Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Number: 9617
Decision Date: November 7, 2022
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Nav Brar
Student Email: 20nb21@queensu.ca

Course: PSYC 333
Term: Winter
Year: 2022
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: FRST 105
Term: Summer
Year: 2022
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: FRST 290
Term: Summer
Year: 2022
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: MUSC 171
Term: Summer
Year: 2022
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Dear Nav Brar:

I have carefully considered your appeal to drop PSYC 333 (W22), FRST 105, FRST 290, and MUSC 171 (S22) past the academic deadline. After reviewing your file, 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 their performance was significantly compromised by circumstances beyond their control.

I see from your onQ history that you were able to complete some of the course components in most of the courses that you are appealing to drop. Your appeal letter suggests that you experienced both personal and covid-19 related circumstances and I see that you noted in an email to asc.appeals@queensu.ca dated October 2, 2022, that you were unable to drop your 2022 Winter term and 2022 Summer term courses before their academic deadlines due to the timeline of extenuating circumstances. I also acknowledge that the documentation that you supplied indicates that you were assessed for a medical condition on October 19, 2022 which does not speak to the terms that you are appealing from within this request.

I certainly empathize with your situation and understand that this is a disappointing decision however, your appeal letter and the documentation that you supplied do not provide information about the timeline or academic impacts of an extenuating circumstance during the 2022 Winter or 2022 Summer terms. Without clear and compelling documentation to confirm that an extenuating circumstance had a direct academic impact on the courses that you are appealing, I cannot adjust your student record.

I want you to know that repeating courses is a recommended strategy if you are concerned about a lower grade impacting your grade point average. When repeating the exact same course, both grades remain on your transcript but only the higher one is included within your cumulative GPA.

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??https://www.queensu.ca/ombuds/appeal-process/procedural-fairness and guidance on policy and procedure by visiting their website at https://www.queensu.ca/ombuds/.

Student Academic Appeals Policy (SAAP) https://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/policies/senate/student-academic-appeals-policyE and Rules of Procedure for USAB https://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/policies/senate/student-academic-appeals-policy/usab-rules-of-procedure are Queen??s university Senate approved appeal policies. In the event that an inconsistency arises between these policies and Arts & Science regulations, SAAP and USAB will supersede.??

Sincerely,

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