Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 12759
Submitted: February 3, 2025 at 4:13:57 PM
First Name: Jason
Last Name: Crooks
Pronoun: he/him
Student Number: 20346046
Email: 21jc159@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: GEOL
Level of Study: 3
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Add a course after the academic deadline
Code: ANAT 100
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Petition Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor's Name: Leslie MacKenzie
Section/Class Number: 6247
Province / Region: Other
Exam Centre: Online Proctor
Level 1 Status
Status: DeniedLevel 2
Appeal Type: Level 2
ID: 306
Submitted: February 6, 2025 at 11:17:05 AM
Relevant Petition: 12759
Decision(s) Being Appealed: Add a course after the academic deadline: ANAT 100, Winter 2025 (Leslie MacKenzie)
Appeal Grounds
Appeals to the Board of Studies must include a letter based on one or more of the Grounds for Appeal (Appeal Regulation 3.4). What are the grounds you are basing your appeal on?
- The Associate Dean's decision did not follow the rules of procedural fairness. A breach of procedural fairness includes such things as the Associate Dean failed to:
- Follow the university rules and regulations in a way that supported your right to a fair process.
- Make a reasonable decision in your appeal. A “reasonable” decision is one that is based on evidence, thought out and supported by facts and logical inferences from the facts. To be reasonable, the decision must contain adequate reasons for the conclusions.
- The Associate Dean's decision acted without, or exceeded their, authority.
Appeal Grounds Details: The Associate Dean's decision did not follow the rules of procedural fairness, specifically:
Failure to make a reasonable decision:
The decision does not fully consider the evidence and circumstances surrounding my delayed course registration. I provided a legitimate explanation, including financial and academic probation barriers, as well as academic advising that influenced my enrollment decisions. Despite these documented challenges, my petition was denied without full consideration of these mitigating factors.
Failure to follow university rules and regulations in a way that supported your right to a fair process:
I followed the guidance of academic advisors throughout the process and made efforts to enroll as soon as feasible. If the university provides academic advising, and I followed their advice in good faith, then denying my petition based on that advice is unfair.
The Associate Dean's decision acted without, or exceeded, their authority:
The instructor of ANAT 100 explicitly approved my late enrollment, which indicates that the course faculty—the individuals responsible for course administration and grading—are willing to accept me. The Associate Dean’s decision contradicts this without clear justification, despite the instructor’s support. I understand that there is strict policy preventing late enrollment under such circumstances, the Associate Dean may have exceeded their authority by making a decision that overrules the instructor’s discretion.
Failure to make a reasonable decision:
The decision does not fully consider the evidence and circumstances surrounding my delayed course registration. I provided a legitimate explanation, including financial and academic probation barriers, as well as academic advising that influenced my enrollment decisions. Despite these documented challenges, my petition was denied without full consideration of these mitigating factors.
Failure to follow university rules and regulations in a way that supported your right to a fair process:
I followed the guidance of academic advisors throughout the process and made efforts to enroll as soon as feasible. If the university provides academic advising, and I followed their advice in good faith, then denying my petition based on that advice is unfair.
The Associate Dean's decision acted without, or exceeded, their authority:
The instructor of ANAT 100 explicitly approved my late enrollment, which indicates that the course faculty—the individuals responsible for course administration and grading—are willing to accept me. The Associate Dean’s decision contradicts this without clear justification, despite the instructor’s support. I understand that there is strict policy preventing late enrollment under such circumstances, the Associate Dean may have exceeded their authority by making a decision that overrules the instructor’s discretion.
Appeal Letter
Appeal Letter: I appreciate the time and consideration you have given to my petition. However, I would like to provide further clarification regarding my circumstances, as I believe some critical details may not have been fully considered in the decision.
My delay in enrolling in winter courses was not due to negligence but rather a combination of academic and financial barriers beyond my control. At the start of the academic year, I was on academic probation and classified as a part-time student, which prevented me from registering for courses as a full-time student. This is an issue because my parents receive benefits which allow them to pay for my school, if I am a full-time student. As a result, my parents were unable to secure sufficient funding for my tuition during the first half of the year, further delaying my ability to enroll in courses.
