Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 7956
Decision Date: August 31, 2021
Associate Dean: Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Caroline Salomon Wong
Student Email: 20cmcs@queensu.ca
Course: PSYC100
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: WRIT125
Term: Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: PHIL111
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Sergio Sismondo
Course: FILM110
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dan Vena
Dear Caroline Salomon Wong:
I am sorry to have read of your self-reported extenuating circumstances and I have carefully considered your appeal to drop PSYC 100 (FW 2020/21), WRIT 125, SPAN 112 (W 2021) past the academic deadline as well as request Credit standing in PHIL 111 and FILM 110 (FW 2020/21) 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, often which took place after the drop date deadline. 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 circumstances you have outlined are not supported by documentation since the documentation you submitted is for May 13th onward and is related to accommodation for summer term courses. Our office did contact you on August 16th asking for additional documentation which could support the circumstances you outlined but you did not submit additional documentation. I cannot therefore in good conscious amend your student record.
Caraoline, 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 would strongly suggest you pause and evaluate your progress in each of your courses prior to the week 8 drop date deadline each term, and if you have fallen behind or you are not performing in the course(s) to your satisfaction, you should drop courses by the drop date deadline.
Another tool to manage your academics in addition to dropping a course by the drop date deadline is our Academic Consideration service. A student can request short term consideration if they need more time to complete an assignment or had to miss a class. Here is the link for information about that process:
https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/undergrad-students/academic-consideration-for-students
Caroline, I strongly encourage you continue to work with a health professional and to proactively manage the impact of your condition on your academics. If this is a chronic condition, please talk to your counsellor about the possibility of registering with QSAS. A QSAS??Advisor??can help put into place appropriate accommodations to help you manage the impact of your health on your academics.??
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 ??Board of Studies?). 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,
Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Decision Date: August 31, 2021
Associate Dean: Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Caroline Salomon Wong
Student Email: 20cmcs@queensu.ca
Course: PSYC100
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: WRIT125
Term: Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: PHIL111
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Sergio Sismondo
Course: FILM110
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dan Vena
Dear Caroline Salomon Wong:
I am sorry to have read of your self-reported extenuating circumstances and I have carefully considered your appeal to drop PSYC 100 (FW 2020/21), WRIT 125, SPAN 112 (W 2021) past the academic deadline as well as request Credit standing in PHIL 111 and FILM 110 (FW 2020/21) 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, often which took place after the drop date deadline. 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 circumstances you have outlined are not supported by documentation since the documentation you submitted is for May 13th onward and is related to accommodation for summer term courses. Our office did contact you on August 16th asking for additional documentation which could support the circumstances you outlined but you did not submit additional documentation. I cannot therefore in good conscious amend your student record.
Caraoline, 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 would strongly suggest you pause and evaluate your progress in each of your courses prior to the week 8 drop date deadline each term, and if you have fallen behind or you are not performing in the course(s) to your satisfaction, you should drop courses by the drop date deadline.
Another tool to manage your academics in addition to dropping a course by the drop date deadline is our Academic Consideration service. A student can request short term consideration if they need more time to complete an assignment or had to miss a class. Here is the link for information about that process:
https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/undergrad-students/academic-consideration-for-students
Caroline, I strongly encourage you continue to work with a health professional and to proactively manage the impact of your condition on your academics. If this is a chronic condition, please talk to your counsellor about the possibility of registering with QSAS. A QSAS??Advisor??can help put into place appropriate accommodations to help you manage the impact of your health on your academics.??
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 ??Board of Studies?). 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,
Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Generated August 31, 2021 at 4:49:11 PM.