Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Submission Number: 12705
Decision Date: February 3, 2025
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Dasan Barrelli
Student Email: 22bw70@queensu.ca

Course: GLPH 281
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Giselle Valarezo

Course: WRIT 120
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Lori Vos

Dear Dasan:

I have carefully considered your petition request to add GLPH 281 and WRIT 120 (W25) past the academic deadline. I have carefully reviewed your request and while I’m unable to grant your petition, I want to assure you that I’ve taken your circumstances into account as part of this decision.

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.

I acknowledge the extenuating circumstance that you wrote about in your petition letter and I understand that you want to fast-track your degree completion. It is my understanding that you spoke to an Academic Advisor about a course overload back in December however it is unclear why you didn’t enroll in additional courses prior to the January 17 add deadline. I see that you are already enrolled in 6 courses for the 2025 Winter term and I want to remind you that this is a very heavy course load. Starting a course in week 5 in the term is not in your best academic interest especially since an instructor is not obligated to accommodate a student in missed work due to late enrollment.

I encourage you to meet with an Academic Advisor so that you can discuss an academic plan going forward. Please know that Summer term course enrollment is open in SOLUS now.

Additionally, if you wish to appeal this decision, information on the appeal process and deadlines is available at queensu.ca/artsci/undergraduate/student-services/academic-petitions-and-appeals (click on “Second Level”). The Office of the University Ombudsperson offers guidance on student rights and procedural fairness at queensu.ca/ombuds/appeal-process/procedural-fairness, and they are also available to support you at queensu.ca/ombuds.

I hope that you continue to seek out the support and resources available to you, and I wish you the best in navigating your next steps.

Warm regards,

Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academics)