Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

New Information: Dear Dr. Jenn Stephenson,

I am petitioning a late drop for the course GEOL 488 (Fall, 2022).

Starting in November, I was experiencing vertigo throughout the day, causing me to lose my focus and leave class early to lay down. These spells started recurring a few times a week and continued until the end of December. I was feeling very weak and dizzy, which made it difficult for me to concentrate. This affected me during the exam for the course, resulting in my inability to focus, and leading me to fail the exam and the course.

During the semester I was also experiencing mental health issues, such as anxiety, which affected me more heavily during tests or quizzes. I believe that this also contributed to some of the dizzy spells during and after writing quizzes in the course, where I was unable to focus. I had emailed Dr. Pufahl, one of the instructors for the course, regarding my poor mental health, and asked for advice on how I could improve in the course with those conditions. He did not respond to my email, therefore I could not find a way to improve in the course, while dealing with these issues.

This course in particular was affected by my circumstances because I knew it was the last course required for me to complete my degree, therefore it caused me more stress and brought up these dizzy spells more often. Near the end of the term and for the exam, I discovered that I suffered significant vertigo both during and after finishing the quizzes in just this course. I felt like I would need to lay down to feel better and be able to function properly again. These circumstances have resolved on their own since the end of December when I came home after exams were finished.

As my future plan, I am proposing to change my degree plan from GEOL-M-BSH (Honours Geological Science degree) to GEOL-G-BSC (General Geological Science Degree) if the petition is accepted, and therefore graduate in Spring 2023.

Regards,

Ashley Sue-Chuck