Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 3890
Decision Date: October 23, 2017
Associate Dean: Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Cleodie Collison
Student Email: 15cc17@queensu.ca
Course: PSYC 241
Term: Fall
Year: 2017
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Tara MacDonald
Dear Ms. Collison:
I have carefully considered your appeal to add PSYC 241 (F 2017) after the academic deadline. After reviewing your file, I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, courses must be added 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 ability to add a course within the deadline was significantly compromised by extenuating circumstances beyond his or her control.
The deadlines for adding courses have been designed and established in order to provide sufficient time for students to obtain the relevant permission, determine their interest in the course material, to consider their ability to handle each course, and to evaluate their overall workload. In the absence of extenuating circumstances, beyond your control, which would have prevented you from meeting the add deadline as published in the Arts and Science Calendar, I can not reasonably waive the Faculty Regulation.
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 you have the instructor€™s support and you have been participating in the class, your appeal does not present any extenuating circumstances which prevented you from adding this course by the deadline, nor does it supply any sufficient supporting documentation. Your letter admits to not taking enough responsibility for checking deadlines and while I appreciate your honesty, appeals are not intended to remedy such situations. I will also note that you are currently on academic probation and adding a fifth course to your schedule at Week 6 of the 12 week term is a very risky action. It is imperative that you raise your GPA this year and to do this, you must have time to properly assess your academic progress and make the decision whether to continue or drop a course by the drop deadline (at the end of Week 8.) Adding a class this late into the term doesn€™t allow you this time you need to make good decisions.
Lastly, PSYC 241 is being offered online over the winter term as well. The class is currently full and we do not run waitlists for online classes but I would recommend that you check SOLUS periodically over the fall term to see if space becomes available. If a space opens up, you may register for this class on SOLUS.
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)
cc: Professor T. MacDonald
10198085Collison
Decision Date: October 23, 2017
Associate Dean: Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Cleodie Collison
Student Email: 15cc17@queensu.ca
Course: PSYC 241
Term: Fall
Year: 2017
Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Tara MacDonald
Dear Ms. Collison:
I have carefully considered your appeal to add PSYC 241 (F 2017) after the academic deadline. After reviewing your file, I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, courses must be added 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 ability to add a course within the deadline was significantly compromised by extenuating circumstances beyond his or her control.
The deadlines for adding courses have been designed and established in order to provide sufficient time for students to obtain the relevant permission, determine their interest in the course material, to consider their ability to handle each course, and to evaluate their overall workload. In the absence of extenuating circumstances, beyond your control, which would have prevented you from meeting the add deadline as published in the Arts and Science Calendar, I can not reasonably waive the Faculty Regulation.
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 you have the instructor€™s support and you have been participating in the class, your appeal does not present any extenuating circumstances which prevented you from adding this course by the deadline, nor does it supply any sufficient supporting documentation. Your letter admits to not taking enough responsibility for checking deadlines and while I appreciate your honesty, appeals are not intended to remedy such situations. I will also note that you are currently on academic probation and adding a fifth course to your schedule at Week 6 of the 12 week term is a very risky action. It is imperative that you raise your GPA this year and to do this, you must have time to properly assess your academic progress and make the decision whether to continue or drop a course by the drop deadline (at the end of Week 8.) Adding a class this late into the term doesn€™t allow you this time you need to make good decisions.
Lastly, PSYC 241 is being offered online over the winter term as well. The class is currently full and we do not run waitlists for online classes but I would recommend that you check SOLUS periodically over the fall term to see if space becomes available. If a space opens up, you may register for this class on SOLUS.
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)
cc: Professor T. MacDonald
10198085Collison
Generated October 23, 2017 at 9:29:36 AM.