Decision Letter
Submission Number: 11790
Decision Date: September 3, 2024
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Tiffany Tham
Student Email: tiffanytham996@gmail.com
Course: CLST 203
Term: Winter
Year: 2024
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Drew Griffith
Course: ASTR 101
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: David Hanes
Course: RELS 131
Term: Summer
Year: 2023
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Danielle L
Course: SOCY 112
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Rob Beamish
Dear Tiffany:
I have carefully considered your petition request to drop SOCY 122 (FW22/23) and ASTR 101 (F23) past the academic deadline and for Credit Standing in RELS 131 (S23), and CLST 203 (W24) After reviewing your file, I have decided the following:
To grant your request to drop SOCY 122 (FW22/23) and ASTR 101 (F23) after the academic deadline due to the academic impacts of extenuating circumstances as confirmed within the documentation that you supplied. Your grades in these courses will be replaced with a DR notation on your transcript.
To deny your request for Credit Standing in RELS 131 (S23) and CLST 203 (W24). The Academic Petitions and Appeals Regulation 3.3.1.4 at https://www.queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/appeal-regulations/ state that credit standing is reserved for a course in which a student who has completed all of the work of the class, including the final examination, and achieved a passing grade in the class, but due to illness or other extenuating circumstances beyond their control, earned a substantially lower grade than might have been expected. 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 documentation that you supplied, and your individual grades as provided by the instructors of these courses.
I acknowledge that you have overcome a lot over the past two years, and I recognize the difficulties that you’ve encountered during this time. I have denied this part of your request as it is unclear how your academic ability in RELS 131 (S23) and CLST 203 (W24) were directly impacted based on your individual grades in these courses. Both of the instructors confirmed that you were able to achieve high grades in some components despite the circumstances that you described in your petition letter. Also, the instructor of RELS 131 (S23) confirmed that your low grades in the course stem from components due at the beginning of the term. I want to let you know that the petition process is not meant to be used to manage a chronic condition. Academic impacts from ongoing circumstances should be managed proactively by utilizing options such as academic consideration or accommodations through QSAS. 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, 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.
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: September 3, 2024
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Tiffany Tham
Student Email: tiffanytham996@gmail.com
Course: CLST 203
Term: Winter
Year: 2024
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Drew Griffith
Course: ASTR 101
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: David Hanes
Course: RELS 131
Term: Summer
Year: 2023
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Danielle L
Course: SOCY 112
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor: Rob Beamish
Dear Tiffany:
I have carefully considered your petition request to drop SOCY 122 (FW22/23) and ASTR 101 (F23) past the academic deadline and for Credit Standing in RELS 131 (S23), and CLST 203 (W24) After reviewing your file, I have decided the following:
To grant your request to drop SOCY 122 (FW22/23) and ASTR 101 (F23) after the academic deadline due to the academic impacts of extenuating circumstances as confirmed within the documentation that you supplied. Your grades in these courses will be replaced with a DR notation on your transcript.
To deny your request for Credit Standing in RELS 131 (S23) and CLST 203 (W24). The Academic Petitions and Appeals Regulation 3.3.1.4 at https://www.queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/appeal-regulations/ state that credit standing is reserved for a course in which a student who has completed all of the work of the class, including the final examination, and achieved a passing grade in the class, but due to illness or other extenuating circumstances beyond their control, earned a substantially lower grade than might have been expected. 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 documentation that you supplied, and your individual grades as provided by the instructors of these courses.
I acknowledge that you have overcome a lot over the past two years, and I recognize the difficulties that you’ve encountered during this time. I have denied this part of your request as it is unclear how your academic ability in RELS 131 (S23) and CLST 203 (W24) were directly impacted based on your individual grades in these courses. Both of the instructors confirmed that you were able to achieve high grades in some components despite the circumstances that you described in your petition letter. Also, the instructor of RELS 131 (S23) confirmed that your low grades in the course stem from components due at the beginning of the term. I want to let you know that the petition process is not meant to be used to manage a chronic condition. Academic impacts from ongoing circumstances should be managed proactively by utilizing options such as academic consideration or accommodations through QSAS. 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, 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.
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 September 3, 2024 at 9:26:10 AM.