Decision Letter
Submission Number: 11139
Decision Date: November 29, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Ningjing Gan
Student Email: 19ng16@queensu.ca
Dear Ningjing:
I acknowledge that you have an International Letter of Permission for 6.0 units of courses from the 2023 Fall term and I have carefully considered your petition to take more than 6.0 units of courses on an International Letter of Permission during this 2023/2024 academic year. After reviewing your petition to take 9.0 units of electives through Athabasca University during the 2024 Winter term, I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, Regulation 14.4 indicates that “the last two years of the Honours degree are taken in the Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen’s.” The Academic Petitions and Appeals Regulation 3.3.1.7 at queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/appeal-regulations/ stress that petition requests to complete any part of the third or fourth year at another University must directly address how this is necessary due to extenuating circumstances or an exceptional academic opportunity. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond a student’s control and debilitating to their academic performance. 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.
I am sympathetic to your situation and understand that this is a difficult decision, however, I want you to know that I considered this request very thoroughly. In making this decision, I reviewed your Petition Letter, your Academic Plan, and the documentation that you supplied that indicates the timeline of your prospective internship.
I have denied this request as your petition did not suggest that you are experiencing an extenuating circumstance that is preventing you from taking electives through Queen’s, nor does taking electives through another institution demonstrate to me to be an exceptional academic opportunity.
I recognize that Athabasca University offers more online courses than are available through Arts and Science Online at Queen’s. I want to remind you that you are registered as an on-campus student and that there is a wide range of on-campus courses that are available to you along with the online offerings during the Winter term. I also want to acknowledge the internship opportunity that you plan to participate in during the timeline of February 1 – May 1, 2024. Competing commitments such as choosing to work a job while going to school, or internships like this are not considered to be an unexpected extenuating circumstance. I truly hope that you will consider balancing some elective courses through Queen’s along with your internship during the Winter term.
Ningjing, I also want to stress the importance of choosing your remaining elective courses carefully as you mentioned wanting to take a Business course in your petition letter. Arts and Science students are allowed to count a maximum of 6.0 units from other Faculties toward their Program/Plan. I see that you have already completed more than 6.0 units of COMM courses and so should be looking at electives offered by the Faculty of Arts and Science going forward.
If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean’s decision to the Board of Studies, information and deadlines can be found at 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 queensu.ca/ombuds/appeal-process/procedural-fairness and guidance on policy and procedure by visiting their website at queensu.ca/ombuds/.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Decision Date: November 29, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Ningjing Gan
Student Email: 19ng16@queensu.ca
Dear Ningjing:
I acknowledge that you have an International Letter of Permission for 6.0 units of courses from the 2023 Fall term and I have carefully considered your petition to take more than 6.0 units of courses on an International Letter of Permission during this 2023/2024 academic year. After reviewing your petition to take 9.0 units of electives through Athabasca University during the 2024 Winter term, I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, Regulation 14.4 indicates that “the last two years of the Honours degree are taken in the Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen’s.” The Academic Petitions and Appeals Regulation 3.3.1.7 at queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/appeal-regulations/ stress that petition requests to complete any part of the third or fourth year at another University must directly address how this is necessary due to extenuating circumstances or an exceptional academic opportunity. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond a student’s control and debilitating to their academic performance. 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.
I am sympathetic to your situation and understand that this is a difficult decision, however, I want you to know that I considered this request very thoroughly. In making this decision, I reviewed your Petition Letter, your Academic Plan, and the documentation that you supplied that indicates the timeline of your prospective internship.
I have denied this request as your petition did not suggest that you are experiencing an extenuating circumstance that is preventing you from taking electives through Queen’s, nor does taking electives through another institution demonstrate to me to be an exceptional academic opportunity.
I recognize that Athabasca University offers more online courses than are available through Arts and Science Online at Queen’s. I want to remind you that you are registered as an on-campus student and that there is a wide range of on-campus courses that are available to you along with the online offerings during the Winter term. I also want to acknowledge the internship opportunity that you plan to participate in during the timeline of February 1 – May 1, 2024. Competing commitments such as choosing to work a job while going to school, or internships like this are not considered to be an unexpected extenuating circumstance. I truly hope that you will consider balancing some elective courses through Queen’s along with your internship during the Winter term.
Ningjing, I also want to stress the importance of choosing your remaining elective courses carefully as you mentioned wanting to take a Business course in your petition letter. Arts and Science students are allowed to count a maximum of 6.0 units from other Faculties toward their Program/Plan. I see that you have already completed more than 6.0 units of COMM courses and so should be looking at electives offered by the Faculty of Arts and Science going forward.
If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean’s decision to the Board of Studies, information and deadlines can be found at 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 queensu.ca/ombuds/appeal-process/procedural-fairness and guidance on policy and procedure by visiting their website at queensu.ca/ombuds/.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Generated November 29, 2023 at 8:40:21 AM.