Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 4017
Decision Date: January 8, 2018
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Michael Borinsky
Student Email: 15mb108@queensu.ca
Course: BISC 100
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: MATH 121A
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: MUSC 102
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: POLS110A
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ARTH 117
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: BISC 101
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: MATH 121B
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: POLS 110B
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ECON 112
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Mr. Borinsky:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop BISC 100, MUSC 102 (F 2016), MATH 121, POLS 110 (FW 2016/17), ARTH 117, BISC 101 and ECON 112 (W 2017) past the academic deadline. 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.
The problems you describe with your wisdom teeth occurred prior to arriving at the BISC in early September. While I understand that the pain persisted into October, there is no supporting documentation supplied to confirm the timeline or severity of this, nor is there any confirmation of the impact it had on your ability to seek academic help and/or drop classes within the drop deadlines. You had until the end of Week 8 of the fall term to drop BISC 100 and MUSC 102 and until the end of Week 8 of the winter term to drop MATH 121, POLS 110, ARTH 117, BISC 101 and ECON 112 yet there is no specific explanation supplied as to why you were not able to drop any classes by these deadlines.
In regards to your grandmother€™s diagnosis and illness, I understand that you were made aware of her condition just prior to leaving for the BISC as well. I can certainly understand that this news would have a significant impact on you and quite potentially on your ability to concentrate on your studies. However, this was not an unforeseen circumstance that occurred late in the term, but rather a circumstance that you dealt with over the course of the entire year. In cases like these, students are expected to seek academic accommodations through their instructors and seek additional help as needed from other appropriate resources on campus (such as counselling services, academic support services, health services, etc.). Students are also expected to gauge their ability to continue participating in their classes and if their circumstances continue to interfere with their ability to successfully complete their coursework, they are expected to drop classes as needed within the drop deadlines. Your instructors and academic support staff at the BISC reported that several attempts were made to reach out to you to offer academic help and support. You were sent regular reminders to hand in your work but it appears that you failed to communicate or follow up with offers of assistance. Without any sufficient supporting documentation to confirm your inability to follow through on these responsibilities, I cannot reasonably waive the academic regulations.
I will lastly note that you received a passing grade in BISC 100, MUSC 102 and ARTH 117; therefore you are not permitted to drop these courses past the academic deadlines.
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)
20019711Borinsky2
Decision Date: January 8, 2018
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Michael Borinsky
Student Email: 15mb108@queensu.ca
Course: BISC 100
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: MATH 121A
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: MUSC 102
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: POLS110A
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ARTH 117
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: BISC 101
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: MATH 121B
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: POLS 110B
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: ECON 112
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Mr. Borinsky:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop BISC 100, MUSC 102 (F 2016), MATH 121, POLS 110 (FW 2016/17), ARTH 117, BISC 101 and ECON 112 (W 2017) past the academic deadline. 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.
The problems you describe with your wisdom teeth occurred prior to arriving at the BISC in early September. While I understand that the pain persisted into October, there is no supporting documentation supplied to confirm the timeline or severity of this, nor is there any confirmation of the impact it had on your ability to seek academic help and/or drop classes within the drop deadlines. You had until the end of Week 8 of the fall term to drop BISC 100 and MUSC 102 and until the end of Week 8 of the winter term to drop MATH 121, POLS 110, ARTH 117, BISC 101 and ECON 112 yet there is no specific explanation supplied as to why you were not able to drop any classes by these deadlines.
In regards to your grandmother€™s diagnosis and illness, I understand that you were made aware of her condition just prior to leaving for the BISC as well. I can certainly understand that this news would have a significant impact on you and quite potentially on your ability to concentrate on your studies. However, this was not an unforeseen circumstance that occurred late in the term, but rather a circumstance that you dealt with over the course of the entire year. In cases like these, students are expected to seek academic accommodations through their instructors and seek additional help as needed from other appropriate resources on campus (such as counselling services, academic support services, health services, etc.). Students are also expected to gauge their ability to continue participating in their classes and if their circumstances continue to interfere with their ability to successfully complete their coursework, they are expected to drop classes as needed within the drop deadlines. Your instructors and academic support staff at the BISC reported that several attempts were made to reach out to you to offer academic help and support. You were sent regular reminders to hand in your work but it appears that you failed to communicate or follow up with offers of assistance. Without any sufficient supporting documentation to confirm your inability to follow through on these responsibilities, I cannot reasonably waive the academic regulations.
I will lastly note that you received a passing grade in BISC 100, MUSC 102 and ARTH 117; therefore you are not permitted to drop these courses past the academic deadlines.
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)
20019711Borinsky2
Generated January 8, 2018 at 9:00:58 AM.