Decision Letter
Submission Number: 12064
Decision Date: July 15, 2024
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Basel Abdelhadi
Student Email: 19bma3@queensu.ca
Course: MATH 231
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: MATH 384
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: STAT 361
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Basel Abdelhadi:
I was sorry to read of the challenges you outlined in your petition letter, I have carefully considered your request to drop MATH 231, MATH 384, and STAT 361 (F23) after the academic deadline. I have also considered your request to waive the Faculty ruling that you be "Required to Withdraw for One Year." After reviewing your file, I have decided to deny these requests.
The requirement to withdraw is invoked when students experience ongoing or extreme academic difficulties. The ruling is not intended to be punitive, rather it is designed to provide the student with time away from the university to reflect on and remedy the factors impeding their academic success. The Academic Petitions and Appeals Regulation 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. Official documentation does not need to outline the specifics of the particular condition or matter affecting the student, but it must clearly indicate ways in which the extenuating circumstances directly affected the student’s performance in terms of timing and impact, and should verify that these effects were substantial enough to cause the academic problem. 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 acknowledge the circumstances that you experienced over the past academic year as reported in your petition letter, and I want to offer my condolences on your family’s loss. While it is clear that you experienced a difficult year at university and that you are eager to return to classes, your petition however did not demonstrate to me that your circumstances are being managed in a way that would allow you to be successful in future classes.
I want to remind you of your prior petition decision letter from May of 2023 that stressed 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. Basel, I see that you chose to remain enrolled in more than the recommended number of courses in both the 2023 Fall and 2024 Winter terms despite the ongoing nature of the circumstances that you wrote about in your petition letter. I also see that you are currently enrolled in 12.0 units of Summer term courses. As you know Summer term courses are condensed and fast-paced and choosing to take more than the recommended number of courses is not grounds for a petition request. The drop deadlines, as they have been outlined in the “Important Dates” section on the Arts and Science web page, have been established by the Faculty of Arts and Science to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all students.
My sincere hope is that you will take this opportunity to make some changes and access the support you need to achieve future academic success. Keep in mind that you will be eligible to return to the university when one year has lapsed. Upon your return, we hope that you will take advantage of the support services available to you at Queen's. It will be your responsibility to take steps for the successful completion of your program and to maintain a GPA consistent with the requirements of your plan. These are some strategies that I strongly encourage you to consider:
• Choose courses carefully. As you know, achieving a higher grade in a repeated course will improve your GPA. This course of action will help to ensure you will be in good academic standing and not at risk of being required to withdraw for three years.
• Reflect on your program choice. Are you in the right plan for your interests and aptitudes? Your Academic Advisement Report in SOLUS will allow you to see your remaining requirements and help you plan out future courses. You can read about the other program/plan options that may interest you in the Academic Calendar at queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/schools-departments-programs/.
• Seek out the advice necessary to improve your academic performance. The Arts and Science Faculty Office is located in Dunning Hall (main floor). You can also book an appointment with an Academic Advisor online at queensu.ca/artsci/undergrad-students/student-services/academic-advising or by phone 613-533-2470. Academic advising may also be available through your Plan Department.
• Student Academic Success Services (SASS) sass.queensu.ca/ in Stauffer Library provides a range of services, including workshops designed to improve study skills and develop strategies for meeting the demands of academic life.
• The Student Wellness Services Centre queensu.ca/studentwellness/ located in Mitchell Hall, is available to all Queen’s students. SWS offers counselling as well as individual consultation to aid in coping with difficulties of a more personal nature.
• Academic Consideration is a process for the university community to provide a compassionate response to assist students experiencing a short-term extenuating circumstance. You can familiarize yourself with your consideration options at: queensu.ca/artsci/accommodations.
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 queensu.ca/ombuds/appeal-process/procedural-fairness and guidance on policy and procedure by visiting their website at queensu.ca/ombuds/.
