal fully, 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. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond your control and debilitating to your overall academic performance.
I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however you have been unable to provide official documentation to support the extenuating circumstances which you report took place during the Summer term 2019. A successful appeal includes official documentation which can support the timeline, severity and impact that your circumstances had on your studies. In the future, I encourage you to carefully evaluate your progress in a course prior to the academic drop deadline, 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 drop deadline. The drop deadline is set to allow students 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.
This is a difficult learning experience Caitlin but let me remind you that if a student repeats a course and earns a higher grade, the first attempt would be excluded from their GPA
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 University Ombudsperson for information about student rights and responsibilities as well as guidance on policy and procedure (www.queensu.ca/ombuds).
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
20052282Reid2
Decision Date: November 27, 2019
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Caitlin Reid
Student Email: 16cpr1@queensu.ca
Course: BIOL 243
Term: Summer
Year: 2019
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Caitlin Reid:
I have read with interest your appeal to drop BIOL 243 (S 2019), taking note of the challenges you have outlined. After reviewing your appeal fully, 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. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond your control and debilitating to your overall academic performance.
I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however you have been unable to provide official documentation to support the extenuating circumstances which you report took place during the Summer term 2019. A successful appeal includes official documentation which can support the timeline, severity and impact that your circumstances had on your studies. In the future, I encourage you to carefully evaluate your progress in a course prior to the academic drop deadline, 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 drop deadline. The drop deadline is set to allow students 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.
This is a difficult learning experience Caitlin but let me remind you that if a student repeats a course and earns a higher grade, the first attempt would be excluded from their GPA
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 University Ombudsperson for information about student rights and responsibilities as well as guidance on policy and procedure (www.queensu.ca/ombuds).
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
20052282Reid2
Generated November 27, 2019 at 8:30:50 AM.