Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 8347
Decision Date: February 14, 2022
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Aimee Jones
Student Email: aimeehjones13@gmail.com
Course: ENGL 234
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ENGL 271
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ENGL 257
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ENGL 257
Term: Fall
Year: 2018
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ENGL 292B
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ENGL 292B
Term: Winter
Year: 2019
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: FILM 236
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Aimee:
I have read with interest your appeal to drop ENGL 234, ENGL 271 (F 2016); ENGL 257, FILM 236 (W 2017); ENGL 292 (FW 2016/17); ENGL 257 (F 2018); ENGL 237, FILM 335 (W 2019); ENGL 200, ENGL 292 (FW 2018/19), 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 circumstances and 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, often taking place after the drop deadline.
I am certainly sympathetic to the circumstances outlined and I realize that this is a disappointing decision, however some of your documentation attests to a disability prior to your attendance at Queen??s and although your father??s letter is moving, it unfortunately cannot confirm your circumstances because he wasn??t aware of them. I understand that you were asked to provide additional documentation that could attest to the circumstances outlined but you were unable to do so, which is unfortunate.
In the future, should you resume your studies at Queen??s, 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.
Another tool to manage your academics in addition to dropping a course by the drop deadline is our Academic Consideration protocol. A student can request short term consideration if they need more time to complete an assignment or had to miss a class due to documented extenuating circumstances. Here is the link for information about that process:
https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/undergrad-students/academic-consideration-for-students
Aimee, 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 encourage you to reach out to Student Wellness Services if you resume your studies at Queen??s and consider taking advantage of the services available at Student Academic Success Services (SASS) if you feel the support available in that office would also be helpful.
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).
Student Academic Appeals Policy (SAAP) or Rules of Procedure for USAB are Queen??s university Senate approved appeal policies. In the event that an inconsistency arises between these policies and Arts & Science regulations, SAAP and USAB will supersede.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
10198512Jones
Course: ENGL 200B
Term: Winter
Year: 2019
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ENGL 237
Term: Winter
Year: 2019
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: FILM 335
Term: Winter
Year: 2019
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Decision Date: February 14, 2022
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Aimee Jones
Student Email: aimeehjones13@gmail.com
Course: ENGL 234
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ENGL 271
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ENGL 257
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ENGL 257
Term: Fall
Year: 2018
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ENGL 292B
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ENGL 292B
Term: Winter
Year: 2019
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: FILM 236
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Aimee:
I have read with interest your appeal to drop ENGL 234, ENGL 271 (F 2016); ENGL 257, FILM 236 (W 2017); ENGL 292 (FW 2016/17); ENGL 257 (F 2018); ENGL 237, FILM 335 (W 2019); ENGL 200, ENGL 292 (FW 2018/19), 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 circumstances and 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, often taking place after the drop deadline.
I am certainly sympathetic to the circumstances outlined and I realize that this is a disappointing decision, however some of your documentation attests to a disability prior to your attendance at Queen??s and although your father??s letter is moving, it unfortunately cannot confirm your circumstances because he wasn??t aware of them. I understand that you were asked to provide additional documentation that could attest to the circumstances outlined but you were unable to do so, which is unfortunate.
In the future, should you resume your studies at Queen??s, 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.
Another tool to manage your academics in addition to dropping a course by the drop deadline is our Academic Consideration protocol. A student can request short term consideration if they need more time to complete an assignment or had to miss a class due to documented extenuating circumstances. Here is the link for information about that process:
https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/undergrad-students/academic-consideration-for-students
Aimee, 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 encourage you to reach out to Student Wellness Services if you resume your studies at Queen??s and consider taking advantage of the services available at Student Academic Success Services (SASS) if you feel the support available in that office would also be helpful.
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).
Student Academic Appeals Policy (SAAP) or Rules of Procedure for USAB are Queen??s university Senate approved appeal policies. In the event that an inconsistency arises between these policies and Arts & Science regulations, SAAP and USAB will supersede.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
10198512Jones
Course: ENGL 200B
Term: Winter
Year: 2019
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ENGL 237
Term: Winter
Year: 2019
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: FILM 335
Term: Winter
Year: 2019
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Generated February 14, 2022 at 8:29:03 AM.