Decision Letter
Submission Number: 11560
Decision Date: April 10, 2024
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Aaron Chapman
Student Email: 20asc16@queensu.ca
Course: WRIT 125
Term: Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Drew Cater Macdonald
Dear Aaron Chapman:
I was so sorry to have read of the passing of your grandfather and I want to offer my condolences. I have carefully considered your request to Waive the Petition Deadline related to the 2022 Fall term and for Credit Standing in WRIT 125 (W23). After reviewing your file, I have decided the following:
To grant your request to Waive the Petition Deadline related to the 2022 Fall term due to the timeline of your extenuating circumstances as confirmed within the documentation dated December 3 that you supplied. I will also allow you to drop ANAT 100, LIBS 100 and PHGY 170 (F22) after the academic deadline without requiring you to submit a subsequent petition request. Your grades in these courses will be replaced by a DR notation on your transcript.
To deny your request for Credit Standing in WRIT 125 (W23). 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, the documentation that you supplied and the information that I received from the instructor of WRIT 125 related to your grades in this course.
I was happy to see from your transcript that you had a successful 2023 Fall term and I hope that your Winter term classes are going well. While I completely acknowledge the ongoing nature of bereavement and I appreciate the information supplied from your parent regarding the grief that you experienced during the 2023 Winter term, the petition process is not meant to be used to manage chronic circumstances. It is the student’s responsibility to manage academic impacts from ongoing circumstances proactively by utilizing options such as applying for academic consideration or accommodations through Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) or dropping courses before the academic deadline. As you were aware of the academic impacts of this circumstance prior to the start of the term, I cannot grant this request.
Going forward, you should know that it is the student’s responsibility to pause and evaluate the impact of extenuating circumstances on their classes during week 7 of the term. If they have fallen behind in a course or find the material too difficult, they should drop the course by week 8 of term. The drop deadlines, as they have been outlined in the “Important Dates” section on the Arts and Science web page, have been established by the Faculty of Arts and Science to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all students.
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).
With sincere sympathy,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Decision Date: April 10, 2024
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Aaron Chapman
Student Email: 20asc16@queensu.ca
Course: WRIT 125
Term: Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Drew Cater Macdonald
Dear Aaron Chapman:
I was so sorry to have read of the passing of your grandfather and I want to offer my condolences. I have carefully considered your request to Waive the Petition Deadline related to the 2022 Fall term and for Credit Standing in WRIT 125 (W23). After reviewing your file, I have decided the following:
To grant your request to Waive the Petition Deadline related to the 2022 Fall term due to the timeline of your extenuating circumstances as confirmed within the documentation dated December 3 that you supplied. I will also allow you to drop ANAT 100, LIBS 100 and PHGY 170 (F22) after the academic deadline without requiring you to submit a subsequent petition request. Your grades in these courses will be replaced by a DR notation on your transcript.
To deny your request for Credit Standing in WRIT 125 (W23). 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, the documentation that you supplied and the information that I received from the instructor of WRIT 125 related to your grades in this course.
I was happy to see from your transcript that you had a successful 2023 Fall term and I hope that your Winter term classes are going well. While I completely acknowledge the ongoing nature of bereavement and I appreciate the information supplied from your parent regarding the grief that you experienced during the 2023 Winter term, the petition process is not meant to be used to manage chronic circumstances. It is the student’s responsibility to manage academic impacts from ongoing circumstances proactively by utilizing options such as applying for academic consideration or accommodations through Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) or dropping courses before the academic deadline. As you were aware of the academic impacts of this circumstance prior to the start of the term, I cannot grant this request.
Going forward, you should know that it is the student’s responsibility to pause and evaluate the impact of extenuating circumstances on their classes during week 7 of the term. If they have fallen behind in a course or find the material too difficult, they should drop the course by week 8 of term. The drop deadlines, as they have been outlined in the “Important Dates” section on the Arts and Science web page, have been established by the Faculty of Arts and Science to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all students.
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).
With sincere sympathy,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Generated April 10, 2024 at 2:31:35 PM.