Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Number: 6937
Decision Date: October 13, 2020
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Aimee Kennedy
Student Email: 16ajk8@queensu.ca

Course: RELS 131
Term: Summer
Year: 2020
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: ARTH 120
Term: Summer
Year: 2020
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dr. Jane Russell Corbett

Course: DEVS 300
Term: Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Mark Hostetler

Course: DEVS 354
Term: Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: David McDonald


Dear Aimee Kennedy:

I was sorry to read of the challenges you reported in your letter of appeal and I have carefully considered your request to drop RELS 131 (S 2020) after the drop date. You have also appealed for Credit standing in DEVS 300 and DEVS 354 (W 2020) and ARTH 120 (S 2020). After reviewing your file I have decided the following:

1. To grant your request to receive Credit standing in DEVS 300 and DEVS 354 (W 2020) based on your extenuating circumstances and how they feasibly continued to impact your studies during that term.

2. To deny your request to drop RELS 131 (S 2020) after the drop date as well as your request for Credit standing in ARTH 120 (S 2020). As you know, Academic Regulation 10.3.2. states that, Credit standing in a course is reserved for situations in which a student, who has completed all of the work in the course including the final examination, and achieved a passing grade in the course, but because of illness or other extenuating circumstances beyond their control, typically occurring after the academic drop deadline dates, earned a substantially lower grade than might have been expected, normally a grade of C or lower.€ Credit standing is only granted in cases where there are well documented and unforeseen extenuating circumstances outside of a student€™s control. The Regulations note that 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 extenuating circumstances beyond his or her control.

Aimee, I am sure this is a somewhat disappointing decision, but the appeals process is designed to address circumstances that arise after the drop dates. The challenges you outline became evident to you during the winter term and you reported that they worsened during the Summer term. If your challenges were persisting, you could have dropped your summer term courses prior to the academic drop deadline dates.

Let me remind you that if a student repeats a course, the higher grade will be included with the GPA and the lower grade will be excluded. This may be a good strategy for you to consider as you select courses in the future.

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).

Going forward, I strongly suggest that you pause and evaluate your progress in your courses during week 7 of term. If you have fallen behind in your studies due to your health or other extenuating circumstances, you should drop courses by the week 8 drop deadline date.

Best of luck with your degree progression

Sincerely,


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


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