Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Number: 4471
Decision Date: May 17, 2018
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Abdelrahman Mohamed
Student Email: 12am113@queensu.ca

Course: CHEM 397
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Igor Kozin

Course: CHEM 311
Term: Fall
Year: 2015
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: CHEM 321
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: CHEM 112B
Term: Summer
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: CHEM 312
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: CHEM 313
Term: Fall
Year: 2016
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: CHEM 323
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Avena Rosse

Course: STAT 263
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Charles Molson

Course: CHEM 321
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Richard Oleschuk

Course: CHEM 425
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Guojun Liu

Course: GPHY 101
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Anne Godwelska


Dear Mr. Mohamed:

I have carefully considered your appeal to drop CHEM 311 (F 2015), CHEM 321 (W 2016) and CHEM 313 (F 2016), receive Credit standing in CHEM 112 (S 2016), CHEM 312 (F 2016), CHEM 323 (W 2016), STAT 263 (W 2016), CHEM 321 (W 2017), CHEM 425 (W 2017) and GPHY 101 (W 2017) and receive an extension of your incomplete grade in CHEM 397 (FW 2015/16). After reviewing your file I have decided the following:

1. I will grant your request to drop CHEM 311, CHEM 321 and CHEM 313 late. Please note however that this is a lenient decision. While your appeal does present documented extenuating circumstances, these courses took place two years ago. Students are expected to address issues with their courses and grades in a more timely manner, not immediately before graduation.

2. I will grant your request for an extension in CHEM 397. The change of grade form has been received and will be processed now.

3. I will deny your request for Credit standing in CHEM 112, CHEM 312, CHEM 323, STAT 263, CHEM 321, CHEM 425 and GPHY 101. There is no evidence to show that your circumstances were the primary factor leading to your low grades in these courses. The documentation supplied confirms the timeline of your father€™s condition and your involvement in his care but it does not speak to the specific impact these circumstances had on your academic performance. In reviewing your transcript, your pattern of grades prior to October 2015 are relatively similar to your grades after October 2015 and your Chemistry grades in particular seem to fall in the C range overall. To warrant changing a final grade to CR, we need to see evidence of a substantially lower grade than the usual or expected academic performance and there must be a clear pattern in the drop of performance that coincides with the timing of the extenuating circumstances. Lastly, the appeal fails to explain why only these courses were affected by your circumstances and not the other courses for which you earned higher grades in during the same terms.

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)


10084675Mohamed2