With sincere sympathy,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Decision Date: July 15, 2024
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Basel Abdelhadi
Student Email: 19bma3@queensu.ca
Course: MATH 231
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: MATH 384
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Course: STAT 361
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Basel Abdelhadi:
I was sorry to read of the challenges you outlined in your petition letter, I have carefully considered your request to drop MATH 231, MATH 384, and STAT 361 (F23) after the academic deadline. I have also considered your request to waive the Faculty ruling that you be "Required to Withdraw for One Year." After reviewing your file, I have decided to deny these requests.
The requirement to withdraw is invoked when students experience ongoing or extreme academic difficulties. The ruling is not intended to be punitive, rather it is designed to provide the student with time away from the university to reflect on and remedy the factors impeding their academic success. The Academic Petitions and Appeals Regulation 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. Official documentation does not need to outline the specifics of the particular condition or matter affecting the student, but it must clearly indicate ways in which the extenuating circumstances directly affected the student’s performance in terms of timing and impact, and should verify that these effects were substantial enough to cause the academic problem. 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 acknowledge the circumstances that you experienced over the past academic year as reported in your petition letter, and I want to offer my condolences on your family’s loss. While it is clear that you experienced a difficult year at university and that you are eager to return to classes, your petition however did not demonstrate to me that your circumstances are being managed in a way that would allow you to be successful in future classes.
I want to remind you of your prior petition decision letter from May of 2023 that stressed 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. Basel, I see that you chose to remain enrolled in more than the recommended number of courses in both the 2023 Fall and 2024 Winter terms despite the ongoing nature of the circumstances that you wrote about in your petition letter. I also see that you are currently enrolled in 12.0 units of Summer term courses. As you know Summer term courses are condensed and fast-paced and choosing to take more than the recommended number of courses is not grounds for a petition request. The drop deadlines, as they have been outlined in the “Important Dates” section on the Arts and Science web page, have been established by the Faculty of Arts and Science to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all students.
My sincere hope is that you will take this opportunity to make some changes and access the support you need to achieve future academic success. Keep in mind that you will be eligible to return to the university when one year has lapsed. Upon your return, we hope that you will take advantage of the support services available to you at Queen's. It will be your responsibility to take steps for the successful completion of your program and to maintain a GPA consistent with the requirements of your plan. These are some strategies that I strongly encourage you to consider:
• Choose courses carefully. As you know, achieving a higher grade in a repeated course will improve your GPA. This course of action will help to ensure you will be in good academic standing and not at risk of being required to withdraw for three years.
• Reflect on your program choice. Are you in the right plan for your interests and aptitudes? Your Academic Advisement Report in SOLUS will allow you to see your remaining requirements and help you plan out future courses. You can read about the other program/plan options that may interest you in the Academic Calendar at queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/schools-departments-programs/.
• Seek out the advice necessary to improve your academic performance. The Arts and Science Faculty Office is located in Dunning Hall (main floor). You can also book an appointment with an Academic Advisor online at queensu.ca/artsci/undergrad-students/student-services/academic-advising or by phone 613-533-2470. Academic advising may also be available through your Plan Department.
• Student Academic Success Services (SASS) sass.queensu.ca/ in Stauffer Library provides a range of services, including workshops designed to improve study skills and develop strategies for meeting the demands of academic life.
• The Student Wellness Services Centre queensu.ca/studentwellness/ located in Mitchell Hall, is available to all Queen’s students. SWS offers counselling as well as individual consultation to aid in coping with difficulties of a more personal nature.
• Academic Consideration is a process for the university community to provide a compassionate response to assist students experiencing a short-term extenuating circumstance. You can familiarize yourself with your consideration options at: queensu.ca/artsci/accommodations.
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 queensu.ca/ombuds/appeal-process/procedural-fairness and guidance on policy and procedure by visiting their website at queensu.ca/ombuds/.
With sincere sympathy,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Generated July 15, 2024 at 4:31:24 PM.