Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 3049
Decision Date: February 23, 2017
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Salessa King
Student Email: 16sck@queensu.ca
Course: SPAN 111
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Monica Chamberlain
Dear Ms. King:
I have carefully considered your appeal to receive Credit standing in SPAN 111 (F 2016). After reviewing your file I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, Academic Regulation 10.2.2. states that, Credit standing in a course is reserved for situations in which a student, who has completed and passed all of the work of the course including the final examination, but because of illness or other extenuating circumstances beyond their control, earned a substantially lower grade than might have been expected, normally a grade of C or lower€. The Calendar goes on to stress that Credit standing will only be granted 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 her control.
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 your appeal does describe some circumstances that certainly sound extenuating in nature, it fails to include any adequate supporting documentation. A letter from a healthcare professional to confirm the timeline and severity of the circumstances as well as the impact to which they affected your studies is needed in this case. The appeal also fails to explain why this course only was affected by your circumstances and not the other courses you were registered in during the same time period. Your other final and midyear grades from the fall term appear to be quite strong. Lastly, there is no explanation offered in your letter as to why you did not request any academic accommodation from your instructor or drop this course by the November 4 deadline. While I do sympathize with the difficult situation you faced over the fall term, without adequate documentation and information to address these points, 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)
20026646King
Decision Date: February 23, 2017
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Salessa King
Student Email: 16sck@queensu.ca
Course: SPAN 111
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Monica Chamberlain
Dear Ms. King:
I have carefully considered your appeal to receive Credit standing in SPAN 111 (F 2016). After reviewing your file I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, Academic Regulation 10.2.2. states that, Credit standing in a course is reserved for situations in which a student, who has completed and passed all of the work of the course including the final examination, but because of illness or other extenuating circumstances beyond their control, earned a substantially lower grade than might have been expected, normally a grade of C or lower€. The Calendar goes on to stress that Credit standing will only be granted 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 her control.
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 your appeal does describe some circumstances that certainly sound extenuating in nature, it fails to include any adequate supporting documentation. A letter from a healthcare professional to confirm the timeline and severity of the circumstances as well as the impact to which they affected your studies is needed in this case. The appeal also fails to explain why this course only was affected by your circumstances and not the other courses you were registered in during the same time period. Your other final and midyear grades from the fall term appear to be quite strong. Lastly, there is no explanation offered in your letter as to why you did not request any academic accommodation from your instructor or drop this course by the November 4 deadline. While I do sympathize with the difficult situation you faced over the fall term, without adequate documentation and information to address these points, 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)
20026646King
Generated February 23, 2017 at 10:07:05 AM.