Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Number: 7009
Decision Date: November 3, 2020
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: John Caden Hodgson
Student Email: 17jcah@queensu.ca

Course: CHEM 223
Term: Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dr. Cathleen Crudden

Course: CHEM 222
Term: Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dr. Wang

Dear John Caden Hodgson:

I am sorry to have read that COVID-19 led to some academic challenges during the Winter 2020 term and I understand that you are seeking Credit standing in CHEM 223 and CHEM 222 (W 2020) due to the impact your circumstances had on these courses. After reviewing your appeal letter and the information we have received from your instructors, I have decided to deny your request.

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, 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 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.

I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision. However, it appears that you were aware of the offers that the Faculty of Arts and Science had presented at the end of the Winter term due to the impacts of the COVID-19 interruption. You were able to act in April by dropping some of your Winter term courses. As these options were well advertised and even extended to June 10, 2020 and that you have not demonstrated any reasons why you didn€™t also utilize the Pass option for CHEM 222 and CHEM 223, I simply cannot support your request at this late time.

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 (Academic)