Additionally, I sought guidance from an academic advisor, who instructed me to wait until my GPA improved after the fall semester before attempting to enroll in the courses I needed. Given my GPA at the time, I was unable to retake some of my failed courses as I did not meet the requirements. This was another reason I did not immediately register for winter courses—on the advice of an academic advisor, I was trying to ensure I could take courses that would best support my academic progress.
While it may appear that I waited until the last minute to submit this petition, that is not the case. I have been actively seeking solutions throughout the year, consulting with academic advisors, and trying to navigate the restrictions placed on me due to my probationary status. My petition would have been submitted as early as Week 3 had I not been waiting for approval for another course, as advised.
I fully understand the concerns regarding late enrollment, but I have been in communication with the ANAT 100 instructor for an extended period, and he has expressed full confidence in my ability to succeed in the course. While an instructor is not required to accommodate late-enrolled students, only one assignment and a scavenger hunt has been graded so far. I have already been keeping up with the course material because I have only been in one class. So I have been treating ANAT 100 like a second one.
At this point, ANAT 100 is my only remaining option, and I am deeply concerned about my ability to continue at Queen’s if I am not allowed to enroll. I have worked hard to reach this point, and I sincerely hope the university will support my efforts to move forward academically. I was placed on academic probation, and now it feels as though every step I take to recover is met with another barrier. My initial petition was withdrawn because I was required to obtain additional approval from the instructor, which I did. After securing the instructor’s approval again yesterday, my petition was then denied by the Associate Dean. I am now appealing with the full support of academic advisors, the course instructor, and myself—yet the university continues to deny me this opportunity.
I respectfully request that my petition be reconsidered in light of this additional context. I am fully committed to succeeding in this course, and I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to demonstrate that commitment.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I truly appreciate any support you can provide.
My delay in enrolling in winter courses was not due to negligence but rather a combination of academic and financial barriers beyond my control. At the start of the academic year, I was on academic probation and classified as a part-time student, which prevented me from registering for courses as a full-time student. This is an issue because my parents receive benefits which allow them to pay for my school, if I am a full-time student. As a result, my parents were unable to secure sufficient funding for my tuition during the first half of the year, further delaying my ability to enroll in courses.
Additionally, I sought guidance from an academic advisor, who instructed me to wait until my GPA improved after the fall semester before attempting to enroll in the courses I needed. Given my GPA at the time, I was unable to retake some of my failed courses as I did not meet the requirements. This was another reason I did not immediately register for winter courses—on the advice of an academic advisor, I was trying to ensure I could take courses that would best support my academic progress.
While it may appear that I waited until the last minute to submit this petition, that is not the case. I have been actively seeking solutions throughout the year, consulting with academic advisors, and trying to navigate the restrictions placed on me due to my probationary status. My petition would have been submitted as early as Week 3 had I not been waiting for approval for another course, as advised.
I fully understand the concerns regarding late enrollment, but I have been in communication with the ANAT 100 instructor for an extended period, and he has expressed full confidence in my ability to succeed in the course. While an instructor is not required to accommodate late-enrolled students, only one assignment and a scavenger hunt has been graded so far. I have already been keeping up with the course material because I have only been in one class. So I have been treating ANAT 100 like a second one.
At this point, ANAT 100 is my only remaining option, and I am deeply concerned about my ability to continue at Queen’s if I am not allowed to enroll. I have worked hard to reach this point, and I sincerely hope the university will support my efforts to move forward academically. I was placed on academic probation, and now it feels as though every step I take to recover is met with another barrier. My initial petition was withdrawn because I was required to obtain additional approval from the instructor, which I did. After securing the instructor’s approval again yesterday, my petition was then denied by the Associate Dean. I am now appealing with the full support of academic advisors, the course instructor, and myself—yet the university continues to deny me this opportunity.
I respectfully request that my petition be reconsidered in light of this additional context. I am fully committed to succeeding in this course, and I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to demonstrate that commitment.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I truly appreciate any support you can provide.
Documentation
I plan to submit additional documentation at a later date: I am not sure what would help, documentation-wise at this point. Please let me know if there is any documentation you would like me to get and I will submit it back to you as soon as possible.