Decision Letter
Submission Number: 10850
Decision Date: September 18, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Michael Chown
Student Email: 61mac1@queensu.ca
Course: STAM 200
Term: Summer
Year: 2022
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: PSYC 397
Term: Summer
Year: 2022
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Michael:
I have carefully considered your petition request to drop PSYC 397 and STAM 200 (S22) 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 "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 documentation indicating that the student’s performance was significantly compromised by circumstances beyond their control.
I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however I want to remind you that these classes began in May of 2022. The information that I received from the Arts and Science Online office indicates that you did not participate in either PSYC 397 or STAM 200 at all during that Summer term. While I acknowledge the severity of the extenuating circumstances that you experienced beginning in June of 2022, as your failing grades in these courses do not directly correlate with the timeline of the circumstances, I cannot grant this request.
I want to remind you that it is the student’s responsibility to pause and evaluate the impact of extenuating circumstances on their classes during week 7 of the term. If they have fallen behind in a course or find the material too difficult, they should drop the course by week 8 of term. The drop deadlines, 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.
If you are concerned with the impact that these courses have on your GPA, I would suggest that you consider repeating them in a future term. When repeating the exact same course code, both attempts will appear on your transcript however, only the higher grade will be included within the calculation of your cumulative GPA.
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 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: September 18, 2023
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Michael Chown
Student Email: 61mac1@queensu.ca
Course: STAM 200
Term: Summer
Year: 2022
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: PSYC 397
Term: Summer
Year: 2022
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Michael:
I have carefully considered your petition request to drop PSYC 397 and STAM 200 (S22) 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 "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 documentation indicating that the student’s performance was significantly compromised by circumstances beyond their control.
I am certainly sympathetic to your situation and realize that this is a disappointing decision, however I want to remind you that these classes began in May of 2022. The information that I received from the Arts and Science Online office indicates that you did not participate in either PSYC 397 or STAM 200 at all during that Summer term. While I acknowledge the severity of the extenuating circumstances that you experienced beginning in June of 2022, as your failing grades in these courses do not directly correlate with the timeline of the circumstances, I cannot grant this request.
I want to remind you that it is the student’s responsibility to pause and evaluate the impact of extenuating circumstances on their classes during week 7 of the term. If they have fallen behind in a course or find the material too difficult, they should drop the course by week 8 of term. The drop deadlines, 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.
If you are concerned with the impact that these courses have on your GPA, I would suggest that you consider repeating them in a future term. When repeating the exact same course code, both attempts will appear on your transcript however, only the higher grade will be included within the calculation of your cumulative GPA.
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 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 September 18, 2023 at 2:27:36 PM.