Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 7272
Decision Date: February 1, 2021
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Ziqi Meng
Student Email: 19zm@queensu.ca
Course: PSYC 100
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Meghan Norris
Course: CHEM 112
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Michael Momberquette
Course: GEOL 104
Term: Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Ziqi Meng:
I have read with interest your appeal to drop CHEM 112 and PSYC 100 (FW 2019/20) and GEOL 104 (W 2020), taking note of the challenges you outlined. After reviewing your appeal fully, 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. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond your control and debilitating to your overall academic performance.
I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however without documentation to support your extenuating circumstances, I am unable to grant this appeal. In addition, there were multiple opportunities for you to request that these courses be dropped due to the impact COVID19 had on your studies and those remedies were made available to students until June 2020. In the future, I encourage you to carefully evaluate your progress in a course by week 7 of the term and if you are finding the material too difficult or have not kept up with the course work, you should drop the course by the week 8 drop deadline. The drop deadline is set at Week 8 to allow students plenty of time to assess their progress in a class and withdraw without any academic penalty if they feel that they cannot keep up with the demands or have the academic background needed to successfully complete it.
Ziqi, let me remind you that if a student repeats a course, the lower grade is excluded from their GPA and the higher grade is include. I also encourage you to reach out to Student Academic Success Services (SASS) or perhaps even Student Wellness Services in the future if you continue to feel overwhelmed as these services may be able to assist you by providing some tips and support as you attempt to manage this circumstance.
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)
20175645Meng1
Decision Date: February 1, 2021
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Ziqi Meng
Student Email: 19zm@queensu.ca
Course: PSYC 100
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Meghan Norris
Course: CHEM 112
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Michael Momberquette
Course: GEOL 104
Term: Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Ziqi Meng:
I have read with interest your appeal to drop CHEM 112 and PSYC 100 (FW 2019/20) and GEOL 104 (W 2020), taking note of the challenges you outlined. After reviewing your appeal fully, 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. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond your control and debilitating to your overall academic performance.
I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however without documentation to support your extenuating circumstances, I am unable to grant this appeal. In addition, there were multiple opportunities for you to request that these courses be dropped due to the impact COVID19 had on your studies and those remedies were made available to students until June 2020. In the future, I encourage you to carefully evaluate your progress in a course by week 7 of the term and if you are finding the material too difficult or have not kept up with the course work, you should drop the course by the week 8 drop deadline. The drop deadline is set at Week 8 to allow students plenty of time to assess their progress in a class and withdraw without any academic penalty if they feel that they cannot keep up with the demands or have the academic background needed to successfully complete it.
Ziqi, let me remind you that if a student repeats a course, the lower grade is excluded from their GPA and the higher grade is include. I also encourage you to reach out to Student Academic Success Services (SASS) or perhaps even Student Wellness Services in the future if you continue to feel overwhelmed as these services may be able to assist you by providing some tips and support as you attempt to manage this circumstance.
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)
20175645Meng1
Generated February 1, 2021 at 9:57:43 AM.