Decision Letter
Submission Number: 10311
Decision Date: May 1, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Linda Mourad
Student Email: 21lm63@queensu.ca
Course: MATH 121
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Linda:
I have read with interest your petition to drop MATH 121 (FW 2022/23), taking note of the challenges you outlined. After reviewing your petition fully, I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, courses must be dropped on SOLUS within the published deadlines. Appeal Regulation 3.3.1.2 stresses that ??a petition to drop a class late must clearly demonstrate the significant extenuating circumstances, beyond the student??s control, which prevented them from dropping the class by the deadline. 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 your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however your documentation notes that the onset of your health-related challenges began in April 2022, which was well before the March 1st, 2023 drop deadline and there are no extenuating circumstances presented or documented which would have caused you to be unable to drop MATH 121 by that drop deadline.
Going forward, you should assess your performance in courses prior to the drop deadlines and evaluate your progress in courses by week 7 of the term. 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
Linda, 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. Additionally, I encourage you to continue to work with your health care provider if your challenges persist, and to 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 https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/undergraduate/student-services/academic-petitions-and-appeals (click on ??Submit a Board of Studies Appeal Here?). 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)
20335876Mourad
Decision Date: May 1, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Linda Mourad
Student Email: 21lm63@queensu.ca
Course: MATH 121
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Linda:
I have read with interest your petition to drop MATH 121 (FW 2022/23), taking note of the challenges you outlined. After reviewing your petition fully, I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, courses must be dropped on SOLUS within the published deadlines. Appeal Regulation 3.3.1.2 stresses that ??a petition to drop a class late must clearly demonstrate the significant extenuating circumstances, beyond the student??s control, which prevented them from dropping the class by the deadline. 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 your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however your documentation notes that the onset of your health-related challenges began in April 2022, which was well before the March 1st, 2023 drop deadline and there are no extenuating circumstances presented or documented which would have caused you to be unable to drop MATH 121 by that drop deadline.
Going forward, you should assess your performance in courses prior to the drop deadlines and evaluate your progress in courses by week 7 of the term. 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
Linda, 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. Additionally, I encourage you to continue to work with your health care provider if your challenges persist, and to 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 https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/undergraduate/student-services/academic-petitions-and-appeals (click on ??Submit a Board of Studies Appeal Here?). 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)
20335876Mourad
Generated May 1, 2023 at 9:19:02 AM.