Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 2169
Decision Date: May 12, 2016
Associate Dean: Sue Blake
Student Name: Michael Butt
Student Email: 14mb38@queensu.ca
Course: Math 126
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2015
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: Econ 222
Term: Fall
Year: 2015
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: Econ 222
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: Econ 212
Term: Fall
Year: 2015
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: Econ 212
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: Fren 118
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Mr. Butt:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop ECON 212, ECON 222 (F 2015), ECON 212, ECON 222, FREN 118 and MATH 126B (W 2016) past the academic deadline as well as receive Credit standing in ECON 239, ECON 250 (F 2015) and PHAR 100 (W 2016). After reviewing your file I have decided the following:
1. Based on the extenuating circumstances surrounding the death of your grandmother in late February, I will grant your request to drop ECON 212, ECON 222, FREN 118 and MATH 126B (W 2016) past the academic deadline. Your instructor for PHAR 100 confirmed that you completed 85 of the work required for the course which means that you are not eligible for Credit standing. However, you are eligible for Aegrotat standing, an estimated grade based on the work completed. I would therefore, be willing to change your grade in PHAR 100 to C with the notation €œAegrotat: Estimated Grade€. If you would like to accept this offer, please email asc.appeals@queensu.ca within 21 days of receiving this decision to confirm and we will make the appropriate changes to your transcript.
2. I will however, deny your request to drop ECON 212 and ECON 222 from the fall term and receive Credit standing in ECON 239 and ECON 250 (F 2015).
As you know, courses must be dropped on SOLUS within the published deadlines. The Academic Regulations (Appeal of Academic Decisions, IIIb) stress that exceptions to this will only be waived under exceptional circumstances. The integrity of Arts and Science transcripts in general would be greatly diminished if the Faculty were to effect changes to students€™ records without clear and compelling documentation indicating that the student€™s performance was significantly compromised by extenuating circumstances beyond his or her control.
The deadlines for dropping courses have been designed and established in order to provide sufficient time for students to determine their interest in the course material, to consider their ability to handle each course, and to evaluate their overall workload.
Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond your control and debilitating to your overall academic performance. Additionally, these kinds of extraordinary situations are normally supported by documentation from a professional. While I understand that you had a difficult transition to Queen€™s and you pursued a Degree Plan that you struggled greatly in, these are not the type of circumstances beyond your control that warrant waiving the academic regulations. As a second year student, you are expected to monitor your academic progress carefully throughout each term and drop any courses, as needed within the academic deadlines. Without any evidence of documented extenuating circumstances beyond your personal control that prevented you from meeting these drop deadlines in the fall term, I cannot reasonably grant your request. Furthermore, your grades in ECON 239 and ECON 250 are quite consistent with your academic performance in comparison to your grades from first year; therefore there is no evidence that changing these grades to CR is justified.
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 Ombudsman 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,
Sue Blake
Assistant Dean (Studies)
10163305Butt
Decision Date: May 12, 2016
Associate Dean: Sue Blake
Student Name: Michael Butt
Student Email: 14mb38@queensu.ca
Course: Math 126
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2015
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: Econ 222
Term: Fall
Year: 2015
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: Econ 222
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: Econ 212
Term: Fall
Year: 2015
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: Econ 212
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: Fren 118
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Mr. Butt:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop ECON 212, ECON 222 (F 2015), ECON 212, ECON 222, FREN 118 and MATH 126B (W 2016) past the academic deadline as well as receive Credit standing in ECON 239, ECON 250 (F 2015) and PHAR 100 (W 2016). After reviewing your file I have decided the following:
1. Based on the extenuating circumstances surrounding the death of your grandmother in late February, I will grant your request to drop ECON 212, ECON 222, FREN 118 and MATH 126B (W 2016) past the academic deadline. Your instructor for PHAR 100 confirmed that you completed 85 of the work required for the course which means that you are not eligible for Credit standing. However, you are eligible for Aegrotat standing, an estimated grade based on the work completed. I would therefore, be willing to change your grade in PHAR 100 to C with the notation €œAegrotat: Estimated Grade€. If you would like to accept this offer, please email asc.appeals@queensu.ca within 21 days of receiving this decision to confirm and we will make the appropriate changes to your transcript.
2. I will however, deny your request to drop ECON 212 and ECON 222 from the fall term and receive Credit standing in ECON 239 and ECON 250 (F 2015).
As you know, courses must be dropped on SOLUS within the published deadlines. The Academic Regulations (Appeal of Academic Decisions, IIIb) stress that exceptions to this will only be waived under exceptional circumstances. The integrity of Arts and Science transcripts in general would be greatly diminished if the Faculty were to effect changes to students€™ records without clear and compelling documentation indicating that the student€™s performance was significantly compromised by extenuating circumstances beyond his or her control.
The deadlines for dropping courses have been designed and established in order to provide sufficient time for students to determine their interest in the course material, to consider their ability to handle each course, and to evaluate their overall workload.
Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond your control and debilitating to your overall academic performance. Additionally, these kinds of extraordinary situations are normally supported by documentation from a professional. While I understand that you had a difficult transition to Queen€™s and you pursued a Degree Plan that you struggled greatly in, these are not the type of circumstances beyond your control that warrant waiving the academic regulations. As a second year student, you are expected to monitor your academic progress carefully throughout each term and drop any courses, as needed within the academic deadlines. Without any evidence of documented extenuating circumstances beyond your personal control that prevented you from meeting these drop deadlines in the fall term, I cannot reasonably grant your request. Furthermore, your grades in ECON 239 and ECON 250 are quite consistent with your academic performance in comparison to your grades from first year; therefore there is no evidence that changing these grades to CR is justified.
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 Ombudsman 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,
Sue Blake
Assistant Dean (Studies)
10163305Butt
Generated May 12, 2016 at 1:32:45 PM.