Decision Letter
Submission Number: 12856
Decision Date: April 7, 2025
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: YUNZHE XIE
Student Email: 20yx25@queensu.ca
Dear Yunzhe Xie:
Thank you for your petition requesting to take more than 6.0 units of courses on a Letter of Permission, specifically your request to take 9.0 units of 300-level CISC courses during the 2025 Summer term. 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, Academic Petitions and Appeals Regulation 3.3.1.7 at queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/appeal-regulations/ stress that petition requests to take courses at another institution must directly address how this is necessary due to extenuating circumstances or an exceptional academic opportunity. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond a student’s control and debilitating to their academic performance. These kinds of extraordinary situations should be supported by official documentation from a health care practitioner or other relevant professional.
I understand that you couldn’t take these courses at Queen’s during the 2025 Winter term as you hadn’t yet completed CISC 235 which you are currently enrolled in at another institution. I was happy to read that you will have this pre-requisite course completed shortly.
Yunzhe, I notice from your transcript that you have been taking 18.0 units per Fall and Winter terms over the past two academic years. I want to remind you that taking more than the recommended number of classes per term is not suggested and that wanting to fast-track your degree completion is not an unexpected extenuating circumstance that would be grounds to waive an academic regulation.
I have denied this request as your petition did not include documentation to suggest an extenuating circumstance is preventing you from completing your remaining CISC requirements at Queen’s.
Looking at your transcript, I see that upon completion of your Winter term courses and CISC 235, you still require 48.0 units to complete your degree. Going forward, I suggest that you connect with an Academic Advisor who can help you with an academic plan for your degree completion.
If you wish to appeal this decision to the Board of Studies, 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 your Winter term courses.
Warm regards,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Decision Date: April 7, 2025
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: YUNZHE XIE
Student Email: 20yx25@queensu.ca
Dear Yunzhe Xie:
Thank you for your petition requesting to take more than 6.0 units of courses on a Letter of Permission, specifically your request to take 9.0 units of 300-level CISC courses during the 2025 Summer term. 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, Academic Petitions and Appeals Regulation 3.3.1.7 at queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/appeal-regulations/ stress that petition requests to take courses at another institution must directly address how this is necessary due to extenuating circumstances or an exceptional academic opportunity. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond a student’s control and debilitating to their academic performance. These kinds of extraordinary situations should be supported by official documentation from a health care practitioner or other relevant professional.
I understand that you couldn’t take these courses at Queen’s during the 2025 Winter term as you hadn’t yet completed CISC 235 which you are currently enrolled in at another institution. I was happy to read that you will have this pre-requisite course completed shortly.
Yunzhe, I notice from your transcript that you have been taking 18.0 units per Fall and Winter terms over the past two academic years. I want to remind you that taking more than the recommended number of classes per term is not suggested and that wanting to fast-track your degree completion is not an unexpected extenuating circumstance that would be grounds to waive an academic regulation.
I have denied this request as your petition did not include documentation to suggest an extenuating circumstance is preventing you from completing your remaining CISC requirements at Queen’s.
Looking at your transcript, I see that upon completion of your Winter term courses and CISC 235, you still require 48.0 units to complete your degree. Going forward, I suggest that you connect with an Academic Advisor who can help you with an academic plan for your degree completion.
If you wish to appeal this decision to the Board of Studies, 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 your Winter term courses.
Warm regards,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Generated April 7, 2025 at 11:44:04 AM.