Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 8040
Decision Date: September 7, 2021
Associate Dean: Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Aolin Zhou
Student Email: a13570049668@gmail.com
Dear Aolin Zhou:
I have read with interest your appeal to drop PSYC 100 (S 2021), taking note of the challenges you outlined. 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, however without documentation to support the actual circumstances you outline and how they impacted your studies, I am unable to grant this appeal. Additionally, it is not clear why you did not drop the course after arriving in China.
In the future, I encourage you to carefully evaluate your progress in a course by the drop deadline 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 drop deadline.
Aolin, let me remind you that if a student repeats a course, the lower grade is excluded from their GPA and the higher grade is include. I also encourage you to reach out to Student Academic Success Services (SASS) or perhaps even Student Wellness Services as these services may be able to assist you by providing some tips and support as you attempt to manage challenges that may arise.
Another tool to manage your academics in addition to dropping a course by the drop date deadline is our Academic Consideration service. A student can request short term consideration if they need more time to complete an assignment or had to miss a class due to extenuating circumstances. Here is the link for information about that process:
https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/undergrad-students/academic-consideration-for-students
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 ??Board of Studies?). You may contact the Office of the University Ombudsperson for information about student rights and responsibilities as well as guidance on policy and procedure (www.queensu.ca/ombuds).
Sincerely,
Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
20058020Zhou
Decision Date: September 7, 2021
Associate Dean: Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Aolin Zhou
Student Email: a13570049668@gmail.com
Dear Aolin Zhou:
I have read with interest your appeal to drop PSYC 100 (S 2021), taking note of the challenges you outlined. 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, however without documentation to support the actual circumstances you outline and how they impacted your studies, I am unable to grant this appeal. Additionally, it is not clear why you did not drop the course after arriving in China.
In the future, I encourage you to carefully evaluate your progress in a course by the drop deadline 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 drop deadline.
Aolin, let me remind you that if a student repeats a course, the lower grade is excluded from their GPA and the higher grade is include. I also encourage you to reach out to Student Academic Success Services (SASS) or perhaps even Student Wellness Services as these services may be able to assist you by providing some tips and support as you attempt to manage challenges that may arise.
Another tool to manage your academics in addition to dropping a course by the drop date deadline is our Academic Consideration service. A student can request short term consideration if they need more time to complete an assignment or had to miss a class due to extenuating circumstances. Here is the link for information about that process:
https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/undergrad-students/academic-consideration-for-students
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 ??Board of Studies?). You may contact the Office of the University Ombudsperson for information about student rights and responsibilities as well as guidance on policy and procedure (www.queensu.ca/ombuds).
Sincerely,
Jill Atkinson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
20058020Zhou
Generated September 7, 2021 at 11:20:00 AM.