Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Number: 5958
Decision Date: July 9, 2019
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Heather Wakutz
Student Email: 16hmw@queensu.ca

Course: REL 131
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2019
Category: Request aegrotat (AG) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Danielle LaGrone

Course: PSYC 236
Term: Winter
Year: 2019
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline


Dear Heather Wakutz:

I have reviewed your appeal to drop PSYC 236 (W 2019) after the drop date as well as change the grade you received in RELS 131 (FW 2018/19) to Aegrotat standing. After careful consideration of the documentation you submitted and the information supplied by the instructor about the circumstances surrounding this course, I have decided to grant your appeal.

The instructor of RELS 131 has submitted a replacement grade based on the work you have completed, which will appear on your transcript as a B+ along with the notation €œAegrotat: estimated grade€.

I have granted this appeal based on the severity of your extenuating circumstances but I need to warn you that the appeals process is not meant to be used to manage a chronic condition. Instead, I strongly suggest that you register with QSAS and work with an accommodation advisor who can help you manage both your health and your academics. I am pleased to see that you plan to carry a lighter course load in the coming year and encourage you to follow through with that plan, particularly as you learn to manage your condition.

Going forward, you should also pause and evaluate the impact of your health on your studies prior to week 8 of term. The week 8 drop deadlines, as they have been outlined in the €œImportant Dates€ section on the Arts and Science web page, have been established by the Faculty of Arts and Science to ensure a fair and equitable treatment of all students.

Note that any change in academic registration may impact government or private-firm student financial assistance eligibility and/or funding. Please consult with the Student Awards Office, Office of the University Registrar, Gordon Hall, to understand the potential implications of changes to course or program registration and/or the consequences of not successfully completing the required course load.

I wish you well as you manage your health in the future.

Yours sincerely,


Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)


20042696Wakutz

Cc: Professor D. LaGrone