Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

I am petitioning for a credit standing for ENGL 451 (fall, 2022) in light of my having missed the course exam because I was very sick with COVID-19.

I would very much appreciate your considering this petition as quickly as possible because my grade in this course is being sent to the law schools to which I have applied for 2023/24 and I am very worried that without credit standing, my going-forward academic career will be compromised.

On the day of the exam in this course I developed COVID-19 symptoms, an extenuating circumstance beyond my control, so I was unable to write the course exam on Saturday, December 17, 2022. About 10 hours before the scheduled exam time, I tested positive on a COVID-19 rapid test. I immediately contacted my professor and submitted a request for academic consideration (attached). I was experiencing symptoms and knew the protocol was to isolate for the following days.

My professor informed me that she would be willing to let me write the exam in January if my documentation was first approved by FAS (attached). I then inquired with the consideration office and was told that a rapid test was not sufficient documentation. Because my COVID symptoms had been worsening and I needed treatment, I was already in touch with a doctor and asked her for the attached note. That note is dated December 21, the second business day after the exam. I submitted this note to the university office that same day but, when I called the office after I had largely recovered, I discovered that it never received my note and that the deadline for submission had passed. I take responsibility for this mistake with the note transmission, though I note I was ill at the time but still managed to obtain the note before the deadline.

I have been in contact with the academic consideration team, both through an email exchange and then online Zoom meetings to discuss my circumstances. I was told that the best course, since this all occurred due to a severe illness, was to petition for a credit standing, in part because this class is a core course for my major. I would have been willing to retake the course, but it was not offered again this semester and I will be graduating in the spring semester. Therefore, I am requesting a credit standing.

My professor gave me a zero for the exam, resulting in an overall D- in the course. I received A grades in all my other courses last semester. ENGL 451 was the last exam that term, so falling ill in December 2022 only impacted this one course. I have never missed an exam and have never petitioned for a credit standing. This was a unique instance of an unfortunate extenuating circumstance. I am no longer ill and am back to successfully completing my final term of my undergraduate studies.

Receiving this credit standing is vital to me because, as I mentioned above, I am currently applying to law school. This one D- brings my GPA down from a 3.95 to a 3.86 which, in the very competitive law school application process, may prove fatal to my goal career.

If you require any additional information, please let me know.

Thank you for your consideration of my request,

Maya Ruby