Decision Letter
Submission Number: 12821
Decision Date: July 3, 2025
Associate Dean: Dorit Naaman (Associate Dean Academic)
Student Name: mia klayman
Student Email: 23dqb3@queensu.ca
Course: RELS 163
Term: Fall
Year: 2024
Category: Request a review of instructors' decisions on grading of final examination and/or term work
Instructor: Shobhana Xavier
Additional Information: Grading
Dear Mia:
I have received the results of your petition request #12821 to Review an Instructor’s Decision on Grading related to the following course components of RELS 163 (Fall 2024): Film/Sitcom Review, Test 1, Test 2 and Spotify Playlist.
As per the Arts and Science Academic Calendar, Academic Petitions and Appeals Regulation 1.7.1.10, To Facilitate a Formal Review of Instructors’ Decisions on Grading of Term Work and/or Final Examinations, a student may petition for a formal review of a grade assigned to a specific course component, subject to the marking scheme set out by the course instructor. Please note that final courses grades are not eligible for review; only individual assessments can be considered.
Mia, I understand that Attendance and Participation were also graded components in this course, and that both the instructor and Teaching Assistant have communicated your grades for these components. Please be advised that, because these forms of assessments cannot be objectively reviewed by a third party after the fact, they are not eligible for formal review under this petition process.
Additionally, in accordance with Academic Petition and Appeal regulation 1.7.1.10, the reconsidered grade in each component, which may be higher than or remain unchanged from the original grade, may not be appealed.
As part of the Formal Review process, the Head of the School of Religion, Dr. Adnan Husain, gathered the relevant course materials (your Film/Sitcom Review, Test #1, Test #2, and Spotify Playlist) along with associated instructions, and provided them to two reviewers. I can confirm that the Department Head selected two reviewers with good knowledge of the course material and that the original instructor was not involved in the Formal Review process.
During the Formal Review, both reviewers independently evaluated the submitted components and supplied the Department Head with a grade for each. In cases where there was a discrepancy between the two sets of grades, it was the Department Head’s responsibility to arbitrate the final reconsidered grade.
The findings of the Formal Review are as follows:
1) Film/Sitcom Review: Reconsidered grade is 6.9 out of 10. This raises your original grade in this component from 6.8.
2) Test #1: The Formal Review resulted in a lower grade than the original; therefore, the original grade of 9 out of 40 will remain unchanged.
3) Test #2: The Formal Review resulted in a lower grade than the original; therefore, the original grade of 6 out of 35 will remain unchanged.
4) Spotify Playlist: Reconsidered grade is 6.5 out of 10. This raises your original grade in this component from 6.
Upon reviewing the Formal Review findings, I must inform you that it did not result in a change to your final grade in RELS 163 (Fall 2024). If you are concerned with the impact that this course has on your GPA you may consider repeating it 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.
Sincerely,
Dorit Naaman
Associate Dean (Academic)
Faculty of Arts and Science
Decision Date: July 3, 2025
Associate Dean: Dorit Naaman (Associate Dean Academic)
Student Name: mia klayman
Student Email: 23dqb3@queensu.ca
Course: RELS 163
Term: Fall
Year: 2024
Category: Request a review of instructors' decisions on grading of final examination and/or term work
Instructor: Shobhana Xavier
Additional Information: Grading
Dear Mia:
I have received the results of your petition request #12821 to Review an Instructor’s Decision on Grading related to the following course components of RELS 163 (Fall 2024): Film/Sitcom Review, Test 1, Test 2 and Spotify Playlist.
As per the Arts and Science Academic Calendar, Academic Petitions and Appeals Regulation 1.7.1.10, To Facilitate a Formal Review of Instructors’ Decisions on Grading of Term Work and/or Final Examinations, a student may petition for a formal review of a grade assigned to a specific course component, subject to the marking scheme set out by the course instructor. Please note that final courses grades are not eligible for review; only individual assessments can be considered.
Mia, I understand that Attendance and Participation were also graded components in this course, and that both the instructor and Teaching Assistant have communicated your grades for these components. Please be advised that, because these forms of assessments cannot be objectively reviewed by a third party after the fact, they are not eligible for formal review under this petition process.
Additionally, in accordance with Academic Petition and Appeal regulation 1.7.1.10, the reconsidered grade in each component, which may be higher than or remain unchanged from the original grade, may not be appealed.
As part of the Formal Review process, the Head of the School of Religion, Dr. Adnan Husain, gathered the relevant course materials (your Film/Sitcom Review, Test #1, Test #2, and Spotify Playlist) along with associated instructions, and provided them to two reviewers. I can confirm that the Department Head selected two reviewers with good knowledge of the course material and that the original instructor was not involved in the Formal Review process.
During the Formal Review, both reviewers independently evaluated the submitted components and supplied the Department Head with a grade for each. In cases where there was a discrepancy between the two sets of grades, it was the Department Head’s responsibility to arbitrate the final reconsidered grade.
The findings of the Formal Review are as follows:
1) Film/Sitcom Review: Reconsidered grade is 6.9 out of 10. This raises your original grade in this component from 6.8.
2) Test #1: The Formal Review resulted in a lower grade than the original; therefore, the original grade of 9 out of 40 will remain unchanged.
3) Test #2: The Formal Review resulted in a lower grade than the original; therefore, the original grade of 6 out of 35 will remain unchanged.
4) Spotify Playlist: Reconsidered grade is 6.5 out of 10. This raises your original grade in this component from 6.
Upon reviewing the Formal Review findings, I must inform you that it did not result in a change to your final grade in RELS 163 (Fall 2024). If you are concerned with the impact that this course has on your GPA you may consider repeating it 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.
Sincerely,
Dorit Naaman
Associate Dean (Academic)
Faculty of Arts and Science
Generated July 3, 2025 at 8:02:45 AM.