Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 9359
Decision Date: July 12, 2022
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Grace Chen
Student Email: 18gc27@queensu.ca
Course: PSYC 397
Term: Summer
Year: 2022
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Grace Chen:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop PSYC 397 (S22) 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 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 documentation indicating that the student??s performance was significantly compromised by circumstances beyond their control. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond your control, debilitating to your overall academic performance and can be verified with documentation from a profession.
I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however I want you to know that competing commitments such as work-related responsibilities are not considered to be extenuating circumstances. The email replies from your instructor that you presented within your appeal request indicates that you had not completed some components before you became sick and that you had fallen behind in this course before the deadline to drop this course. As you know from your previous appeal decision, it is your responsibility to assess the impacts of extenuating circumstances on your academics before the drop deadline of the term. If you have fallen behind in a course or find the material too difficult, you should drop the course in SOLUS. The drop deadlines, as they have been outlined in the ??Important Dates? section on the Arts and Science web page, have been established by the Faculty of Arts and Science to ensure a fair and equitable treatment of all students.
Please know that repeating courses is a recommended strategy for students who are concerned about their GPA. When repeating a course, both attempts will appear on your transcript but only the higher grade will be included within the calculation of your GPA.
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 https://www.queensu.ca/ombuds/appeal-process/procedural-fairness and guidance on policy and procedure by visiting their website at https://www.queensu.ca/ombuds/.
Student Academic Appeals Policy (SAAP) https://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/policies/senate/student-academic-appeals-policyE and Rules of Procedure for USAB https://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/policies/senate/student-academic-appeals-policy/usab-rules-of-procedure 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)
Decision Date: July 12, 2022
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Grace Chen
Student Email: 18gc27@queensu.ca
Course: PSYC 397
Term: Summer
Year: 2022
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Grace Chen:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop PSYC 397 (S22) 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 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 documentation indicating that the student??s performance was significantly compromised by circumstances beyond their control. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond your control, debilitating to your overall academic performance and can be verified with documentation from a profession.
I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however I want you to know that competing commitments such as work-related responsibilities are not considered to be extenuating circumstances. The email replies from your instructor that you presented within your appeal request indicates that you had not completed some components before you became sick and that you had fallen behind in this course before the deadline to drop this course. As you know from your previous appeal decision, it is your responsibility to assess the impacts of extenuating circumstances on your academics before the drop deadline of the term. If you have fallen behind in a course or find the material too difficult, you should drop the course in SOLUS. The drop deadlines, as they have been outlined in the ??Important Dates? section on the Arts and Science web page, have been established by the Faculty of Arts and Science to ensure a fair and equitable treatment of all students.
Please know that repeating courses is a recommended strategy for students who are concerned about their GPA. When repeating a course, both attempts will appear on your transcript but only the higher grade will be included within the calculation of your GPA.
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 https://www.queensu.ca/ombuds/appeal-process/procedural-fairness and guidance on policy and procedure by visiting their website at https://www.queensu.ca/ombuds/.
Student Academic Appeals Policy (SAAP) https://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/policies/senate/student-academic-appeals-policyE and Rules of Procedure for USAB https://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/policies/senate/student-academic-appeals-policy/usab-rules-of-procedure 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)
Generated July 12, 2022 at 3:39:37 PM.