Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 6311
Decision Date: December 12, 2019
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Joseph Mikhail
Student Email: 16jkm7@queensu.ca
Course: Comm 200
Term: Fall
Year: 2019
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Joseph Makhail:
I am sorry to have read in your letter of appeal the reported challenges you faced in an attempt to access the COMM 200 (F 2019) website and I have carefully considered your appeal to drop that course 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 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.
Your appeal letter indicates that you didn€™t have access to the course website for the entire term but the information we have received from our IT report shows a valid login and access to the course web site dated September 25th which is evidence that you did have access to the course web site.
Going forward, a student should pause and evaluate their progress in courses during week 7 of term and if they have fallen behind or their health is impacting their progress, they should drop courses by the week 8 drop deadline dates. I would also suggest that you reach out early in the term if you find that you have challenges with the course web site/materials. The information we received from your instructor in this course notes that you did not reach out to him until November 27th which was too late to try and remedy the situation.
This is a disappointing decision I am sure Joseph, but let me remind you that if a student repeats a course, the low grade is excluded from their grade point average and the higher grade is included which would mean there would be no long term negative impact on your 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)
20065474Makhail
Decision Date: December 12, 2019
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Joseph Mikhail
Student Email: 16jkm7@queensu.ca
Course: Comm 200
Term: Fall
Year: 2019
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Joseph Makhail:
I am sorry to have read in your letter of appeal the reported challenges you faced in an attempt to access the COMM 200 (F 2019) website and I have carefully considered your appeal to drop that course 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 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.
Your appeal letter indicates that you didn€™t have access to the course website for the entire term but the information we have received from our IT report shows a valid login and access to the course web site dated September 25th which is evidence that you did have access to the course web site.
Going forward, a student should pause and evaluate their progress in courses during week 7 of term and if they have fallen behind or their health is impacting their progress, they should drop courses by the week 8 drop deadline dates. I would also suggest that you reach out early in the term if you find that you have challenges with the course web site/materials. The information we received from your instructor in this course notes that you did not reach out to him until November 27th which was too late to try and remedy the situation.
This is a disappointing decision I am sure Joseph, but let me remind you that if a student repeats a course, the low grade is excluded from their grade point average and the higher grade is included which would mean there would be no long term negative impact on your 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)
20065474Makhail
Generated December 12, 2019 at 10:34:12 AM.