Decision Letter
Submission Number: 12721
Decision Date: February 3, 2025
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Stella Zed
Student Email: 22swz1@queensu.ca
Course: PHIL 242
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: David Bakhurst
Course: PHIL 314
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Paul Elliot
Dear Stella Zed:
I have carefully considered your petition request to add PHIL 242 and PHIL 314 (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 multiple extenuating circumstances that you wrote about in your petition letter and I encourage you to connect with Student Wellness Services for personal support. I recognize that you obtained support from the instructors of PHILL 242 and PHIL 314 however your transcript shows that you haven’t successfully completed most of the courses that you have attempted since the 2023 Fall term. 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.
Stella, I want to let you know that your Academic Standing will be assessed in May of 2025. 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. A strategy that you may consider is to repeat failed courses. When a student repeats the exact same course code, both attempts will appear on their transcript however, only the higher grade will be included within the calculation of their GPA.
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)
Decision Date: February 3, 2025
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Stella Zed
Student Email: 22swz1@queensu.ca
Course: PHIL 242
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: David Bakhurst
Course: PHIL 314
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Paul Elliot
Dear Stella Zed:
I have carefully considered your petition request to add PHIL 242 and PHIL 314 (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 multiple extenuating circumstances that you wrote about in your petition letter and I encourage you to connect with Student Wellness Services for personal support. I recognize that you obtained support from the instructors of PHILL 242 and PHIL 314 however your transcript shows that you haven’t successfully completed most of the courses that you have attempted since the 2023 Fall term. 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.
Stella, I want to let you know that your Academic Standing will be assessed in May of 2025. 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. A strategy that you may consider is to repeat failed courses. When a student repeats the exact same course code, both attempts will appear on their transcript however, only the higher grade will be included within the calculation of their GPA.
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)
Generated February 3, 2025 at 11:09:34 AM.