Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter:

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to formally request an appeal for the STATS 263 exam I began on Friday, May 17th. Unfortunately, due to a series of unforeseen and highly stressful personal events, I was unable to perform to the best of my abilities.

On Tuesday, May 14th, I received devastating news that my Grandpa was diagnosed with cancer and had undergone surgery in an attempt to remove the mass. This news significantly affected my mental state and emotional stability, resulting in severe stress and anxiety. The impact was compounded by my existing condition of generalized anxiety and test anxiety, for which I already receive accommodations, treatment and medication.
In the days leading up to the exam, I experienced extreme emotional stress and lacked the ability to sleep for the two nights prior. At the time I was also completing my practicum as part of my Concurrent Education program.
This position also had a fair amount of stress with behaviourally challenging students having outbursts (ex. throwing chairs at staff) and the following repercussions. This placement concluded on the Tuesday before the exam, and I spent time visiting my grandfather in the hospital before the immediate drive to Kingston for the exam. This left me with no opportunity to process or cope with my experiences and emotions. Consequently, the stress accumulated and led to multiple panic attacks, including one on the day of the exam. On the day of the exam, I arrived 45 minutes late, in a heightened state of panic and a distanced sense of reality. Despite being prepared in terms of content, my mental state was far from optimal. I struggled to focus, my thoughts were disorganized, and I could not even read the questions properly. Recognizing my condition, the proctor, Glenn, along with other proctors, attempted to calm me down. They contacted Dr. Molson, who has expressed his support for my appeal, a rewrite of the exam and that I should not have attempted in the first place.

I was unaware that I had the option to defer the exam a second time due to these exceptional circumstances. Given the significant impact of these events on my mental health and exam performance, I kindly request an opportunity to retake the exam. Dr. Molson informed me I did manage to pass the course with a 50%, however before the 60% exam I was performing well with a A+ and with my full capacity I know I can achieve a mark that reflects my actual knowledge of the course. Dr. Molson mentions he has had a few students who appeal to rewrite successfully after undergoing similar circumstances.

I appreciate your understanding and consideration of my situation. Please let me know if any further documentation or information is required to support my appeal.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter!

Sincerely,
Halley Johnson
She/Her
20365976