Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Number: 2615
Decision Date: November 10, 2016
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Marlee Satok
Student Email: 13mds3@queensu.ca

Course: HIST 214
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Aditi Sen

Course: RELS 368
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Richard Ascough

Course: RELS 268
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Jason Kelly

Course: RELS 354
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Pamela Dickey Young

Course: RELS 224
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Christopher Byrne



Dear Ms. Satok:

I have carefully considered your appeal to receive extensions of your incomplete grades in HIST 214, RELS 224, RELS 268, RELS 354 and RELS 368 (W 2016). After reviewing your file I have decided the following:

I will grant your request for an extension to complete your outstanding work in RELS 268 and RELS 368 (W 2016). Your instructors in these courses support your appeal and are willing to accept the late work from you. Normally, extensions are granted for a maximum of one term but given that it is now mid-November, I am willing to grant an extension until April 12, 2017 to allow you a generous amount of time to submit all outstanding work for these courses.

However, while I am granting this request I would like to point out that you have been strongly cautioned on two previous occasions about registering in more courses than you can handle and not managing your academics in a responsible manner. While I understand and acknowledge that you have a chronic health condition, the appeals system is not designed to compensate for extenuating circumstances that are ongoing in nature for which the student is unable or unwilling to actively manage or resolve. Your appeal history shows a pattern of enrolling in courses and not completing them before enrolling in further courses. Despite being cautioned in your previous two appeal decisions about your heavy course load and being advised to drop courses within the academic deadlines if you are not able to participate in them and complete them, you have failed to follow through with the direction and advice offered. All students are expected to assess their ability to complete each course they are registered in before the drop deadlines each term and make proactive decisions based on their current health and other responsibilities as well as the extent of completion of each course. I am granting your request for extensions in these courses solely based on your instructor€™s support and I am allowing a generous amount of time for you to complete these courses in good faith that you will adhere to the conditions of this decision and meet the April 12, 2017 deadline. If you find that you are not able to keep up with the course load that you have registered in, I trust that you will drop courses, as needed, within the academic deadlines.

I must deny your request to receive an extension of your incomplete grades in HIST 214, RELS 224 and RELS 354. In each of these courses you have not completed the majority of the work required €“ you have not submitted any of the major essays or assignments to date according to your instructors. According to Appeal Regulation 3.3.5: To request an extension of the deadline to submit incomplete work or to complete a deferred examination in a class, €œSuch requests are considered if the student has participated actively in the class and only one or two elements of the class have not been completed due to extenuating circumstances beyond the student€™s control. Students with extenuating circumstances who have been unable to complete the majority of the work in a class should consider an appeal to drop a class after the deadline rather than an extension of the deadline to submit incomplete work.€

I would like to further note that your appeal did not contain any kind of academic plan detailing how and when you will complete the outstanding work for these courses along with the four courses that you are currently registered in for the fall term and the four courses you are registered in for the upcoming winter term. Given that your academic history shows a pattern of not being able to complete any more than two courses at a time from start to finish within the regular term, I am very concerned that allowing you to continue with this pattern without a detailed plan is causing stress and further contributing to your health issues.

I am also concerned that you may not be fully aware of your Degree Plan Requirements and what is needed to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Religious Studies. I understand that you plan to graduate this spring but it appears from your transcript that you do not have all of the courses required for this Degree Plan. I strongly urge you to schedule a meeting with Dr. Morrow, the Chair of Undergraduate Studies in the Religious Studies Department to review your degree requirements in detail and formulate an academic plan to successfully guide you through to completion of your degree and graduation.

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)



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