Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 2479
Decision Date: August 2, 2016
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Sarina Shute
Student Email: 13sas23@queensu.ca
Dear Ms. Shute:
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.
To consider appeals outside these timelines can easily compromise fair decision making. The interested parties and the original contexts within which the matter originated may not be available. Over time, instructors, course content, the norms of evaluating course materials, and program structures may and generally do change. Furthermore, the supporting documents necessary to any appeal may no longer be available or their credibility may more easily come into question. Therefore, the inability to reconstruct accurately the circumstances leading to the original matter under appeal can compromise the decision-making process.
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.
It is clear from your appeal that you had a difficult transition to university and you certainly faced some difficult circumstances. Unfortunately however, without any documentation from a healthcare professional to confirm the timeline and severity of your personal challenges, I cannot waive the appeal deadline.
I commend you for your determination in moving forward with your studies, despite having to face such difficult circumstances. I also commend you for reaching out and seeking help and I hope that you take advantage of all the academic services available on campus to help you improve your skills and earn stronger grades.
Note that if you maintain an average grade of C+ on all of your courses moving forward to graduation (a lower grade on one course can be compensated by earning a higher grade on another course), you should meet the minimum GPA of 1.90 required to graduate with your Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Classics.
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,
Johanne Bénard, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
10138883Shute
Decision Date: August 2, 2016
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Sarina Shute
Student Email: 13sas23@queensu.ca
Dear Ms. Shute:
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.
To consider appeals outside these timelines can easily compromise fair decision making. The interested parties and the original contexts within which the matter originated may not be available. Over time, instructors, course content, the norms of evaluating course materials, and program structures may and generally do change. Furthermore, the supporting documents necessary to any appeal may no longer be available or their credibility may more easily come into question. Therefore, the inability to reconstruct accurately the circumstances leading to the original matter under appeal can compromise the decision-making process.
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.
It is clear from your appeal that you had a difficult transition to university and you certainly faced some difficult circumstances. Unfortunately however, without any documentation from a healthcare professional to confirm the timeline and severity of your personal challenges, I cannot waive the appeal deadline.
I commend you for your determination in moving forward with your studies, despite having to face such difficult circumstances. I also commend you for reaching out and seeking help and I hope that you take advantage of all the academic services available on campus to help you improve your skills and earn stronger grades.
Note that if you maintain an average grade of C+ on all of your courses moving forward to graduation (a lower grade on one course can be compensated by earning a higher grade on another course), you should meet the minimum GPA of 1.90 required to graduate with your Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Classics.
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,
Johanne Bénard, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
10138883Shute
Generated August 2, 2016 at 9:04:56 AM.