Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Number: 8631
Decision Date: February 28, 2022
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Xindi (Vicky) Zhang
Student Email: 17xz101@queensu.ca

Course: FILM 236
Term: Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Request aegrotat (AG) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Ian Robinson

Course: FILM 322
Term: Winter
Year: 2020
Category: Request aegrotat (AG) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Ian Robinson

Dear Vicky Zhang:

I have carefully considered your appeal for Aegrotat Standing in FILM 236 and FILM 322 (W20). After reviewing your file, I have decided to deny your request.

I acknowledge that you were impacted by the unexpected University shutdown in the Winter of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As you know, the instructors of FILM 236 and FILM 322 (W20) were able provide you with an Incomplete (IN) grade to allow you additional time to complete the outstanding work in these courses. I want you to know that technical difficulties are not typically considered extenuating circumstances however, the information that you provided within your appeal request indicates that both of your instructors went above and beyond in their duty to accommodate you by offering an alternate assignment and to supply you with course material to help you better succeed in completing these courses offline. It was your responsibility to ensure that the course work that you completed during the Summer term was saved correctly so that it could be graded by your instructors.

I understand that this is a disappointing decision, and I am sympathetic to your situation as I understand that you require 6.0 units of electives to meet your degree requirements. However, with the absence of documentation to confirm the impact of an extenuating circumstance that prevented you from being able to complete these courses by the end of the 2020 Summer term or to confirm why you couldn??t act on this appeal request sooner during the subsequent 2020/2021 terms where I see you have been able to successfully complete other courses, I cannot grant this request.

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,

Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)