Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Number: 6148
Decision Date: October 9, 2019
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Lexy Santos
Student Email: 17acs2@queensu.ca

Course: GNDS 120
Term: Fall
Year: 2018
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: HLTH 270
Term: Fall
Year: 2018
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: PHIL 256
Term: Fall
Year: 2018
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline


Dear Lexy Santos:

I was sorry to have read in your appeal of the difficulties you report that you experienced during the start of Fall term 2018 and I have carefully considered your appeal to drop GNDS 120, HLTH 270 and PHIL 256 (F 2018). After reviewing your appeal fully, 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 extenuating 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 circumstances beyond his or her control. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond your control and debilitating to your overall academic performance.

I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision but unfortunately your documentation is insufficient. The circumstances you have outlined are not supported by your documentation as they do not substantiate the timeline and impact your circumstances had on your studies during Fall term 2018. If you are able to provide additional documentation, I would be happy to review that. Please submit any additional documentation within 21 days to asc.appeals@queensu.ca for my review.

In the future, I encourage you to carefully evaluate your progress in a course by week 7 of the term and if you are finding the material too difficult or have not kept up with the course work, you should drop the course by the week 8 drop deadline. The drop deadline is set at Week 8 to allow students plenty of time to assess their progress in a class and withdraw without any academic penalty if they feel that they cannot keep up with the demands or have the academic background needed to successfully complete it.

I am pleased to see that you will be working with Student Wellness Services this year and that you will consider registering with QSAS who can help support both your health and academics going forward.

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. You may contact the Office of the Ombudsman (www.queensu.ca/ombudsman) for advice on matters of procedure and on obtaining a representative.

Sincerely,


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

20074337Santos