Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 6138
Decision Date: October 22, 2019
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Cameron Muirhead
Student Email: cammuirhead97@gmail.com
Course: MATH 126
Term: Winter
Year: 2019
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Anup Dixit
Dear Cameron Muirhead:
I have carefully considered your appeal to extend the Incomplete grades in MATH 126 (FW 2018/19). After reviewing your file I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, Appeal Regulation 3.3.5 notes that Incomplete grades are approved by instructors with outstanding work deadlines extended for a period of one full term after the completion of a class. If this timeline is not met, any further request to submit incomplete work or to write a final examination after that term has elapsed must be made through a formal appeal. A medical certificate or other documentation outlining how the personal extenuating circumstances prevented the student from completing the outstanding work by the end of that next term must be provided. A note from the instructor agreeing to a further extension is also required.
The circumstances you outline in your letter were, I€™m sure difficult to manage, but the documentation you have submitted is dated October 27, 2017 and is not relevant to the 2018/19 academic year nor is it relevant to the summer of 2019. Unfortunately you have not submitted documentation that addresses the timeline, level of severity and impact your circumstances had on your inability to complete this course and therefore to grant you an extension of your Incomplete grade.
I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however you were given two opportunities to make-up for the final exam in MATH 126 €“ once at the end of April and the other in September so continuing to extend course timelines, without proper documentation, would not be fair to other students.
Please be advised that if a student repeats a course, the low grade will be excluded from their cumulative GPA and the higher grade will be included. This may be a good strategy for you to consider if you are concerned about the impact these grades will have on your GPA.
Let me reiterate the advice you received in your appeal decision letter dated June 4, 2019 where you were encouraged 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.
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)
10198045Muirhead1
Cc: Professor A. Dexit
Decision Date: October 22, 2019
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Cameron Muirhead
Student Email: cammuirhead97@gmail.com
Course: MATH 126
Term: Winter
Year: 2019
Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor: Anup Dixit
Dear Cameron Muirhead:
I have carefully considered your appeal to extend the Incomplete grades in MATH 126 (FW 2018/19). After reviewing your file I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, Appeal Regulation 3.3.5 notes that Incomplete grades are approved by instructors with outstanding work deadlines extended for a period of one full term after the completion of a class. If this timeline is not met, any further request to submit incomplete work or to write a final examination after that term has elapsed must be made through a formal appeal. A medical certificate or other documentation outlining how the personal extenuating circumstances prevented the student from completing the outstanding work by the end of that next term must be provided. A note from the instructor agreeing to a further extension is also required.
The circumstances you outline in your letter were, I€™m sure difficult to manage, but the documentation you have submitted is dated October 27, 2017 and is not relevant to the 2018/19 academic year nor is it relevant to the summer of 2019. Unfortunately you have not submitted documentation that addresses the timeline, level of severity and impact your circumstances had on your inability to complete this course and therefore to grant you an extension of your Incomplete grade.
I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however you were given two opportunities to make-up for the final exam in MATH 126 €“ once at the end of April and the other in September so continuing to extend course timelines, without proper documentation, would not be fair to other students.
Please be advised that if a student repeats a course, the low grade will be excluded from their cumulative GPA and the higher grade will be included. This may be a good strategy for you to consider if you are concerned about the impact these grades will have on your GPA.
Let me reiterate the advice you received in your appeal decision letter dated June 4, 2019 where you were encouraged 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.
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)
10198045Muirhead1
Cc: Professor A. Dexit
Generated October 22, 2019 at 8:39:56 AM.