Decision Letter
Submission Number: 10931
Decision Date: October 2, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Callum McCormack
Student Email: 19cakr@queensu.ca
Course: CLST 103
Term: Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Callum:
I have read with interest your petition to drop CLST 103 (W 2023), taking note of the challenges you outlined. After reviewing your petition fully, I have decided to deny your request. Please note that you cannot petition to be admitted to the Certificate of Business program.
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 circumstances and documentation indicating that the student’s performance was significantly compromised by circumstances beyond his or her control. 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 it is a student’s responsibility to assess their performance in a course prior to the drop deadline, and when a student has been managing a chronic condition, they should be familiar with the need to drop courses by the drop deadline if circumstances are impacting their studies. There are no circumstances, other than your ongoing challenges, which would have prevented you from dropping this course.
In the future, I encourage you to carefully evaluate your progress in a course during week 7 of the term, and if you find 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 deadlines, as 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 service. 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
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)
20184200McCormack
Decision Date: October 2, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Callum McCormack
Student Email: 19cakr@queensu.ca
Course: CLST 103
Term: Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Callum:
I have read with interest your petition to drop CLST 103 (W 2023), taking note of the challenges you outlined. After reviewing your petition fully, I have decided to deny your request. Please note that you cannot petition to be admitted to the Certificate of Business program.
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 circumstances and documentation indicating that the student’s performance was significantly compromised by circumstances beyond his or her control. 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 it is a student’s responsibility to assess their performance in a course prior to the drop deadline, and when a student has been managing a chronic condition, they should be familiar with the need to drop courses by the drop deadline if circumstances are impacting their studies. There are no circumstances, other than your ongoing challenges, which would have prevented you from dropping this course.
In the future, I encourage you to carefully evaluate your progress in a course during week 7 of the term, and if you find 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 deadlines, as 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 service. 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
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)
20184200McCormack
Generated October 2, 2023 at 10:34:53 AM.