Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean, Dr Jenn Stephenson,

I am petitioning a credit standing on a completed course, ANAT 312, Fall 2022.

In Fall 2022 semester I had just received an ADHD diagnosis and was working with my accommodations advisor, doctors, and profs to figure out my support needs. I had a very easy time getting accommodations for most of my classes except ANAT 312. I was not able to receive accommodations for a midterm in this course due to a miscommunication with the professor. This was especially challenging due to the format of the test being a bell ringer, with only one minute per question, while I would usually receive extra time and be in a room alone during an exam. I was also just starting medication for ADHD at the end of October, halfway through the semester. This greatly improved my attention and study habits; however, the transition period starting the medication was very difficult. During the semester I made sure to attend all mandatory and non-mandatory labs and get help from the TAs and peers. I also met with the learning strategist to help my studying habits. But ultimately, I ended up performing poorly on the midterms for this class.
I made sure I had all my accommodations in place for final exams, and I was able to study more consistently with my meds working, so I did much better on the finals for this course. I was also able to receive accommodations on the bell ringer final as well, which I believe helped a lot.
Looking back, I am now regretting not asking my professor the re-weight my grades to highlight my performance on the final exams thus, I am petitioning this class, so the grade does not affect my GPA.

To avoid any similar issues in the future, I have made sure to submit my accommodations as soon as possible, as well as emailing my professors directly at the beginning of the semester to explain any support I would require during their course. I am continuing to meet regularly with my support team which includes my doctor and therapist to help with ADHD symptoms and mental health. I am also only taking 4 courses, as I have for most of my time at Queen's, as 5 courses has not been feasible for me.