Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 907
Decision Date: April 15, 2015
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Lei Xi
Student Email: 14lx3@queensu.ca
Course: MUSC 102
Term: Winter
Year: 2015
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Mr. Lei Xi
14lx3@queensu.ca
Dear Mr. Lei:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop MUSC 102 (W 2015) past the academic deadline. 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 exceptional 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 extenuating circumstances beyond his or her control.
The deadlines for dropping courses have been designed and established in order to provide sufficient time for students to determine their interest in the course material, to consider their ability to handle each course, and to evaluate their overall workload.
Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond your control and debilitating to your overall academic performance. Additionally, these kinds of extraordinary situations are normally supported by documentation from a professional.
While I understand that you may have not received direct feedback in this course prior to the drop deadline, there is no documentation provided to confirm this. More importantly however, there is no explanation provided as to why you are choosing to make this appeal now. Your appeal to drop CISC 101 past the academic deadline was granted because you received your results on the midterm test very soon after the drop deadline and you came to the Faculty Office to seek help, and confirmation from the TA was provided concerning the timing of the midterm test and feedback that students would have received by that date. For this particular appeal, you have not provided any information concerning how much feedback you had received prior to the drop deadline nor have you explained why you are choosing to make this appeal immediately prior to the exam. There do not appear to be any extenuating circumstances beyond your personal control that had a direct and negative impact on this course and there is no supporting documentation provided. For this reason, I cannot waive the academic regulations.
If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to the Board of Studies, you must submit an appeal to the Board of Studies within 21 days of the date this decision was sent. Guidelines for appealing to the Board of Studies and the appeal form can be found at: http://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 Mr. Harry Smith, Office of the Ombudsperson for advice on matters of procedure and on obtaining a representative. His office is located in room 237 Robert Sutherland Hall and he can be reached by phone (533-6495) or e-mail (ombuds@queensu.ca).
Sincerely,
Johanne Bénard, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
10156890Xi
Decision Date: April 15, 2015
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Lei Xi
Student Email: 14lx3@queensu.ca
Course: MUSC 102
Term: Winter
Year: 2015
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Mr. Lei Xi
14lx3@queensu.ca
Dear Mr. Lei:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop MUSC 102 (W 2015) past the academic deadline. 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 exceptional 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 extenuating circumstances beyond his or her control.
The deadlines for dropping courses have been designed and established in order to provide sufficient time for students to determine their interest in the course material, to consider their ability to handle each course, and to evaluate their overall workload.
Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond your control and debilitating to your overall academic performance. Additionally, these kinds of extraordinary situations are normally supported by documentation from a professional.
While I understand that you may have not received direct feedback in this course prior to the drop deadline, there is no documentation provided to confirm this. More importantly however, there is no explanation provided as to why you are choosing to make this appeal now. Your appeal to drop CISC 101 past the academic deadline was granted because you received your results on the midterm test very soon after the drop deadline and you came to the Faculty Office to seek help, and confirmation from the TA was provided concerning the timing of the midterm test and feedback that students would have received by that date. For this particular appeal, you have not provided any information concerning how much feedback you had received prior to the drop deadline nor have you explained why you are choosing to make this appeal immediately prior to the exam. There do not appear to be any extenuating circumstances beyond your personal control that had a direct and negative impact on this course and there is no supporting documentation provided. For this reason, I cannot waive the academic regulations.
If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to the Board of Studies, you must submit an appeal to the Board of Studies within 21 days of the date this decision was sent. Guidelines for appealing to the Board of Studies and the appeal form can be found at: http://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 Mr. Harry Smith, Office of the Ombudsperson for advice on matters of procedure and on obtaining a representative. His office is located in room 237 Robert Sutherland Hall and he can be reached by phone (533-6495) or e-mail (ombuds@queensu.ca).
Sincerely,
Johanne Bénard, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
10156890Xi
Generated April 15, 2015 at 6:11:30 PM.