Decision Letter
Appeal Number: 1094
Decision Date: June 22, 2015
Associate Dean: Sue Blake
Student Name: Holly Makarchuk
Student Email: 12hcm2@queensu.ca
Course: ANAT 101
Term: Winter
Year: 2015
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dr. Oko
Course: ECON 223
Term: Winter
Year: 2015
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Professor Hageman
Dear Ms. Makarchuk:
I have carefully considered your appeal to receive Credit standing in ANAT 101 and ECON 223 (W 2015). After reviewing your file I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, Academic Regulation 10.2.2. states that, Credit standing in a course is reserved for situations in which a student, who has completed and passed all of the work of the course including the final examination, 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€. The Calendar goes on to stress that Credit standing will only be granted 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 her control.
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.
Your appeal letter explains that your grade in ANAT 101 is low because this is a science-based course and you do not have a science background. ANAT 101 does not have any course prerequisites but it does recommend that students have 4U Biology (high school course). This means that it is helpful to have some high school Biology background but it is not required to be successful in the course. Although ANAT 101 is a required course for the Health Studies minor, this is a Bachelor of Arts Plan so students registered in this plan are not expected or required to have any science background (and many don€™t). If you found the course to be particularly difficult, you were expected to drop it within the academic deadlines or seek extra help. This is not considered to be an extenuating circumstance that would warrant granting a CR grade.
In regards to ECON 223, you argue that there was material on the midterm that was not covered in the readings and that filling in the blanks was not a fair assessment of how knowledge in the course should be assessed. You also argue that there was material in the final exam that was not covered in class. This is a matter that should be taken up with the course instructor, as you have done. If you are not satisfied with the outcome and wish to pursue a reevaluation of your midterm and/or final exam mark, you must appeal for a formal re-read of your work, as per the appeal process on requesting a reevaluation of an instructor€™s decision on grading in the course, and you must supply evidence to show how your work was marked unfairly.
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 421 Robert Sutherland Hall and he can be reached by phone (533-6495) or e-mail (ombuds@queensu.ca).
Sincerely,
Sue Blake
Assistant Dean (Studies)
10097146Makarchuk2
Decision Date: June 22, 2015
Associate Dean: Sue Blake
Student Name: Holly Makarchuk
Student Email: 12hcm2@queensu.ca
Course: ANAT 101
Term: Winter
Year: 2015
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dr. Oko
Course: ECON 223
Term: Winter
Year: 2015
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Professor Hageman
Dear Ms. Makarchuk:
I have carefully considered your appeal to receive Credit standing in ANAT 101 and ECON 223 (W 2015). After reviewing your file I have decided to deny your request.
As you know, Academic Regulation 10.2.2. states that, Credit standing in a course is reserved for situations in which a student, who has completed and passed all of the work of the course including the final examination, 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€. The Calendar goes on to stress that Credit standing will only be granted 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 her control.
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.
Your appeal letter explains that your grade in ANAT 101 is low because this is a science-based course and you do not have a science background. ANAT 101 does not have any course prerequisites but it does recommend that students have 4U Biology (high school course). This means that it is helpful to have some high school Biology background but it is not required to be successful in the course. Although ANAT 101 is a required course for the Health Studies minor, this is a Bachelor of Arts Plan so students registered in this plan are not expected or required to have any science background (and many don€™t). If you found the course to be particularly difficult, you were expected to drop it within the academic deadlines or seek extra help. This is not considered to be an extenuating circumstance that would warrant granting a CR grade.
In regards to ECON 223, you argue that there was material on the midterm that was not covered in the readings and that filling in the blanks was not a fair assessment of how knowledge in the course should be assessed. You also argue that there was material in the final exam that was not covered in class. This is a matter that should be taken up with the course instructor, as you have done. If you are not satisfied with the outcome and wish to pursue a reevaluation of your midterm and/or final exam mark, you must appeal for a formal re-read of your work, as per the appeal process on requesting a reevaluation of an instructor€™s decision on grading in the course, and you must supply evidence to show how your work was marked unfairly.
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 421 Robert Sutherland Hall and he can be reached by phone (533-6495) or e-mail (ombuds@queensu.ca).
Sincerely,
Sue Blake
Assistant Dean (Studies)
10097146Makarchuk2
Generated June 22, 2015 at 10:37:02 AM.