Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 9222
Decision Date: June 8, 2022
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Xiangyi Chen
Student Email: 16xc9@queensu.ca
Course: GPHY 230
Term: Winter
Year: 2022
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: David Gorden
Additional Information: final exam
Dear Xiangyi:
I have read with interest your appeal to drop GPHY 230 (W 2022), 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 and supported by documentation.
I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however your documentation indicates an onset of your challenges starting on January 18, 2022 which provided you with lots of time prior to the drop deadline to assess your progress in that course as well as your ability to be successful.
Going forward, as has been suggested in previous appeal decision letters, 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.
Another tool to manage your academics in addition to dropping a course by the drop deadline is our Academic Consideration protocol. A student can request short term consideration if they need more time to complete an assignment or miss a class due to documented extenuating circumstances. Here is the link for information about that process:
https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/undergrad-students/academic-consideration-for-students
Xiangyi, I encourage you to consider registering with QSAS who may be able to put in place accommodations which will help support both your health and academics. Additionally, let me remind you that if a student repeats a course, the lower grade is excluded from their GPA and the higher grade is included.
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).
Student Academic Appeals Policy (SAAP) or Rules of Procedure for USAB are Queen??s University Senate approved appeal policies. If an inconsistency arises between these policies and Arts & Science regulations, SAAP and USAB will supersede.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Decision Date: June 8, 2022
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Xiangyi Chen
Student Email: 16xc9@queensu.ca
Course: GPHY 230
Term: Winter
Year: 2022
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: David Gorden
Additional Information: final exam
Dear Xiangyi:
I have read with interest your appeal to drop GPHY 230 (W 2022), 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 and supported by documentation.
I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however your documentation indicates an onset of your challenges starting on January 18, 2022 which provided you with lots of time prior to the drop deadline to assess your progress in that course as well as your ability to be successful.
Going forward, as has been suggested in previous appeal decision letters, 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.
Another tool to manage your academics in addition to dropping a course by the drop deadline is our Academic Consideration protocol. A student can request short term consideration if they need more time to complete an assignment or miss a class due to documented extenuating circumstances. Here is the link for information about that process:
https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/undergrad-students/academic-consideration-for-students
Xiangyi, I encourage you to consider registering with QSAS who may be able to put in place accommodations which will help support both your health and academics. Additionally, let me remind you that if a student repeats a course, the lower grade is excluded from their GPA and the higher grade is included.
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).
Student Academic Appeals Policy (SAAP) or Rules of Procedure for USAB are Queen??s University Senate approved appeal policies. If an inconsistency arises between these policies and Arts & Science regulations, SAAP and USAB will supersede.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Generated June 8, 2022 at 4:14:13 PM.