Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 2186
Submitted: May 10, 2016 at 1:14:30 PM
First Name: Madeline
Last Name: Stapleton
Student Number: 10181209
Email: 14mts1@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BSH
Plan: GEOL
Level of Study: 1
Appeal Category Detail: Appeal regarding final grade
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Johanne Bénard, Associate Dean (Studies),
I am making an appeal regarding my final grade in first year chemistry, CHEM 112. After numerous email exchanges with the course and lab coordinator, Dr. Michael Mombourquette, it has been brought to my attention that I failed the course by being 1.01 marks below the passing grade for one of the requirements for passing the entire course. Dr. Mombourquette even said that I had a passing average in the course. When I calculated my passing average for the course it was 56.
The course syllabus states that 42.5/85 in the lecture component is required to pass the course, not only just a passing grade overall. The lecture component was where I was 1.01 marks short of passing, I received 41.49/85. However, the marking scheme used was confusing. To get a value out of 85, the total values from the December and April exam were dived by 1.5 and 1.53 to get a value out of 30 from official exam totals of 45 and 46. The online mastering quiz total provided on Moodle was out of 181 and that was divided by 36.2 to get a value out of 5. The tutorials and quizzes were out of 10. Due to these divisions, rounding and the amount of decimal places used, errors could have been made during the calculations. These rounding errors as well as division could have made a difference of one mark.
There were also extenuating circumstances in my personal life throughout the year as well as the days right before the Chemistry 112 exam that impacted my academic performance. The chemistry exam was on April 11 while my Aunt¿¿s funeral was on April 9 with her internment the next day, April 10, in Vancouver B.C. I was very close to my Aunt Sharon, who was also my godmother, and she died March 13 after a yearlong battle with brain cancer. I am grateful that I was able to visit her over reading week when she was moved into palliative care, however, due to my exam schedule I was not able to attend the funeral. I was distraught that I was not able to be there to support my family as well as get to hear the stories and memories shared about her.
Due to these unfortunate and sad events I was distracted, and part of my mind and my thoughts were somewhere else. The weekend of my Aunt¿¿s funeral, my mind was directed towards the funeral, towards family rather than solely on chemistry and the upcoming exam. Even before the funeral and the exam there were times during the year, especially the day in March I found out my Aunt had died, that were difficult for me. It was hard to hear about what was happening miles away. I still went to class that day, and the following days, handing in and partaking in any tests, quizzes, tutorials, assignments and labs while trying to come to terms with what had happened, and how someone who was so much a part of my life, and with whom I was very close to was now gone.
During my next few years at Queen¿¿s University if anything like this happens again, especially around stressful academic times, I will talk to my professors and discuss options regarding tests, quizzes, assignments, tutorials and especially exams. I will approach them before hand to avoid a situation similar to this one. This course, CHEM 112 is a requirement for the Specialization in Geology which is the major I would like to study. I am not intending to take any upper year chemistry courses; this course is only needed to enter the program.
I am appealing my final mark in first year chemistry because of the fact that I ended the year 1.01 marks below passing the entire course. This is rather frustrating. The entire second term of this academic year has been very difficult for me due to the emotional strain of my aunt¿¿s rapid decline in health and eventual loss. I feel that if I had been able to focus more on one quiz or tutorial or while studying for the exam, instead of worrying, and thinking about family issues, I would have passed the lecture component of first year chemistry and been awarded the credit.
I appreciate the time taken to read my appeal letter.
Sincerely,
Madeline Stapleton 10181209
Obituary: Sharon Stapleton
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theprovince/obituary.aspxpid178108498
I am making an appeal regarding my final grade in first year chemistry, CHEM 112. After numerous email exchanges with the course and lab coordinator, Dr. Michael Mombourquette, it has been brought to my attention that I failed the course by being 1.01 marks below the passing grade for one of the requirements for passing the entire course. Dr. Mombourquette even said that I had a passing average in the course. When I calculated my passing average for the course it was 56.
The course syllabus states that 42.5/85 in the lecture component is required to pass the course, not only just a passing grade overall. The lecture component was where I was 1.01 marks short of passing, I received 41.49/85. However, the marking scheme used was confusing. To get a value out of 85, the total values from the December and April exam were dived by 1.5 and 1.53 to get a value out of 30 from official exam totals of 45 and 46. The online mastering quiz total provided on Moodle was out of 181 and that was divided by 36.2 to get a value out of 5. The tutorials and quizzes were out of 10. Due to these divisions, rounding and the amount of decimal places used, errors could have been made during the calculations. These rounding errors as well as division could have made a difference of one mark.
There were also extenuating circumstances in my personal life throughout the year as well as the days right before the Chemistry 112 exam that impacted my academic performance. The chemistry exam was on April 11 while my Aunt¿¿s funeral was on April 9 with her internment the next day, April 10, in Vancouver B.C. I was very close to my Aunt Sharon, who was also my godmother, and she died March 13 after a yearlong battle with brain cancer. I am grateful that I was able to visit her over reading week when she was moved into palliative care, however, due to my exam schedule I was not able to attend the funeral. I was distraught that I was not able to be there to support my family as well as get to hear the stories and memories shared about her.
Due to these unfortunate and sad events I was distracted, and part of my mind and my thoughts were somewhere else. The weekend of my Aunt¿¿s funeral, my mind was directed towards the funeral, towards family rather than solely on chemistry and the upcoming exam. Even before the funeral and the exam there were times during the year, especially the day in March I found out my Aunt had died, that were difficult for me. It was hard to hear about what was happening miles away. I still went to class that day, and the following days, handing in and partaking in any tests, quizzes, tutorials, assignments and labs while trying to come to terms with what had happened, and how someone who was so much a part of my life, and with whom I was very close to was now gone.
During my next few years at Queen¿¿s University if anything like this happens again, especially around stressful academic times, I will talk to my professors and discuss options regarding tests, quizzes, assignments, tutorials and especially exams. I will approach them before hand to avoid a situation similar to this one. This course, CHEM 112 is a requirement for the Specialization in Geology which is the major I would like to study. I am not intending to take any upper year chemistry courses; this course is only needed to enter the program.
I am appealing my final mark in first year chemistry because of the fact that I ended the year 1.01 marks below passing the entire course. This is rather frustrating. The entire second term of this academic year has been very difficult for me due to the emotional strain of my aunt¿¿s rapid decline in health and eventual loss. I feel that if I had been able to focus more on one quiz or tutorial or while studying for the exam, instead of worrying, and thinking about family issues, I would have passed the lecture component of first year chemistry and been awarded the credit.
I appreciate the time taken to read my appeal letter.
Sincerely,
Madeline Stapleton 10181209
Obituary: Sharon Stapleton
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theprovince/obituary.aspxpid178108498
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: During my next few years at Queen¿¿s University if anything like this happens again, especially around stressful academic times, I will talk to my professors and discuss options regarding tests, quizzes, assignments, tutorials and especially exams. I will approach them before hand to avoid a situation similar to this one.
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: No Doc
Document: Stapleton.Obituary.docx
Documentation Detail: Obituary