Decision Letter
Submission Number: 10598
Decision Date: June 12, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Sidhardh Varma Alluri
Student Email: 21sva3@queensu.ca
Course: WRIT 125
Term: Winter
Year: 2022
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: MATH 121
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Ping Li
Course: MATH 111
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Peter Taylor
Dear Sidhardh:
I have carefully considered your petition to drop WRIT 125 (W23) after the academic deadline and for Credit Standing in MATH 111 and MATH 121 (FW22/23). After reviewing your file, I have decided the following:
To grant your request to drop WRIT 125 (W23) after the academic deadline. I have granted this request due to the academic impacts of your extenuating circumstances as confirmed by the documentation that you supplied. Your grade in this course will be replaced with a ‘DR’ notation on your transcript.
To deny your request to drop MATH 111 and MATH 121 (FW22/23). As you know, Academic Appeal and Petition Regulation 3.3.1.4. states that, "Credit standing is reserved for a course in which a student who has completed all of the work of the class, including the final examination, and achieved a passing grade in the class, but due to illness or other extenuating circumstances beyond their control, earned a substantially lower grade than might have been expected.” 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.
While I acknowledge the extenuating circumstances that you experienced during the 2022/2023 academic year, the documentation that you supplied indicates that your circumstances were chronic and not unexpected. It is the student’s responsibility to pause and evaluate the impact of extenuating circumstances on their classes during week 7 of the term. If they have fallen behind in a course or find the material too difficult, they should drop the course by week 8 of term. 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.
I am sympathetic to your situation and understand that this is a difficult decision however looking at the grade breakdown as provided by your instructors, it appears that you were able to complete in-class and take-home exams successfully despite the ongoing impacts of your circumstances. As you know your failing grades in these courses stem from proctored mid-terms and final exams. This does not indicate to me that you had met the learning outcomes of MATH 111 or MATH 121. If you are concerned with the impact that these courses have on your cumulative GPA, I would suggest that you consider repeating them in a future academic year. When repeating the exact same course code, both attempts will appear on your transcript however only the higher attempt will be included within the calculation of your cumulative GPA.
Going forward, I suggest that you consider registering with Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) if you have not done so already, so that you obtain ongoing support from a Counsellor who can help manage the impact of your health on your academics.
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)
Decision Date: June 12, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Sidhardh Varma Alluri
Student Email: 21sva3@queensu.ca
Course: WRIT 125
Term: Winter
Year: 2022
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: MATH 121
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Ping Li
Course: MATH 111
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Peter Taylor
Dear Sidhardh:
I have carefully considered your petition to drop WRIT 125 (W23) after the academic deadline and for Credit Standing in MATH 111 and MATH 121 (FW22/23). After reviewing your file, I have decided the following:
To grant your request to drop WRIT 125 (W23) after the academic deadline. I have granted this request due to the academic impacts of your extenuating circumstances as confirmed by the documentation that you supplied. Your grade in this course will be replaced with a ‘DR’ notation on your transcript.
To deny your request to drop MATH 111 and MATH 121 (FW22/23). As you know, Academic Appeal and Petition Regulation 3.3.1.4. states that, "Credit standing is reserved for a course in which a student who has completed all of the work of the class, including the final examination, and achieved a passing grade in the class, but due to illness or other extenuating circumstances beyond their control, earned a substantially lower grade than might have been expected.” 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.
While I acknowledge the extenuating circumstances that you experienced during the 2022/2023 academic year, the documentation that you supplied indicates that your circumstances were chronic and not unexpected. It is the student’s responsibility to pause and evaluate the impact of extenuating circumstances on their classes during week 7 of the term. If they have fallen behind in a course or find the material too difficult, they should drop the course by week 8 of term. 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.
I am sympathetic to your situation and understand that this is a difficult decision however looking at the grade breakdown as provided by your instructors, it appears that you were able to complete in-class and take-home exams successfully despite the ongoing impacts of your circumstances. As you know your failing grades in these courses stem from proctored mid-terms and final exams. This does not indicate to me that you had met the learning outcomes of MATH 111 or MATH 121. If you are concerned with the impact that these courses have on your cumulative GPA, I would suggest that you consider repeating them in a future academic year. When repeating the exact same course code, both attempts will appear on your transcript however only the higher attempt will be included within the calculation of your cumulative GPA.
Going forward, I suggest that you consider registering with Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) if you have not done so already, so that you obtain ongoing support from a Counsellor who can help manage the impact of your health on your academics.
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)
Generated June 12, 2023 at 9:43:45 AM.