Decision Letter
Submission Number: 10393
Decision Date: May 15, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Solaiman Douglas
Student Email: 21sd77@queensu.ca
Course: MATH 121
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2022
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Solaiman:
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 you have experienced similar challenges previously and have been advised that you should drop courses and reduce your course load prior to drop deadlines.
In the future, I encourage you once again to carefully evaluate your progress in courses 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. The drop deadlines, outlined in the ??Important Dates? section on the Faculty of Arts and Science web page, have been established to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all students.
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
Solaiman, 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. I encourage you to continue to work with Student Wellness Services in the future 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/.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Decision Date: May 15, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Solaiman Douglas
Student Email: 21sd77@queensu.ca
Course: MATH 121
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2022
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Solaiman:
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 you have experienced similar challenges previously and have been advised that you should drop courses and reduce your course load prior to drop deadlines.
In the future, I encourage you once again to carefully evaluate your progress in courses 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. The drop deadlines, outlined in the ??Important Dates? section on the Faculty of Arts and Science web page, have been established to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all students.
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
Solaiman, 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. I encourage you to continue to work with Student Wellness Services in the future 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/.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Generated May 15, 2023 at 9:54:34 AM.