Selim Akl, Letter on the GPA System and PeopleSoft (26 March 2012)

As emailed to Ryan Marchildon by Selim Akl, Director of the School of Computing, and forwarded to all Queen’s Senators on 26 March 2012:

Hi Ryan,

Thank you for your message. For the past three years I have been asking that a “third column” be added to the PeopleSoft database which would store the percentage grade. My proposal has been thoroughly ignored.

As you probably know, the School of Computing was not consulted when the PeopleSoft system was purchased. My colleagues are world renowned experts in software, yet their knowledge was not called upon. As a result, we now have a software system which tragically “throws away information” submitted to it.

In response to your question, I can say that, if asked, the School of Computing will be prepared to lend a hand to help correct this problem.

Best wishes,
Selim