Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 4020
Decision Date: January 8, 2018
Associate Dean: Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Paula Mapplebeck
Student Email: 16pjm2@queensu.ca
Course: PHIL 259 -
Term: Fall
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Ms. Mapplebeck:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop PHIL 259 (F 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.
I understand that your position with the Region of Peel is quite demanding and must ultimately take priority over your academic responsibilities. However, from your contract supplied it appears that you began this position on June 5, 2017. PHIL 259 was a fall term course and started in early September with a drop deadline of November 3. Had you started this position well into the fall term and discovered that the workload was too heavy too balance, I would be willing to allow a late course drop in this case. However, given that you had five months in your position to assess its demand on your time and energy as well as a full 8 weeks to assess your progress in PHIL 259 and make a decision whether or not to drop the course, I cannot justify waiving the academic regulations. All students are expected to make academic decisions within the deadlines and in the absence of any unforeseen circumstances that affected your ability to make these decisions within the deadlines, I cannot allow a late course drop.
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)
20041283Mapplebeck
Decision Date: January 8, 2018
Associate Dean: Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Paula Mapplebeck
Student Email: 16pjm2@queensu.ca
Course: PHIL 259 -
Term: Fall
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Ms. Mapplebeck:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop PHIL 259 (F 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.
I understand that your position with the Region of Peel is quite demanding and must ultimately take priority over your academic responsibilities. However, from your contract supplied it appears that you began this position on June 5, 2017. PHIL 259 was a fall term course and started in early September with a drop deadline of November 3. Had you started this position well into the fall term and discovered that the workload was too heavy too balance, I would be willing to allow a late course drop in this case. However, given that you had five months in your position to assess its demand on your time and energy as well as a full 8 weeks to assess your progress in PHIL 259 and make a decision whether or not to drop the course, I cannot justify waiving the academic regulations. All students are expected to make academic decisions within the deadlines and in the absence of any unforeseen circumstances that affected your ability to make these decisions within the deadlines, I cannot allow a late course drop.
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)
20041283Mapplebeck
Generated January 8, 2018 at 9:04:26 AM.