Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 7245
Decision Date: February 16, 2021
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Simin Zhang
Student Email: 16sz22@queensu.ca
Course: CISC 452
Term: Fall
Year: 2020
Category: Request a review of instructors' decisions on grading of final examination and/or term work
Instructor: Farhana H. Zulkernine
Additional Information: literature review assignment
Course: STAT 455
Term: Fall
Year: 2020
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Yanglei Song
Course: MATH 474
Term: Fall
Year: 2020
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Simin Zhang:
I am sorry to have read of your reported extenuating circumstances during the Fall term 2020 and I have carefully considered your appeal to drop MATH 474 (F 2020) past the academic deadline as well as request Credit standing in STAT 455 (F 2020) based on those circumstances. After reviewing your file 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. In addition, courses must be dropped on SOLUS within the published deadlines. 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 sure this is a disappointing decision, but the information we received from the instructor of STAT 455 notes that you were given an opportunity to take a makeup final exam on January 5, 2021 which already led to an adjustment to your original final grade. Offering an additional adjustment would diminish the integrity of your transcript and therefore the grade earned in STAT 455 is a valid representation of the learning outcomes met in this course.
With regards to MATH 474, as well as STAT 455, the documentation you have submitted notes an impairment between December 10 €“ 17th and does not provide any information regarding the severity of your circumstances. The Verification of Illness form dated October 26th was for a one week period and notes a mild to moderate impairment. If you were continuing to experience medical challenges you should have dropped courses by the Fall term drop date deadline.
Also included in your appeal was a request for a re-read in CISC 452 but I understand that Professor Zulkernine asked that you contact her directly so she could address the issue outlined and will then submit a change of grade request form. You received an email indicating that this portion of your appeal would be removed since it is being handled by the department.
Simin, let me remind you that if a student repeats a course, the lower grade is excluded from their GPA and the higher grade is included.
Going forward, I suggest that you inform yourself of the academic regulations concerning deadlines as they are outlined in the Important Dates section on the Arts and Science web page and assess your progress in your courses or discuss your options with an Academic Advisor during week 7 or 8 of the term. If you find that you have fallen behind in your attendance, readings or assignments, it is your responsibility to drop by the end of week 8.
If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to the Board of Studies you must appeal within 21 days. Information 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).
Best of luck in your course this term.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
20032407Zhang2
Decision Date: February 16, 2021
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Simin Zhang
Student Email: 16sz22@queensu.ca
Course: CISC 452
Term: Fall
Year: 2020
Category: Request a review of instructors' decisions on grading of final examination and/or term work
Instructor: Farhana H. Zulkernine
Additional Information: literature review assignment
Course: STAT 455
Term: Fall
Year: 2020
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Yanglei Song
Course: MATH 474
Term: Fall
Year: 2020
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Simin Zhang:
I am sorry to have read of your reported extenuating circumstances during the Fall term 2020 and I have carefully considered your appeal to drop MATH 474 (F 2020) past the academic deadline as well as request Credit standing in STAT 455 (F 2020) based on those circumstances. After reviewing your file 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. In addition, courses must be dropped on SOLUS within the published deadlines. 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 sure this is a disappointing decision, but the information we received from the instructor of STAT 455 notes that you were given an opportunity to take a makeup final exam on January 5, 2021 which already led to an adjustment to your original final grade. Offering an additional adjustment would diminish the integrity of your transcript and therefore the grade earned in STAT 455 is a valid representation of the learning outcomes met in this course.
With regards to MATH 474, as well as STAT 455, the documentation you have submitted notes an impairment between December 10 €“ 17th and does not provide any information regarding the severity of your circumstances. The Verification of Illness form dated October 26th was for a one week period and notes a mild to moderate impairment. If you were continuing to experience medical challenges you should have dropped courses by the Fall term drop date deadline.
Also included in your appeal was a request for a re-read in CISC 452 but I understand that Professor Zulkernine asked that you contact her directly so she could address the issue outlined and will then submit a change of grade request form. You received an email indicating that this portion of your appeal would be removed since it is being handled by the department.
Simin, let me remind you that if a student repeats a course, the lower grade is excluded from their GPA and the higher grade is included.
Going forward, I suggest that you inform yourself of the academic regulations concerning deadlines as they are outlined in the Important Dates section on the Arts and Science web page and assess your progress in your courses or discuss your options with an Academic Advisor during week 7 or 8 of the term. If you find that you have fallen behind in your attendance, readings or assignments, it is your responsibility to drop by the end of week 8.
If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to the Board of Studies you must appeal within 21 days. Information 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).
Best of luck in your course this term.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
20032407Zhang2
Generated February 16, 2021 at 9:41:23 AM.