Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Number: 9573
Decision Date: October 3, 2022
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Sam Goodis
Student Email: 12sg1@queensu.ca

Course: EMPR 210
Term: Fall
Year: 2019
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: PHIL 260
Term: Winter
Year: 2021
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: PHIL 351
Term: Winter
Year: 2021
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: PSYC 321
Term: Winter
Year: 2021
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: PSYC 399
Term: Winter
Year: 2021
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: PSYC 435
Term: Winter
Year: 2021
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Dear Sam Goodis:

I have carefully considered your appeal request to drop EMPR 210 (F19), PHIL 260, PHIL 351, PSYC 321, PSYC 399 and PSYC 435 (W21) past the academic deadline. After reviewing your file, I have decided the following:

To grant your request to drop PHIL 260, PHIL 351, PSYC 321, PSYC 399 and PSYC 435 (W21) due to the timeline, severity and impacts of your extenuating circumstances during the 2021 Winter term as confirmed by your documentation. Your grades in these courses will be replaced with a ?DR?? notation. Going forward I would suggest that you evaluate your academic progress during week 7 of the term and make sure to drop courses that you have fallen behind in or find the material too difficult in by week 8 of the term.

To deny your request to drop EMPR 210 (F19) after the academic deadline. 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 his or her control. I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision however, the documentation that you supplied does not indicate any academic impacts of your extenuating circumstances during the 2019 Fall term.

I want to remind you that repeating courses is a recommended strategy if you are concerned about a lower grade impacting your grade point average. When repeating the exact same course, both grades remain on your transcript but only the higher one is included within your cumulative 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)