Decision Letter
Submission Number: 11516
Decision Date: February 16, 2024
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Alexander Traynor
Student Email: 19aft@queensu.ca
Course: ECON 280
Term: Winter
Year: 2024
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Anya Hageman
Dear Alex:
I have carefully considered your petition request to add ECON 280 (W24) past the academic deadline. After reviewing your file, I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, courses must be added on SOLUS within the published deadlines. The deadlines for adding courses have been designed and established to provide sufficient time for students to obtain the relevant permission, determine their interest in the course material, to consider their ability to handle each course, and to evaluate their overall workload. The Academic Petitions and Appeals Regulations at queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/appeal-regulations/ stress that a petition to add a class late must clearly demonstrate the significant extenuating circumstances, beyond the student’s control, which prevented them from making the addition by the deadline. A medical certificate or other documentation that outlines how the personal extenuating circumstances hindered the student’s ability to add the class prior to the deadline should be provided with the petition and the student must have support from the Undergraduate Chair of the relevant department and from the class instructor.
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, and the input that I received from the instructor of this course.
I appreciate that you proactively connected with the instructor of this course and have familiarized yourself with the course material however, your petition didn’t demonstrate any significant extenuating circumstances beyond your control that prevented you from enrolling in this course prior to the Academic Deadline. I regret to inform you that the financial-related circumstances that you described in your petition letter are not considered to be unexpected as they relate to fees occurring from enrolled courses. I want to remind you that course registration for 2024 Winter term courses began in the 2023 Summer term and I see that you were able to enroll another Winter term course prior to the add deadline.
Alex, I see that your cumulative GPA is a 1.45 and so your academic standing will be assessed this upcoming May. If your cumulative GPA remains below 1.6, you may be placed on academic probation at that time. As instructors are not obligated to accommodate a student due to late enrollment, it is my sincere hope that you understand that adding a new course so late into this term wouldn’t be in your best academic interest. I would strongly recommend that you focus on completing your currently enrolled W24 term course successfully and consider repeating failed courses in future terms so that you can work on boosting your GPA while you complete your final 30.0 units of courses needed for graduation.
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 (Academics)
Decision Date: February 16, 2024
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Alexander Traynor
Student Email: 19aft@queensu.ca
Course: ECON 280
Term: Winter
Year: 2024
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Anya Hageman
Dear Alex:
I have carefully considered your petition request to add ECON 280 (W24) past the academic deadline. After reviewing your file, I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, courses must be added on SOLUS within the published deadlines. The deadlines for adding courses have been designed and established to provide sufficient time for students to obtain the relevant permission, determine their interest in the course material, to consider their ability to handle each course, and to evaluate their overall workload. The Academic Petitions and Appeals Regulations at queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/appeal-regulations/ stress that a petition to add a class late must clearly demonstrate the significant extenuating circumstances, beyond the student’s control, which prevented them from making the addition by the deadline. A medical certificate or other documentation that outlines how the personal extenuating circumstances hindered the student’s ability to add the class prior to the deadline should be provided with the petition and the student must have support from the Undergraduate Chair of the relevant department and from the class instructor.
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, and the input that I received from the instructor of this course.
I appreciate that you proactively connected with the instructor of this course and have familiarized yourself with the course material however, your petition didn’t demonstrate any significant extenuating circumstances beyond your control that prevented you from enrolling in this course prior to the Academic Deadline. I regret to inform you that the financial-related circumstances that you described in your petition letter are not considered to be unexpected as they relate to fees occurring from enrolled courses. I want to remind you that course registration for 2024 Winter term courses began in the 2023 Summer term and I see that you were able to enroll another Winter term course prior to the add deadline.
Alex, I see that your cumulative GPA is a 1.45 and so your academic standing will be assessed this upcoming May. If your cumulative GPA remains below 1.6, you may be placed on academic probation at that time. As instructors are not obligated to accommodate a student due to late enrollment, it is my sincere hope that you understand that adding a new course so late into this term wouldn’t be in your best academic interest. I would strongly recommend that you focus on completing your currently enrolled W24 term course successfully and consider repeating failed courses in future terms so that you can work on boosting your GPA while you complete your final 30.0 units of courses needed for graduation.
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 (Academics)
Generated February 16, 2024 at 8:52:05 AM.