Decision Letter
Submission Number: 11590
Decision Date: April 22, 2024
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Eleanor Bird
Student Email: ellie98765@gmail.com
Course: CHEM 223
Term: Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: PHYS 115
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Ellie:
I have carefully considered your petition request to drop CHEM 223 (W23) and PHYS 115 (F23) past the academic deadline. After reviewing your file, I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, courses must be dropped on SOLUS within the published deadlines. The Academic Regulations (Appeal of Academic Decisions, IIIb) stress that exceptions to this will only be waived under "extenuating circumstances." 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, the documentation that you supplied and your academic transcript.
I recognize that you were away from school during the 2023 Winter term between February 13 – February 16, 2023 as confirmed within the documentation that you supplied. I also acknowledge that you would have had some schoolwork to catch up after being away for 4 days.
Ellie, I want to remind you that you were accommodated through Academic Consideration for this short absence. I also see from your transcript that you were able to complete other courses successfully during this same term. As it is unclear how CHEM 223 was specifically impacted by these 4 days away, and that you were aware these circumstances prior to the drop deadline of the term, I cannot grant this request.
Regarding your request to drop PHYS 115 (F23) after the academic deadline, I regret to inform you that I cannot grant this late drop as neither your petition letter or documentation suggests any impacts to your academic ability/performance during the 2023 Fall term.
Going forward, 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 are concerned with the impact that these courses have on your GPA, I would suggest that you consider repeating them in a future term. When repeating the exact same course code, both attempts will appear on your transcript however, only the higher grade 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 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: April 22, 2024
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Eleanor Bird
Student Email: ellie98765@gmail.com
Course: CHEM 223
Term: Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: PHYS 115
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Ellie:
I have carefully considered your petition request to drop CHEM 223 (W23) and PHYS 115 (F23) past the academic deadline. After reviewing your file, I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, courses must be dropped on SOLUS within the published deadlines. The Academic Regulations (Appeal of Academic Decisions, IIIb) stress that exceptions to this will only be waived under "extenuating circumstances." 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, the documentation that you supplied and your academic transcript.
I recognize that you were away from school during the 2023 Winter term between February 13 – February 16, 2023 as confirmed within the documentation that you supplied. I also acknowledge that you would have had some schoolwork to catch up after being away for 4 days.
Ellie, I want to remind you that you were accommodated through Academic Consideration for this short absence. I also see from your transcript that you were able to complete other courses successfully during this same term. As it is unclear how CHEM 223 was specifically impacted by these 4 days away, and that you were aware these circumstances prior to the drop deadline of the term, I cannot grant this request.
Regarding your request to drop PHYS 115 (F23) after the academic deadline, I regret to inform you that I cannot grant this late drop as neither your petition letter or documentation suggests any impacts to your academic ability/performance during the 2023 Fall term.
Going forward, 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 are concerned with the impact that these courses have on your GPA, I would suggest that you consider repeating them in a future term. When repeating the exact same course code, both attempts will appear on your transcript however, only the higher grade 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 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 April 22, 2024 at 3:23:13 PM.