Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 1048
Decision Date: May 25, 2015
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Angadh Sen
Student Email: 12as222@queensu.ca
Course: BIOL 321
Term: Winter
Year: 2015
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Mr. Angadh Sen
12as222@queensu.ca
Dear Mr. Sen:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop BIOL 321 (W 2015) 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 exceptional 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 extenuating circumstances beyond his or her control.
The deadlines for dropping courses have been designed and established in order to provide sufficient time for students to determine their interest in the course material, to consider their ability to handle each course, and to evaluate their overall workload.
Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond your control and debilitating to your overall academic performance. Additionally, these kinds of extraordinary situations are normally supported by documentation from a professional.
While your appeal does describe some circumstances that are extenuating in nature, there is no evidence supplied to confirm what specific impact they had on this course in particular. According to your transcript, you appear to have performed quite well in your other winter term courses (your strongest term to date, in fact) so there is no clear indication that your extenuating circumstances had an overall direct and negative effect on your academic performance. Your file also shows that you saw two academic advisors concerning this course. The notes in your file indicate that you were doing well in BIOL 321 but you were unable to submit one assignment. Both advisors suggested that you speak with your instructor about receiving an extension to submit your assignment late without penalty; however it is not clear from your appeal whether or not you followed this advice.
If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to the Board of Studies, you must submit an appeal to the Board of Studies within 21 days of the date this decision was sent. Guidelines for appealing to the Board of Studies and the appeal form can be found at: http://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 Mr. Harry Smith, Office of the Ombudsperson for advice on matters of procedure and on obtaining a representative. His office is located in room 237 Robert Sutherland Hall and he can be reached by phone (533-6495) or e-mail (ombuds@queensu.ca).
Sincerely,
Johanne Bénard
Associate Dean (Studies)
10097567Sen
Decision Date: May 25, 2015
Associate Dean: Johanne Benard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Angadh Sen
Student Email: 12as222@queensu.ca
Course: BIOL 321
Term: Winter
Year: 2015
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Mr. Angadh Sen
12as222@queensu.ca
Dear Mr. Sen:
I have carefully considered your appeal to drop BIOL 321 (W 2015) 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 exceptional 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 extenuating circumstances beyond his or her control.
The deadlines for dropping courses have been designed and established in order to provide sufficient time for students to determine their interest in the course material, to consider their ability to handle each course, and to evaluate their overall workload.
Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond your control and debilitating to your overall academic performance. Additionally, these kinds of extraordinary situations are normally supported by documentation from a professional.
While your appeal does describe some circumstances that are extenuating in nature, there is no evidence supplied to confirm what specific impact they had on this course in particular. According to your transcript, you appear to have performed quite well in your other winter term courses (your strongest term to date, in fact) so there is no clear indication that your extenuating circumstances had an overall direct and negative effect on your academic performance. Your file also shows that you saw two academic advisors concerning this course. The notes in your file indicate that you were doing well in BIOL 321 but you were unable to submit one assignment. Both advisors suggested that you speak with your instructor about receiving an extension to submit your assignment late without penalty; however it is not clear from your appeal whether or not you followed this advice.
If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to the Board of Studies, you must submit an appeal to the Board of Studies within 21 days of the date this decision was sent. Guidelines for appealing to the Board of Studies and the appeal form can be found at: http://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 Mr. Harry Smith, Office of the Ombudsperson for advice on matters of procedure and on obtaining a representative. His office is located in room 237 Robert Sutherland Hall and he can be reached by phone (533-6495) or e-mail (ombuds@queensu.ca).
Sincerely,
Johanne Bénard
Associate Dean (Studies)
10097567Sen
Generated May 25, 2015 at 9:39:01 AM.