Decision Letter
Submission Number: 11048
Decision Date: December 6, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Jiafan Wu
Student Email: 19jw71@queensu.ca
Dear Jiafan Wu:
I acknowledge that you have a 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 a Letter of Permission during this 2023/2024 academic year. After reviewing your petition to take 6.0 units of courses at another institution 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 information that you provided the Academic Petition office via email on November 8, 2023.
I have denied this request as your petition does not suggest that you are experiencing an extenuating circumstance that is preventing you from taking 6.0 units of courses through Queen’s during the Winter term, nor does taking these courses through another institution demonstrate to me to be an exceptional academic opportunity.
I recognize that you do not want to return to Queen’s for the 2024 Winter term however, 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 including 400-level MATH courses. I acknowledge your concern that Queen’s courses may pull down your GPA but I want to assure you that there are a variety of academic support services that you can access at Queen’s to help you succeed in your classes. Going forward, I hope that you consider returning to campus to complete your remaining degree requirements.
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: December 6, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Jiafan Wu
Student Email: 19jw71@queensu.ca
Dear Jiafan Wu:
I acknowledge that you have a 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 a Letter of Permission during this 2023/2024 academic year. After reviewing your petition to take 6.0 units of courses at another institution 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 information that you provided the Academic Petition office via email on November 8, 2023.
I have denied this request as your petition does not suggest that you are experiencing an extenuating circumstance that is preventing you from taking 6.0 units of courses through Queen’s during the Winter term, nor does taking these courses through another institution demonstrate to me to be an exceptional academic opportunity.
I recognize that you do not want to return to Queen’s for the 2024 Winter term however, 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 including 400-level MATH courses. I acknowledge your concern that Queen’s courses may pull down your GPA but I want to assure you that there are a variety of academic support services that you can access at Queen’s to help you succeed in your classes. Going forward, I hope that you consider returning to campus to complete your remaining degree requirements.
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 December 6, 2023 at 10:52:25 AM.