Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 2646
Decision Date: October 13, 2016
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Kimberly Beazer
Student Email: 1kjb@queensu.ca
Course: HIST 260
Term: Summer
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ASTR 101
Term: Summer
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Ms. Beazer:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop ASTR 101 and HIST 260 (S 2016) past the academic deadline. After reviewing your file I have decided to deny your request.
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.
Your appeal letter explains that you were unable to be successful in these courses because you did not have the proper pain medication for your chronic illness from June to August 2016 and you experienced ongoing difficulties with the Ontario Disability Support Program. Both ASTR 101 and HIST 260 ran from May to the end of July and the drop deadline was June 24 but there is no explanation provided as to why you were not able to drop these courses by the drop deadline. You have provided a doctor€™s note to confirm the issues with your wrist but there is no clear indication in the documentation as to how severe your condition was or the impact it had on your ability to complete these courses. There is no documentation supplied to confirm that your utilities were shut off during this time period. Unfortunately, without more conclusive documentation I cannot grant your request.
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)
02433998Beazer
Decision Date: October 13, 2016
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Kimberly Beazer
Student Email: 1kjb@queensu.ca
Course: HIST 260
Term: Summer
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ASTR 101
Term: Summer
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Ms. Beazer:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop ASTR 101 and HIST 260 (S 2016) past the academic deadline. After reviewing your file I have decided to deny your request.
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.
Your appeal letter explains that you were unable to be successful in these courses because you did not have the proper pain medication for your chronic illness from June to August 2016 and you experienced ongoing difficulties with the Ontario Disability Support Program. Both ASTR 101 and HIST 260 ran from May to the end of July and the drop deadline was June 24 but there is no explanation provided as to why you were not able to drop these courses by the drop deadline. You have provided a doctor€™s note to confirm the issues with your wrist but there is no clear indication in the documentation as to how severe your condition was or the impact it had on your ability to complete these courses. There is no documentation supplied to confirm that your utilities were shut off during this time period. Unfortunately, without more conclusive documentation I cannot grant your request.
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)
02433998Beazer
Generated October 13, 2016 at 1:37:10 PM.