DATE: June 27, 2005
PARTIES: Mr. J.W. (the Student) v. the Faculty of Arts and Science
Hearing Date(s): June 1, 2005
Committee Members:
Prof. Ralph Scane
Prof. Yuki Johnson
Prof. Joel Kirsh
Mr. Ari Kopolovic
Ms. Maureen Somerville
Secretary:
Mr. Anthony Gray, Judicial Affairs Officer
Appearances:
For the Appellant:
Mr. J.W. (the Student)
For the Faculty of Arts and Science:
Prof Susan Howson, Vice Dean, Undergraduate Education and Teaching
Ms. Elaine Ishibashi, Associate Registrar
Faculty of Arts and Science – request to write deferred examination and extension on course work – treatment for psychiatric illness – teaching style and course expectations unreasonable – abusive instructor – instructor’s demands not excessive – instructor’s counter–reactions did not exceed permissible bounds – Faculty recommended late withdrawal without academic penalty – deferred standing not appropriate – request to complete course in a manner not consistent with original course – stigma from notation of “withdrawal without academic penalty” not as bad as notation of “fail” – appeal allowed – if the Student accepted late withdrawal without academic penalty within thirty days of release of the decision then the grade of “F” would be vacated, and a notation of WDR substituted – if the Student did not accept the relief then the appeal would be dismissed
Request for a deferred examination and an extension of time to complete term work in one course. The Student had failed the course. The Student missed approximately three weeks of classes due to treatment for Asperger’s Syndrome. The Student claimed that the course instructor’s teaching style and the course expectations were unreasonable and that the instructor was abusive. The course instructor was not available to assist the appeal process. The Committee considered the syllabus, the principal text and the instructor’s notes and found that the instructor’s demands were not excessive and the instructor’s counter–reactions to the Student did not exceed permissible bounds. The Faculty recommended that the Committee order late withdrawal without academic penalty. The Committee found that the relief of deferred standing was not appropriate because the instructor had left the university, the course was not to be repeated in its original form, and the Student had requested to complete the course in a manner that was not consistent with the original course as offered or presented. The Committee found that the Student was convinced that a notation of “withdrawal without academic penalty” stigmatised a student as badly as a notation of “fail”. The Committee stated that this assumption was wrong. The Committee ordered that the Student have thirty days to notify the Faculty that he desired to accept the relief of withdrawal without academic penalty from the course. If the Student accepted the relief then the appeal would be allowed and the grade of “F” would be vacated, and a notation of WDR substituted. If the Student did not accept the relief then the appeal would be dismissed.