Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 9836
Decision Date: February 21, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Alexandra Mikhail
Student Email: 20am211@queensu.ca
Course: PYSC 271
Term: Fall
Year: 2022
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Scott Squires
Dear Alexandra:
I am sorry to have read of your reported extenuating circumstances and I have carefully considered your request for Credit standing in PSYC 271 (F 2022) based on those circumstances. After reviewing your file, I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, Academic Regulation 10.3.2. states that, Credit standing in a course is reserved for situations in which a student, who has completed all of the work in the course including the final examination, and achieved a passing grade in the course, but because of illness or other extenuating circumstances beyond their control, earned a substantially lower grade than might have been expected, normally a grade of C or lower.? Credit standing is only granted in cases where the learning outcomes were achieved, and there are well documented and unforeseen extenuating circumstances outside of a student??s control, often which took place after the drop date deadline. 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.
I am sure this is a disappointing decision, but the documentation submitted does not indicate how your disability impacted your studies during Fall term 2022. Additionally, I am concerned that the learning outcomes were not fully achieved in this course since the information received from your instructor notes that you failed all tests and exams in this course.
Going forward, I encourage you to carefully evaluate your progress in courses 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
Alexandra, 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 https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/undergraduate/student-services/academic-petitions-and-appeals (click on ??Submit a Board of Studies Appeal Here?). 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.
Best of luck in your degree progression.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
20291576Mikhail
Decision Date: February 21, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Alexandra Mikhail
Student Email: 20am211@queensu.ca
Course: PYSC 271
Term: Fall
Year: 2022
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Scott Squires
Dear Alexandra:
I am sorry to have read of your reported extenuating circumstances and I have carefully considered your request for Credit standing in PSYC 271 (F 2022) based on those circumstances. After reviewing your file, I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, Academic Regulation 10.3.2. states that, Credit standing in a course is reserved for situations in which a student, who has completed all of the work in the course including the final examination, and achieved a passing grade in the course, but because of illness or other extenuating circumstances beyond their control, earned a substantially lower grade than might have been expected, normally a grade of C or lower.? Credit standing is only granted in cases where the learning outcomes were achieved, and there are well documented and unforeseen extenuating circumstances outside of a student??s control, often which took place after the drop date deadline. 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.
I am sure this is a disappointing decision, but the documentation submitted does not indicate how your disability impacted your studies during Fall term 2022. Additionally, I am concerned that the learning outcomes were not fully achieved in this course since the information received from your instructor notes that you failed all tests and exams in this course.
Going forward, I encourage you to carefully evaluate your progress in courses 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
Alexandra, 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 https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/undergraduate/student-services/academic-petitions-and-appeals (click on ??Submit a Board of Studies Appeal Here?). 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.
Best of luck in your degree progression.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
20291576Mikhail
Generated February 21, 2023 at 8:27:16 AM.