Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 5419
Decision Date: May 13, 2019
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Kayla Feltham
Student Email: 16knf@queensu.ca
Course: PHYS 117
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2018
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Anne Topper
Course: CHEM 112
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2018
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Michael Mombourquette
Course: MATH 121
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2018
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Alan Ableson
Dear Kayla Feltham:
I am sorry to have read that you encountered health related challenges during your first year at Queen€™s which no doubt impacted your studies to some degree. I have carefully considered your appeal to receive Credit standing in PHYS 117, CHEM 112 and MATH 121 (FW 2017-18) and I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, Academic Regulation 10.3.2. states that, Credit standing in a course is reserved for situations in which a student, who has completed and passed all of the work of the course including the final examination, but because of illness or other extenuating circumstances beyond their control, earned a substantially lower grade than might have been expected, normally a grade of C or lower.€ Credit standing is only granted in cases where there are well documented and unforeseen extenuating circumstances outside of a student€™s control. 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.
I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however, the problems related to the Physics 117 exam were reported after the final grade was posted and we have no record of an illness during that exam. Further, the documentation you provided does show that you are registered with QSAS, which I am happy to see, but does not confirm a specific challenge during the FW of 2017-18. Also, the letter from your doctor dated March 20, 2019 confirms an illness during Winter 2018 but does not explain the severity of your illness. And finally, the information we received from your instructors demonstrates that you struggled in each of these courses throughout the year and found exams and tests particularly challenging. There was not a significant change noted in your December exam in PHYS 117 in comparison to your April exam, which is when you report that you fell ill.
Going forward I would strongly suggest that you pause and evaluate the impact of your health on your studies prior to week 8 of the term and, if you have fallen behind in your courses or your performance in your courses has been impacted by your health, you should drop courses by the academic drop deadline date.
This is a difficult learning experience Kayla but one that will be valuable as you proceed with the pursuit of your university degree. The long term impact of lower grade should not weigh particularly heavy when, and if, you apply to a graduate program and certainly a student can repeat a course with a low grade. The higher grade would then be included in your GPA and the lower grade excluded from your GPA.
If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to the Board of Studies, information and deadlines can be found at www.queensu.ca/artsci/students-at-queens/academic-appeals (click on €œBoard of Studies€). Do not use the on-line application for this process. The Office of the Ombudsman can also assist students with advice about policies and procedures. You may contact the Ombudsman at ombuds@queensu.ca or by phone at 613-533-6495.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
20059001Feltham
Decision Date: May 13, 2019
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Kayla Feltham
Student Email: 16knf@queensu.ca
Course: PHYS 117
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2018
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Anne Topper
Course: CHEM 112
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2018
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Michael Mombourquette
Course: MATH 121
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2018
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Alan Ableson
Dear Kayla Feltham:
I am sorry to have read that you encountered health related challenges during your first year at Queen€™s which no doubt impacted your studies to some degree. I have carefully considered your appeal to receive Credit standing in PHYS 117, CHEM 112 and MATH 121 (FW 2017-18) and I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, Academic Regulation 10.3.2. states that, Credit standing in a course is reserved for situations in which a student, who has completed and passed all of the work of the course including the final examination, but because of illness or other extenuating circumstances beyond their control, earned a substantially lower grade than might have been expected, normally a grade of C or lower.€ Credit standing is only granted in cases where there are well documented and unforeseen extenuating circumstances outside of a student€™s control. 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.
I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however, the problems related to the Physics 117 exam were reported after the final grade was posted and we have no record of an illness during that exam. Further, the documentation you provided does show that you are registered with QSAS, which I am happy to see, but does not confirm a specific challenge during the FW of 2017-18. Also, the letter from your doctor dated March 20, 2019 confirms an illness during Winter 2018 but does not explain the severity of your illness. And finally, the information we received from your instructors demonstrates that you struggled in each of these courses throughout the year and found exams and tests particularly challenging. There was not a significant change noted in your December exam in PHYS 117 in comparison to your April exam, which is when you report that you fell ill.
Going forward I would strongly suggest that you pause and evaluate the impact of your health on your studies prior to week 8 of the term and, if you have fallen behind in your courses or your performance in your courses has been impacted by your health, you should drop courses by the academic drop deadline date.
This is a difficult learning experience Kayla but one that will be valuable as you proceed with the pursuit of your university degree. The long term impact of lower grade should not weigh particularly heavy when, and if, you apply to a graduate program and certainly a student can repeat a course with a low grade. The higher grade would then be included in your GPA and the lower grade excluded from your GPA.
If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to the Board of Studies, information and deadlines can be found at www.queensu.ca/artsci/students-at-queens/academic-appeals (click on €œBoard of Studies€). Do not use the on-line application for this process. The Office of the Ombudsman can also assist students with advice about policies and procedures. You may contact the Ombudsman at ombuds@queensu.ca or by phone at 613-533-6495.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
20059001Feltham
Generated May 13, 2019 at 8:30:51 AM.