Decision Letter
Submission Number: 13046
Decision Date: May 21, 2025
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Jennifer Zhang
Student Email: 21jdz@queensu.ca
Dear Jennifer Zhang:
Thank you for your petition requesting to take more than 6.0 units of courses on a Letter of Permission, specifically your request to take 15.0 units of courses at Peking University or Renmin University of China. I have carefully reviewed your request, and while I’m unable to grant your petition, I want to assure you that I’ve taken your circumstances into account as part of this decision.
As you know, Academic Petitions and Appeals Regulation 3.3.1.7 at queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/appeal-regulations/ state that petition requests to take courses at another institution must directly address how this is necessary due to extenuating circumstances or an exceptional academic opportunity. The Academic Petitions and Appeal Regulations 1.1 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.
I appreciate that you want to take courses at an institution close to your family in Beijing but I want to remind you that courses transferred from other institutions are not included within the calculation of your Queen’s GPA. I have denied this request as I see that you have failed multiple classes during the past three terms and that your cumulative GPA is currently at 1.64 which is below the requirement for graduation with an Honours degree.
Going forward, I would suggest that you connect with an Academic Advisor at https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/undergraduate/student-services/advising to create an academic plan and discuss GPA strategies to boost your cumulative GPA to the 1.9 requirement to graduate.
If you wish to appeal this decision to the Board of Studies, information on the appeal process and deadlines is available at queensu.ca/artsci/undergraduate/student-services/academic-petitions-and-appeals (click on “Second Level”). The Office of the University Ombudsperson offers guidance on student rights and procedural fairness at queensu.ca/ombuds/appeal-process/procedural-fairness, and they are also available to support you at queensu.ca/ombuds.
I hope that you continue to seek out the support and resources available to you, and I wish you the best in your future Queen’s courses.
Warm regards,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Decision Date: May 21, 2025
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Jennifer Zhang
Student Email: 21jdz@queensu.ca
Dear Jennifer Zhang:
Thank you for your petition requesting to take more than 6.0 units of courses on a Letter of Permission, specifically your request to take 15.0 units of courses at Peking University or Renmin University of China. I have carefully reviewed your request, and while I’m unable to grant your petition, I want to assure you that I’ve taken your circumstances into account as part of this decision.
As you know, Academic Petitions and Appeals Regulation 3.3.1.7 at queensu.ca/academic-calendar/arts-science/appeal-regulations/ state that petition requests to take courses at another institution must directly address how this is necessary due to extenuating circumstances or an exceptional academic opportunity. The Academic Petitions and Appeal Regulations 1.1 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.
I appreciate that you want to take courses at an institution close to your family in Beijing but I want to remind you that courses transferred from other institutions are not included within the calculation of your Queen’s GPA. I have denied this request as I see that you have failed multiple classes during the past three terms and that your cumulative GPA is currently at 1.64 which is below the requirement for graduation with an Honours degree.
Going forward, I would suggest that you connect with an Academic Advisor at https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/undergraduate/student-services/advising to create an academic plan and discuss GPA strategies to boost your cumulative GPA to the 1.9 requirement to graduate.
If you wish to appeal this decision to the Board of Studies, information on the appeal process and deadlines is available at queensu.ca/artsci/undergraduate/student-services/academic-petitions-and-appeals (click on “Second Level”). The Office of the University Ombudsperson offers guidance on student rights and procedural fairness at queensu.ca/ombuds/appeal-process/procedural-fairness, and they are also available to support you at queensu.ca/ombuds.
I hope that you continue to seek out the support and resources available to you, and I wish you the best in your future Queen’s courses.
Warm regards,
Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Academic)
Generated May 21, 2025 at 1:42:42 PM.