Decision Letter
Submission Number: 11719
Decision Date: May 13, 2024
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Sophia Duval
Student Email: 21scd3@queensu.ca
Course: BIOL200
Term: Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: BIOL103
Term: Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: BADR100
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Sophia Duval:
I have carefully considered your appeal request to drop BIOL 103, BIOL 200 (W23) and BADR 100 (F23) 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 sympathetic to your situation and understand that this is a difficult decision, however, I want you to know that I considered this request very thoroughly. In making this decision, I reviewed your petition letter, the additional information that you supplied the petitions office via email and the documentation that you supplied.
I acknowledge the extenuating circumstances that you experienced during the 2023 Winter and Fall terms, as confirmed with the documentation you supplied and I understand from the information you supplied the petitions office dated April 23 that you were not able to meet with a specialized health care provider until into the 2023 Winter term. I have denied this request as the petition process is not meant to be used to manage chronic circumstances. Academic impacts from ongoing circumstances should be managed proactively by utilizing options such as academic consideration or accommodations through Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS).
The documentation that you supplied, indicates that your academic ability was impacted beginning in January of 2023 and your transcript shows that you were able to successfully complete other courses to high standards during both the 2023 Winter and 2023 Fall terms. As you were aware of the academic impacts that your circumstances had on these specific courses prior to the drop deadline of these terms, I cannot grant your request.
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 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 queensu.ca/ombuds/appeal-process/procedural-fairness and guidance on policy and procedure by visiting their website at queensu.ca/ombuds/.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Decision Date: May 13, 2024
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Sophia Duval
Student Email: 21scd3@queensu.ca
Course: BIOL200
Term: Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: BIOL103
Term: Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: BADR100
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Sophia Duval:
I have carefully considered your appeal request to drop BIOL 103, BIOL 200 (W23) and BADR 100 (F23) 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 sympathetic to your situation and understand that this is a difficult decision, however, I want you to know that I considered this request very thoroughly. In making this decision, I reviewed your petition letter, the additional information that you supplied the petitions office via email and the documentation that you supplied.
I acknowledge the extenuating circumstances that you experienced during the 2023 Winter and Fall terms, as confirmed with the documentation you supplied and I understand from the information you supplied the petitions office dated April 23 that you were not able to meet with a specialized health care provider until into the 2023 Winter term. I have denied this request as the petition process is not meant to be used to manage chronic circumstances. Academic impacts from ongoing circumstances should be managed proactively by utilizing options such as academic consideration or accommodations through Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS).
The documentation that you supplied, indicates that your academic ability was impacted beginning in January of 2023 and your transcript shows that you were able to successfully complete other courses to high standards during both the 2023 Winter and 2023 Fall terms. As you were aware of the academic impacts that your circumstances had on these specific courses prior to the drop deadline of these terms, I cannot grant your request.
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 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 queensu.ca/ombuds/appeal-process/procedural-fairness and guidance on policy and procedure by visiting their website at queensu.ca/ombuds/.
Sincerely,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Generated May 13, 2024 at 10:25:42 AM.