Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 3863
Decision Date: October 23, 2017
Associate Dean: Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Baiden McCallum
Student Email: baiden.mccallum@queensu.ca
Course: MATH 121
Term: Summer
Year: 2017
Category: Request aegrotat (AG) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Alan Ableson
Course: CISC 223
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: CISC 260
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Mr. McCallum:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop CISC 223 (W 2016) and CISC 260 (W 2017) past the academic deadline as well as receive Aegrotat standing in MATH 121 (S 2017). 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. While I understand that you have a chronic health issue, the appeal does not adequately explain why you were unable to drop these classes within the academic deadlines. The documentation supplied does not adequately confirm the timeline or severity of your symptoms or the specific impact your illness had on your ability to drop classes within the deadlines.
This is now your fifth appeal based on the same circumstances. You were cautioned in your last decision letter from September 2016 that it was your responsibility to monitor your progress carefully and drop classes within the drop deadlines. While I understand that you are continuing to struggle with managing your condition and I am sympathetic to this, the appeals system is not designed to compensate for extenuating circumstances for which the student is unable to effectively resolve or manage. Students with chronic health conditions are expected to manage their academics carefully, monitor their health and make proactive decisions about their classes and workloads. This may involve making difficult decisions such as taking time away from your studies to focus on recovery until you are well enough to successfully resume your studies. It is also your responsibility to register with Accessibility Services and work with your instructors to ensure that your academic accommodations are in place. If you feel that you are not progressing in your classes to your usual academic standard, you are responsible for dropping classes within the drop deadlines.
I will further note that you are in an excessively heavy course load for the current term. You must take responsibility for your academics by enrolling in a course load that you can realistically handle and drop courses within the drop deadlines. If you are not keeping up in these courses to your usual standard of performance, I would strongly urge you to drop accordingly. The last day to drop a fall term class is Friday, November 3 and the last day to drop a winter term class is Friday, March 2.
I would be happy to meet with you if you would like to discuss this decision further.
You are welcome to contact my assistant Katie at f2deans@queensu.ca to arrange a time that is convenient for you.
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,
Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
10109674McCallum6
Decision Date: October 23, 2017
Associate Dean: Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Baiden McCallum
Student Email: baiden.mccallum@queensu.ca
Course: MATH 121
Term: Summer
Year: 2017
Category: Request aegrotat (AG) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Alan Ableson
Course: CISC 223
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: CISC 260
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Mr. McCallum:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop CISC 223 (W 2016) and CISC 260 (W 2017) past the academic deadline as well as receive Aegrotat standing in MATH 121 (S 2017). 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. While I understand that you have a chronic health issue, the appeal does not adequately explain why you were unable to drop these classes within the academic deadlines. The documentation supplied does not adequately confirm the timeline or severity of your symptoms or the specific impact your illness had on your ability to drop classes within the deadlines.
This is now your fifth appeal based on the same circumstances. You were cautioned in your last decision letter from September 2016 that it was your responsibility to monitor your progress carefully and drop classes within the drop deadlines. While I understand that you are continuing to struggle with managing your condition and I am sympathetic to this, the appeals system is not designed to compensate for extenuating circumstances for which the student is unable to effectively resolve or manage. Students with chronic health conditions are expected to manage their academics carefully, monitor their health and make proactive decisions about their classes and workloads. This may involve making difficult decisions such as taking time away from your studies to focus on recovery until you are well enough to successfully resume your studies. It is also your responsibility to register with Accessibility Services and work with your instructors to ensure that your academic accommodations are in place. If you feel that you are not progressing in your classes to your usual academic standard, you are responsible for dropping classes within the drop deadlines.
I will further note that you are in an excessively heavy course load for the current term. You must take responsibility for your academics by enrolling in a course load that you can realistically handle and drop courses within the drop deadlines. If you are not keeping up in these courses to your usual standard of performance, I would strongly urge you to drop accordingly. The last day to drop a fall term class is Friday, November 3 and the last day to drop a winter term class is Friday, March 2.
I would be happy to meet with you if you would like to discuss this decision further.
You are welcome to contact my assistant Katie at f2deans@queensu.ca to arrange a time that is convenient for you.
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,
Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
10109674McCallum6
Generated October 23, 2017 at 9:22:39 AM.