Decision Letter
Submission Number: 12106
Decision Date: September 9, 2024
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Sarah Burgess
Student Email: 19smb16@queensu.ca
Course: LLCU 244
Term: Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Claudio Palomares-Salas
Course: MUSC 171
Term: Summer
Year: 2023
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Robb MacKay
Course: RELS 131
Term: Summer
Year: 2023
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Danielle LaGrone
Dear Sari:
I have carefully considered your petition for an Extension of an Incomplete Grade in in LLCU 244 (W23), MUSC 171, and RELS 131 (S23). After reviewing your file, I have decided to deny your request.
The Academic Petitions and Appeal Regulations 1.1 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. 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 dated June 26, 2024 and the information that I received from the instructors of these courses.
I recognize the ongoing health issues that you have been experiencing as reported in your petition letter and the documentation that you supplied. I have however denied this request as the petitions process is not meant to be used to manage a chronic condition. The documentation that you supplied confirms that your health diagnosis occurred prior to 2021. As you were aware of the impacts of these circumstances prior to the drop deadlines of the 2023 Winter and 2023 Summer terms, I cannot grant your request.
Academic impacts from ongoing circumstances should be managed proactively by utilizing options such as academic consideration or accommodations through QSAS. 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 as well as guidance on policy and procedure (queensu.ca/ombuds).
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Decision Date: September 9, 2024
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Sarah Burgess
Student Email: 19smb16@queensu.ca
Course: LLCU 244
Term: Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Claudio Palomares-Salas
Course: MUSC 171
Term: Summer
Year: 2023
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Robb MacKay
Course: RELS 131
Term: Summer
Year: 2023
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Danielle LaGrone
Dear Sari:
I have carefully considered your petition for an Extension of an Incomplete Grade in in LLCU 244 (W23), MUSC 171, and RELS 131 (S23). After reviewing your file, I have decided to deny your request.
The Academic Petitions and Appeal Regulations 1.1 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. 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 dated June 26, 2024 and the information that I received from the instructors of these courses.
I recognize the ongoing health issues that you have been experiencing as reported in your petition letter and the documentation that you supplied. I have however denied this request as the petitions process is not meant to be used to manage a chronic condition. The documentation that you supplied confirms that your health diagnosis occurred prior to 2021. As you were aware of the impacts of these circumstances prior to the drop deadlines of the 2023 Winter and 2023 Summer terms, I cannot grant your request.
Academic impacts from ongoing circumstances should be managed proactively by utilizing options such as academic consideration or accommodations through QSAS. 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 as well as guidance on policy and procedure (queensu.ca/ombuds).
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Generated September 9, 2024 at 8:56:30 AM.