Decision Letter
Submission Number: 11146
Decision Date: December 20, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Katherine Brewer
Student Email: 21kjvb@queensu.ca
Course: CHEM 212
Term: Fall
Year: 2022
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dr. Howe
Course: CHEM 223
Term: Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Dr. Petitjean
Dear Katherine Brewer:
I have carefully considered your petition for Credit Standing in CHEM 212 (F22) and to drop CHEM 223 (W23) past the academic deadline. After reviewing your file, I have decided the following:
To grant your request to drop CHEM 223 (W23) after the academic deadline. I have granted this part of your request based on the severity and academic impacts of your extenuating circumstances as described within your petition letter and the documentation that you supplied.
To deny your request for Credit Standing in CHEM 212 (F22). 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 transcript, the documentation that you supplied dated November 16, 2023 and input from the instructor of this course.
The Academic Petitions and Appeals Regulation 1.1 at queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/appeal-regulations/ stress that petitions and appeals are only granted where there are significantly extenuating circumstances, which would merit the waiving of a particular Faculty regulation or decision. 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.
While I acknowledge the health-related extenuating circumstance that you experienced during the 2022 Fall term, I have denied your request for Credit Standing in CHEM 212 (F22) for two reasons. I see from your transcript that you were able to complete other courses to high standards during the 2022 Fall term and the documentation that you supplied does not speak to the academic impacts that you reported in your petition letter. It is unclear how your extenuating circumstances impacted this specific course. Also, the information that I received from your instructor suggests that you did not meet the learning outcomes in CHEM 212 (F22). Your instructor reports that the discrepancy between your lab mark and your grades in the remainder of the course indicates that you
did not demonstrate the learning outcomes related to rationalizing trends in chemical reactivity.
If you are concerned with the impact that this course has on your cumulative GPA, I would suggest that you consider repeating it in a future term. 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.
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 as well as guidance on policy and procedure (queensu.ca/ombuds).
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Decision Date: December 20, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Katherine Brewer
Student Email: 21kjvb@queensu.ca
Course: CHEM 212
Term: Fall
Year: 2022
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dr. Howe
Course: CHEM 223
Term: Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Dr. Petitjean
Dear Katherine Brewer:
I have carefully considered your petition for Credit Standing in CHEM 212 (F22) and to drop CHEM 223 (W23) past the academic deadline. After reviewing your file, I have decided the following:
To grant your request to drop CHEM 223 (W23) after the academic deadline. I have granted this part of your request based on the severity and academic impacts of your extenuating circumstances as described within your petition letter and the documentation that you supplied.
To deny your request for Credit Standing in CHEM 212 (F22). 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 transcript, the documentation that you supplied dated November 16, 2023 and input from the instructor of this course.
The Academic Petitions and Appeals Regulation 1.1 at queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/appeal-regulations/ stress that petitions and appeals are only granted where there are significantly extenuating circumstances, which would merit the waiving of a particular Faculty regulation or decision. 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.
While I acknowledge the health-related extenuating circumstance that you experienced during the 2022 Fall term, I have denied your request for Credit Standing in CHEM 212 (F22) for two reasons. I see from your transcript that you were able to complete other courses to high standards during the 2022 Fall term and the documentation that you supplied does not speak to the academic impacts that you reported in your petition letter. It is unclear how your extenuating circumstances impacted this specific course. Also, the information that I received from your instructor suggests that you did not meet the learning outcomes in CHEM 212 (F22). Your instructor reports that the discrepancy between your lab mark and your grades in the remainder of the course indicates that you
did not demonstrate the learning outcomes related to rationalizing trends in chemical reactivity.
If you are concerned with the impact that this course has on your cumulative GPA, I would suggest that you consider repeating it in a future term. 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.
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 as well as guidance on policy and procedure (queensu.ca/ombuds).
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Generated December 20, 2023 at 10:40:03 AM.