Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 3174
Decision Date: May 15, 2017
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Aaron Kennedy
Student Email: 13alk7@queensu.ca
Course: KNPE 261
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dr. Michael Carter
Dear Mr. Kennedy:
I have carefully considered your appeal to receive Credit standing in KNPE 261 (F 2016). After reviewing your file I must unfortunately, 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 his or 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 healthcare professional.
Your appeal does not describe any circumstances that are extenuating in nature and there is no supporting documentation from a healthcare professional supplied. While I understand that you had a frustrating and difficult experience with KNPE 261, these issues do not constitute the type of circumstance that would warrant changing a grade to CR. Issues that arise as part of a course are typically handled at the discretion of the instructor and the Department or through a formal re-read.
While there were no grounds to grant an appeal for Credit standing, I did feel that it was appropriate to investigate your concerns to see if there were grounds for a formal re-read instead. As a part of my review, I consulted with the Chair of Undergraduate Studies, Anna van der Meulen, to collect information as well as the instructor, Dr. Carter, to confirm the circumstances presented in your appeal letter and to hear his responses to the points you raised. After reviewing all of the information supplied as part of your appeal and the information supplied by your instructor, I feel that the instructor€™s actions and responses were fair and equitable to all students in the class. I have also reviewed your transcript and taken into consideration the fact that you are a strong student and while I can see that this grade is lower than your usual academic performance, I am not ultimately convinced that this grade is the direct result of any mismanagement or unfair grading by the instructor.
If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to deny your request for Credit standing in KNPE 261 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 (note that decisions of the Associate Dean (Studies) concerning re-reads are final.) 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)
10143314Kennedy
Decision Date: May 15, 2017
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Aaron Kennedy
Student Email: 13alk7@queensu.ca
Course: KNPE 261
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dr. Michael Carter
Dear Mr. Kennedy:
I have carefully considered your appeal to receive Credit standing in KNPE 261 (F 2016). After reviewing your file I must unfortunately, 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 his or 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 healthcare professional.
Your appeal does not describe any circumstances that are extenuating in nature and there is no supporting documentation from a healthcare professional supplied. While I understand that you had a frustrating and difficult experience with KNPE 261, these issues do not constitute the type of circumstance that would warrant changing a grade to CR. Issues that arise as part of a course are typically handled at the discretion of the instructor and the Department or through a formal re-read.
While there were no grounds to grant an appeal for Credit standing, I did feel that it was appropriate to investigate your concerns to see if there were grounds for a formal re-read instead. As a part of my review, I consulted with the Chair of Undergraduate Studies, Anna van der Meulen, to collect information as well as the instructor, Dr. Carter, to confirm the circumstances presented in your appeal letter and to hear his responses to the points you raised. After reviewing all of the information supplied as part of your appeal and the information supplied by your instructor, I feel that the instructor€™s actions and responses were fair and equitable to all students in the class. I have also reviewed your transcript and taken into consideration the fact that you are a strong student and while I can see that this grade is lower than your usual academic performance, I am not ultimately convinced that this grade is the direct result of any mismanagement or unfair grading by the instructor.
If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to deny your request for Credit standing in KNPE 261 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 (note that decisions of the Associate Dean (Studies) concerning re-reads are final.) 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)
10143314Kennedy
Generated May 15, 2017 at 9:46:35 AM.