Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Submission Number: 10773
Decision Date: July 7, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Jihyeon Park
Student Email: 17jp53@queensu.ca

Course: PHGY 215
Term: Summer
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline


Dear Jihyeon:

I have read with interest your petition to drop PHGY 215 (S 2023), taking note of the circumstances you outlined. After reviewing your petition 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 circumstances and 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, often taking place after the drop deadline.

I realize that this is a disappointing decision, however you have not outlined any extenuating circumstances, or provided documentation, that prevented you from dropping the course by the drop deadline. Not receiving a mid-term grade until after the drop deadline is not considered an extenuating circumstance. It is a student’s responsibility to assess their understanding and progress in a course prior to the drop deadline and as an upper year student, you should be capable of that reflection. In the future, I encourage you to carefully evaluate your progress in a course prior to 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. The drop deadlines, as outlined in the “Important Dates” section on the Faculty of Arts and Science web page, have been established to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all students.

Another tool to manage your academics in addition to dropping a course by the drop 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 documented extenuating circumstances. Here is the link for information about that process:

https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/undergrad-students/academic-consideration-for-students

Let me remind you Jihyeon that is 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).

Sincerely,


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

20100373Park