Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 1422
Decision Date: October 2, 2015
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Rong Zou
Student Email: 12rz9@queensu.ca
Course: FILM 110
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2013
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Susan Lord/ Clarke Mackey
Dear Ms. Zou:
I have carefully considered your request to have your appeal heard after the 21-day timeline for submission. After reviewing your file I have decided to deny your request.
The appeal timeline is in place to give students sufficient time to respond to an academic decision. The 21-day timeline offers students time to seek academic counseling, to write up and submit an appeal, and to collect the supporting documents necessary to the appeal. Further, the appeal timeline is in place to ensure that decision making takes place in a timely manner, allowing students to continue in their academic programs without ongoing concern for unresolved matters.
Exceptions to this regulation can only be granted in cases where extenuating circumstances beyond a student's control render the student unable to appeal within the specified timeline. The student must be able to show that the extenuating circumstances were ongoing. The student must also be able to demonstrate that these circumstances prevented the student from acting between the time the original decision was received and the time at which the appeal was eventually initiated. Appeals of the regulation governing the timeline for appeals must be submitted in writing. An appeal of this type should include a presentation of the specific reasons for a delay and should include any document which support the reasons for delay.
I do recognize the fact that you may indeed have had some significant mental health issues during your first year of study. However, to allow a student to go back and appeal courses that were taken two years ago is an extraordinary action and can only be permitted in cases where the student has not been capable of making an appeal until the present day. Your appeal letter describes the difficulties you faced during first year but it does not explain what specific circumstances prevented you from making this appeal from the time this course finished in April 2014 until today. The letter supplied by your Residence Don also does not address the reasons for the delay in your appeal. Furthermore, with the exception of FILM 110, your transcript shows a consistent record of strong grades. This record leads me to believe that you had the physical and cognitive ability to construct an appeal at some point prior to your second year of study and beyond.
If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to the Board of Studies, you must submit an appeal to the Board of Studies within 21 days of the date this decision was sent. Guidelines for appealing to the Board of Studies and the appeal form can be found at: http://www.queensu.ca/artsci/students-at-queens/academic-appeals (click on €œBoard of Studies€) Do not use the on-line application for this process. You may contact Mr. Harry Smith, Office of the Ombudsperson for advice on matters of procedure and on obtaining a representative. His office is located in room 421 Robert Sutherland Hall and he can be reached by phone (533-6495) or e-mail (ombuds@queensu.ca).
Sincerely,
Johanne Bénard, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
10083892Zou
Decision Date: October 2, 2015
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Rong Zou
Student Email: 12rz9@queensu.ca
Course: FILM 110
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2013
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Susan Lord/ Clarke Mackey
Dear Ms. Zou:
I have carefully considered your request to have your appeal heard after the 21-day timeline for submission. After reviewing your file I have decided to deny your request.
The appeal timeline is in place to give students sufficient time to respond to an academic decision. The 21-day timeline offers students time to seek academic counseling, to write up and submit an appeal, and to collect the supporting documents necessary to the appeal. Further, the appeal timeline is in place to ensure that decision making takes place in a timely manner, allowing students to continue in their academic programs without ongoing concern for unresolved matters.
Exceptions to this regulation can only be granted in cases where extenuating circumstances beyond a student's control render the student unable to appeal within the specified timeline. The student must be able to show that the extenuating circumstances were ongoing. The student must also be able to demonstrate that these circumstances prevented the student from acting between the time the original decision was received and the time at which the appeal was eventually initiated. Appeals of the regulation governing the timeline for appeals must be submitted in writing. An appeal of this type should include a presentation of the specific reasons for a delay and should include any document which support the reasons for delay.
I do recognize the fact that you may indeed have had some significant mental health issues during your first year of study. However, to allow a student to go back and appeal courses that were taken two years ago is an extraordinary action and can only be permitted in cases where the student has not been capable of making an appeal until the present day. Your appeal letter describes the difficulties you faced during first year but it does not explain what specific circumstances prevented you from making this appeal from the time this course finished in April 2014 until today. The letter supplied by your Residence Don also does not address the reasons for the delay in your appeal. Furthermore, with the exception of FILM 110, your transcript shows a consistent record of strong grades. This record leads me to believe that you had the physical and cognitive ability to construct an appeal at some point prior to your second year of study and beyond.
If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to the Board of Studies, you must submit an appeal to the Board of Studies within 21 days of the date this decision was sent. Guidelines for appealing to the Board of Studies and the appeal form can be found at: http://www.queensu.ca/artsci/students-at-queens/academic-appeals (click on €œBoard of Studies€) Do not use the on-line application for this process. You may contact Mr. Harry Smith, Office of the Ombudsperson for advice on matters of procedure and on obtaining a representative. His office is located in room 421 Robert Sutherland Hall and he can be reached by phone (533-6495) or e-mail (ombuds@queensu.ca).
Sincerely,
Johanne Bénard, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
10083892Zou
Generated October 2, 2015 at 3:12:26 PM.