Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Number: 6783
Decision Date: August 4, 2020
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Kristy Yin
Student Email: kristyyin@gmail.com

Course: ARTH 214
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: ARTH 253
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: COMM 200
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: PSYC 202
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: ARTH 215
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: ARTH 292
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: PSYC 251
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: PSYC 235
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: ARTH 226
Term: Fall
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: ARTH 226
Term: Fall
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: PSYC 202
Term: Fall
Year: 2017
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: unknown

Course: PSYC 271
Term: Fall
Year: 2017
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: unknown

Dear Kristy Yin:

I am sorry to have read in your letter of appeal the challenges you report you faced during the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 Academic Years and have carefully considered your appeal to drop ARTH 214, ARTH 253, COMM 200, PSYC 202 (F 2016), ARTH 215, ARTH 292, PSCY 251 (W 2017), PSYC 235 (FW 2016/2017), ARTH 226, ARTH 242 (F 2017) after the deadline and for Credit Standing in PSYC 202 and PSYC 271 (F 2017). 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 outlines that you have been dealing with a chronic condition that began before attending Queen€™s and I can see from your file that you had been directed to the published academic drop deadlines in a previous appeal decision letter from 2015. This is a disappointing decision I am sure Kristy but the appeals process is not meant to manage an ongoing and/or chronic condition. Instead, 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.

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 (Academic)