Decision Letter
Submission Number: 10800
Decision Date: August 14, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Allyson Verkest
Student Email: 20av19@queensu.ca
Course: ENGL 237
Term: Summer
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Allyson:
I am sorry to have read in your petition letter the challenges you reported, and I have carefully considered your request to drop ENGL 237 (S 2023) past the academic deadline based on those extenuating circumstances. After reviewing your file, I have decided to deny your petition.
As you know, courses must be dropped on SOLUS within the published deadlines. Petition Regulation 3.3.1.2 stresses 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.
The letter on you submitted notes that your surgery was prior to the drop deadline and if you were falling behind, it was your responsibility to drop that course by that deadline – a warning that you received in your previous petition decision letters. Additionally, you were registered in an excessive number of courses during the summer term since the recommended course load is two courses. And finally, you were unable to provide professional documentation to confirm your extenuating circumstances and the timeline and impact that would have had on your studies.
This is a disappointing decision I am sure Allyson, but let me remind you that if a student repeats a course, the low grade is excluded from their grade point average and the higher grade is included, which would mean there would be no long term negative impact on your GPA.
Let me remind you once again that going forward, I strongly suggest that you carefully evaluate your progress in your courses prior to the drop deadlines and if you have fallen behind or you are not performing in a course to your satisfaction, you should drop courses by the drop deadline.
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 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
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/.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Decision Date: August 14, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Allyson Verkest
Student Email: 20av19@queensu.ca
Course: ENGL 237
Term: Summer
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Allyson:
I am sorry to have read in your petition letter the challenges you reported, and I have carefully considered your request to drop ENGL 237 (S 2023) past the academic deadline based on those extenuating circumstances. After reviewing your file, I have decided to deny your petition.
As you know, courses must be dropped on SOLUS within the published deadlines. Petition Regulation 3.3.1.2 stresses 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.
The letter on you submitted notes that your surgery was prior to the drop deadline and if you were falling behind, it was your responsibility to drop that course by that deadline – a warning that you received in your previous petition decision letters. Additionally, you were registered in an excessive number of courses during the summer term since the recommended course load is two courses. And finally, you were unable to provide professional documentation to confirm your extenuating circumstances and the timeline and impact that would have had on your studies.
This is a disappointing decision I am sure Allyson, but let me remind you that if a student repeats a course, the low grade is excluded from their grade point average and the higher grade is included, which would mean there would be no long term negative impact on your GPA.
Let me remind you once again that going forward, I strongly suggest that you carefully evaluate your progress in your courses prior to the drop deadlines and if you have fallen behind or you are not performing in a course to your satisfaction, you should drop courses by the drop deadline.
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 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
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/.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Generated August 14, 2023 at 11:02:19 AM.