Decision Letter
Submission Number: 12403
Decision Date: November 11, 2024
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Ava Harricharran
Student Email: 20ah73@queensu.ca
Course: FREN 241
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Ava Harricharran,
I have carefully considered your petition request to drop FREN 241 (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 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. 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 academic transcript.
I recognize that you were considering a FREN Minor when you enrolled in FREN 241, and I was sorry to read about the struggles that you ended up experiencing within this class. I understand from your petition letter that this course didn’t utilize onQ and you began falling behind in it during the first half of the term as you received low grades on the first two tests. I have denied this request as you your petition suggests that you were aware of the academic impacts of this circumstances prior to the drop deadline of 2023 Fall term. 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.
I understand that FREN 241 is not currently being offered at Queen’s University however, if you are concerned with the impact that this course has on your cumulative GPA, I would suggest that you consider taking the equivalency course, FREN 341, in a future term. Please note that FREN 230 and 231 are pre-requisites for this FREN 341.
When repeating a course, 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: November 11, 2024
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Ava Harricharran
Student Email: 20ah73@queensu.ca
Course: FREN 241
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Dear Ava Harricharran,
I have carefully considered your petition request to drop FREN 241 (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 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. 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 academic transcript.
I recognize that you were considering a FREN Minor when you enrolled in FREN 241, and I was sorry to read about the struggles that you ended up experiencing within this class. I understand from your petition letter that this course didn’t utilize onQ and you began falling behind in it during the first half of the term as you received low grades on the first two tests. I have denied this request as you your petition suggests that you were aware of the academic impacts of this circumstances prior to the drop deadline of 2023 Fall term. 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.
I understand that FREN 241 is not currently being offered at Queen’s University however, if you are concerned with the impact that this course has on your cumulative GPA, I would suggest that you consider taking the equivalency course, FREN 341, in a future term. Please note that FREN 230 and 231 are pre-requisites for this FREN 341.
When repeating a course, 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 November 11, 2024 at 12:06:53 PM.