Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 4075
Decision Date: February 20, 2018
Associate Dean: Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Marshall Mackoff
Student Email: 0mrm@queensu.ca
Course: BIOL 321
Term: Summer
Year: 2017
Category: Request aegrotat (AG) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Laura Nagel
Course: CHEM 285
Term: Summer
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Mr. Mackoff:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop CHEM 285 (S 2017) past the academic deadline and receive Aegrotat standing in BIOL 321 (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.
Academic Regulation 10.3.1. states that, Aegrotat estimated standing in a course is reserved for situations in which a student, who has completed and passed at least 60 per cent of the work for a course, but because of illness or other extenuating circumstances beyond his or her control, is unable to complete all of the work of the course.€ You have not completed enough work and in particular not enough individual work in BIOL 321 to be eligible for Aegrotat standing. Professor Nagel confirmed that you have completed 55 per cent of the required course work (you did not complete the project worth 25 nor did you complete the last test worth 20 of the course grade). A minimum of 60 per cent of the course and demonstrated mastery of the learning outcomes must be completed to be eligible for Aegrotat standing.
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.
Your file indicates that you have successfully appealed courses three times in the past based on the same circumstances presented in your current appeal. I understand that you have been coping with depression and anxiety which at times has prevented you from focusing on your studies. Dr. Ross has captured your description of the impact this has had on your studies here at Queen€™s but does not indicate which time period she assessed you as being unable to function, only that it is a long standing disorder.
The appeals system is not designed as a substitute for the drop deadlines. Students with chronic health issues such as depression are expected to monitor their health on a regular basis and make academic decisions to drop within the deadlines accordingly based on their symptoms, workload and other personal responsibilities. You are also expected to register with Accessibility Services to ensure that you receive any required academic accommodations and consult with your Accessibility Advisor as needed to ensure that your accommodations are appropriate for your needs.
After 3 appeals resulting in 13 drops and several years of coping with depression and anxiety, you are expected to be working with an accessibility advisor to manage the impact of your illness on your academics. In 2014, Dr. Bénard cautions, €œI would like to note that the dropping of such a large number of courses so long after the fact is an extraordinary action. The difficulties you have faced are well documented and it is my hope that these challenges are now being managed in such a way that extraordinary measures will not again be needed. I urge you to continue to work with personal and academic counsellors and to seek advice at the first sign of academic difficulty. Appointments with an Academic Counsellor can be made by calling the Faculty office at 613-533-2470.€ While I empathize with your struggles, I cannot emphasize enough that the appeal process is not the appropriate remedy for dealing with low grades after the fact.
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)
06331074Mackoff4
Decision Date: February 20, 2018
Associate Dean: Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Marshall Mackoff
Student Email: 0mrm@queensu.ca
Course: BIOL 321
Term: Summer
Year: 2017
Category: Request aegrotat (AG) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Laura Nagel
Course: CHEM 285
Term: Summer
Year: 2017
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Mr. Mackoff:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop CHEM 285 (S 2017) past the academic deadline and receive Aegrotat standing in BIOL 321 (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.
Academic Regulation 10.3.1. states that, Aegrotat estimated standing in a course is reserved for situations in which a student, who has completed and passed at least 60 per cent of the work for a course, but because of illness or other extenuating circumstances beyond his or her control, is unable to complete all of the work of the course.€ You have not completed enough work and in particular not enough individual work in BIOL 321 to be eligible for Aegrotat standing. Professor Nagel confirmed that you have completed 55 per cent of the required course work (you did not complete the project worth 25 nor did you complete the last test worth 20 of the course grade). A minimum of 60 per cent of the course and demonstrated mastery of the learning outcomes must be completed to be eligible for Aegrotat standing.
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.
Your file indicates that you have successfully appealed courses three times in the past based on the same circumstances presented in your current appeal. I understand that you have been coping with depression and anxiety which at times has prevented you from focusing on your studies. Dr. Ross has captured your description of the impact this has had on your studies here at Queen€™s but does not indicate which time period she assessed you as being unable to function, only that it is a long standing disorder.
The appeals system is not designed as a substitute for the drop deadlines. Students with chronic health issues such as depression are expected to monitor their health on a regular basis and make academic decisions to drop within the deadlines accordingly based on their symptoms, workload and other personal responsibilities. You are also expected to register with Accessibility Services to ensure that you receive any required academic accommodations and consult with your Accessibility Advisor as needed to ensure that your accommodations are appropriate for your needs.
After 3 appeals resulting in 13 drops and several years of coping with depression and anxiety, you are expected to be working with an accessibility advisor to manage the impact of your illness on your academics. In 2014, Dr. Bénard cautions, €œI would like to note that the dropping of such a large number of courses so long after the fact is an extraordinary action. The difficulties you have faced are well documented and it is my hope that these challenges are now being managed in such a way that extraordinary measures will not again be needed. I urge you to continue to work with personal and academic counsellors and to seek advice at the first sign of academic difficulty. Appointments with an Academic Counsellor can be made by calling the Faculty office at 613-533-2470.€ While I empathize with your struggles, I cannot emphasize enough that the appeal process is not the appropriate remedy for dealing with low grades after the fact.
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)
06331074Mackoff4
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