Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 712
Decision Date: February 23, 2015
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Baldev Marsh
Student Email: 11bkm8@queensu.ca
Course: ECON 212
Term: Fall
Year: 2014
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ECON 250
Term: Fall
Year: 2014
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dong Shen
Mr. Baldev Marsh
11bkm8@queensu.ca
Dear Mr. Marsh:
I have reviewed your appeal to drop ECON 212 (F 2014) and change the grade you received in ECON 250 (Fall 2014) to Credit standing. After careful consideration of the documentation you submitted and the information supplied by the instructors about the circumstances surrounding these courses, I have decided to grant both of the appeal requests.
I would like to note that this was a difficult decision. Normally when a student submits an appeal for Credit standing in a course, I would review the grades on the student€™s transcript prior to the time of the extenuating circumstances to estimate what the student€™s €œusual€ academic performance is. If the grades from the time of the extenuating circumstances are significantly lower, this would suggest that the circumstances did indeed affect the student€™s performance in the course(s) from that term. In reviewing your transcript, this is rather difficult to assess as your grades do not show a consistent pattern and you appealed courses from last fall term which do not accurately reflect your usual academic performance. In making this decision, I also reviewed your performance in ECON 250 throughout the course. According to the instructor€™s grade breakdown it appears that your performance was also inconsistent within this course.
Finally, I must take into consideration that every effort possible was made to fairly accommodate your disability. It certainly appears that the Economics department followed all of the recommendations made by the Disability Services office and accommodated you accordingly. However, I do recognize that despite offering you the best accommodation possible, it may not have been enough given the unique nature of your circumstances. Based on your explanation of how the accommodation did not meet your needs, despite everyone€™s best efforts, and the feedback supplied the Disability Services office, I have decided that granting a CR grade in ECON 250 is the most appropriate solution in this case.
I should note however, that while this notation indicates that you have obtained the credit for ECON 250, and it will count towards your Degree Plan requirements, it may not necessarily meet the prerequisite to take further courses in ECON. If a minimum grade in ECON 250 is required to take further specific ECON courses, it is up to the discretion of the Chair of Undergraduate Studies to determine whether or not you may waive the prerequisite or if you need to retake ECON 250 and earn the minimum grade required to meet the prerequisite. If a minimum GPA in a collection of your ECON courses is required to take the 4th year courses needed for your ECON Plan then this course will simply not be included in the calculation (your GPA will be calculated using your evaluative grades only).
As Ms. Parson€™s letter states, €œWith these academic arrangements approved, we strongly recommend Baldev pursuing more firmly information from his health care providers and access to appropriate assessment and treatment. It will be essential for him to know if he can expect improvement or if the condition is deemed chronic, in which case he may need to adjust his academic plans accordingly. Meanwhile, we believe he is making a good choice at this point to reduce his course load until he knows more about his situation.€ I agree with Ms. Parson€™s assessment and I expect that you will follow through with these recommendations.
If in the future, you have any questions about academic deadlines and procedures, please feel free to contact the Faculty Office, where our counsellors are available to provide advice and assistance. I wish you well in your studies.
Sincerely,
Johanne Bénard, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
Cc: I. Keay, Economics
10055311Marsh2
Decision Date: February 23, 2015
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Baldev Marsh
Student Email: 11bkm8@queensu.ca
Course: ECON 212
Term: Fall
Year: 2014
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ECON 250
Term: Fall
Year: 2014
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dong Shen
Mr. Baldev Marsh
11bkm8@queensu.ca
Dear Mr. Marsh:
I have reviewed your appeal to drop ECON 212 (F 2014) and change the grade you received in ECON 250 (Fall 2014) to Credit standing. After careful consideration of the documentation you submitted and the information supplied by the instructors about the circumstances surrounding these courses, I have decided to grant both of the appeal requests.
I would like to note that this was a difficult decision. Normally when a student submits an appeal for Credit standing in a course, I would review the grades on the student€™s transcript prior to the time of the extenuating circumstances to estimate what the student€™s €œusual€ academic performance is. If the grades from the time of the extenuating circumstances are significantly lower, this would suggest that the circumstances did indeed affect the student€™s performance in the course(s) from that term. In reviewing your transcript, this is rather difficult to assess as your grades do not show a consistent pattern and you appealed courses from last fall term which do not accurately reflect your usual academic performance. In making this decision, I also reviewed your performance in ECON 250 throughout the course. According to the instructor€™s grade breakdown it appears that your performance was also inconsistent within this course.
Finally, I must take into consideration that every effort possible was made to fairly accommodate your disability. It certainly appears that the Economics department followed all of the recommendations made by the Disability Services office and accommodated you accordingly. However, I do recognize that despite offering you the best accommodation possible, it may not have been enough given the unique nature of your circumstances. Based on your explanation of how the accommodation did not meet your needs, despite everyone€™s best efforts, and the feedback supplied the Disability Services office, I have decided that granting a CR grade in ECON 250 is the most appropriate solution in this case.
I should note however, that while this notation indicates that you have obtained the credit for ECON 250, and it will count towards your Degree Plan requirements, it may not necessarily meet the prerequisite to take further courses in ECON. If a minimum grade in ECON 250 is required to take further specific ECON courses, it is up to the discretion of the Chair of Undergraduate Studies to determine whether or not you may waive the prerequisite or if you need to retake ECON 250 and earn the minimum grade required to meet the prerequisite. If a minimum GPA in a collection of your ECON courses is required to take the 4th year courses needed for your ECON Plan then this course will simply not be included in the calculation (your GPA will be calculated using your evaluative grades only).
As Ms. Parson€™s letter states, €œWith these academic arrangements approved, we strongly recommend Baldev pursuing more firmly information from his health care providers and access to appropriate assessment and treatment. It will be essential for him to know if he can expect improvement or if the condition is deemed chronic, in which case he may need to adjust his academic plans accordingly. Meanwhile, we believe he is making a good choice at this point to reduce his course load until he knows more about his situation.€ I agree with Ms. Parson€™s assessment and I expect that you will follow through with these recommendations.
If in the future, you have any questions about academic deadlines and procedures, please feel free to contact the Faculty Office, where our counsellors are available to provide advice and assistance. I wish you well in your studies.
Sincerely,
Johanne Bénard, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
Cc: I. Keay, Economics
10055311Marsh2
Generated February 23, 2015 at 10:19:33 AM.