Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean of Arts and Science,

I am petitioning for a Credit Standing (CR) in CISC 101 and GPHY 242 (Fall 2023) due
to an illness which impacted my ability to attend lectures, study, and write tests.

I was recently diagnosed with chronic tonsilitis. Before this diagnosis, in the spring of
2023, I visited the doctors multiple times regarding my ongoing symptoms. Initially, I was
diagnosed with a throat infection. The doctor told me this infection would heal on its own in a
few months. Based on my diagnosis, I enrolled in 15 units for the upcoming fall semester
thinking I would recover, however, this was not the case. My symptoms became significantly
worse over the next few weeks. This impacted my daily life as I experienced fevers, difficulty
breathing, and fatigue. At the peak of my symptoms, my throat completely closed when laying
on my back and I could not breath. At this time, I recognized my symptoms had gotten much
worse. By that time, I realized I should withdraw from some of my classes in order to preserve
my GPA. .However, it was too late in the semester to do so without receiving an academic
penalty. I decided to push through the semester. From week 8 onwards, I lost about 20Ibs from
being sick and had to go to the emergency room because my tonsil swelling was making it
difficult to breathe.

I struggled greatly with my symptoms through the rest of the semester which severely
impacted my mental health, which is something I have struggled with in the past. I made a strong
effort to attend lectures, tutorials, and labs, however, I was not retaining much information due to
lack of sleep and brain fog. I reached out to my professor for GPHY 242 and even QSAS to see
about getting accommodations, but I was really struggling with my mental health and felt super
frustrated and defeated. I was having trouble getting any effective medical help as my family
doctor told me that they had tried everything they could to treat the infection and that I would
unfortunately have to wait until March to see a specialist who could help me. I felt like nobody
cared and my symptoms were not bad enough to receive any accommodations, which I now
recognize was irrational and incorrect, but at the time I believed it so I tried to power through.
The symptoms from tonsillitis made it very difficult to concentrate and retain
information. Obstructive sleep apnea is a symptom I experienced multiple times a week when
trying to sleep. Studying and writing tests and exams was the hardest part of the semester as I
lacked cognitive function from lack of sleep. Assignments were easier to work on as I could
work around my symptoms and flare-ups. I struggled in CISC 101 because it is a heavily test
based class with 90% of grades coming from tests and the final exam. Some tests I did well on
depending on when the flare ups would occur. In CISC 101, I did well on the final test which
was cumulative assessment, because I had no flare ups at this time. That being said, I finished
this class with a D+. In GPHY 242, I struggled with attendance. When the flare ups became
severe I was not able to attend the in-person labs and lectures regularly. Missing a few sessions
throughout the semester impacted my final grade greatly.
The main reason I performed better in the rest of my classes was because the grading
schemes were more of a mixture of assignments, labs, and tests. Even then I believe I could have
done better in many of my classes. For instance, in GPHY 337 I had flare ups leading up to and
during the midterm and I failed the midterm. I still finished the class with a B because the rest of
my grades were above 80%.

While some students would have dropped out temporarily or taken a leave, I did not have
this option because I have a line of credit for school that requires me to continue with full-time
enrollment, or the bank would close the account.
While my situation is not fully resolved, I am currently seeing an ENT specialist and
waiting for a surgery date. Additionally, I am taking medication for my mental health and was
seeing a therapist for a couple of months. I am currently on a waitlist to see a psychiatrist to find
a medication that works best for me. I am really hopeful that this illness does not result in a
permanent stain on my academic reputation so that I can move forward.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Peter Gruyters
20370468