Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Submission Number: 11770
Decision Date: July 8, 2024
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Kathleen Greening
Student Email: 20kwg@queensu.ca

Course: MUTH 380
Term: Winter
Year: 2024
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: MUSC 211
Term: Winter
Year: 2024
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Dear Kathleen Greening:

I have carefully considered your petition request to drop MUTH 380 and MUSC 211 (W24) 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 Petitions and Appeal Regulations 1.1 at queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/appeal-regulations/ stress that petitions and appeals are only granted where there are significantly extenuating circumstances, which would merit the waiving of a particular Faculty regulation or decision. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond a student’s control and debilitating to their academic performance. These kinds of extraordinary situations should be supported by official documentation from a health care practitioner or other relevant professional. 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 and your academic transcript.

I recognize that the 2024 Winter term was difficult for you and I was glad to read that you have an academic plan going forward. I have denied this request as your petition did not include documentation to confirm academic impacts from an unexpected extenuating circumstance. If documentation can be supplied, I am happy to reconsider this decision.

Please know that your documentation does not have to disclose the nature of the extenuating circumstance however it should confirm the timeline of the circumstance and how it directly impacted your academic ability during the terms that you are petitioning from. Documentation can include but is not limited to a letter from a professional (such as Student Wellness Services and Queen’s Student Accessibility Services), an Off-Campus Physician’s Letter (if your healthcare provider is not within the Queen’s community), a death certificates, legal documents (if relevant). If your extenuating circumstances are personal in nature or cannot be documented professionally, we may accept a letter from a family member or friend as long as they supply their contact information so that it can be verified.

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)