Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dr. Jenn Stephenson,

I am writing to you, the Associate Dean (Academic), to express my concerns about how my course grade in CISC 226 is being negatively impacted due to the ongoing PSAC 901 strike and the university’s refusal to compensate essential graduate academic staff fairly.

All classes and assignments for CISC 226 were cancelled during the last four weeks of the semester because our professor is a teaching fellow, and there were no graduate TAs available to support the course. This has led to a significant loss of instructional time and academic support, although I have paid full tuition for a complete and uninterrupted learning experience.

Because of the strike, many evaluations have been cancelled or left ungraded, and I am very concerned that the final grading scheme may result in a CR (credit) or pass/fail designation. I find this incredibly disheartening. I have worked hard in this course and feel that a CR on my transcript does not reflect the time, effort, and academic performance I have demonstrated. It may even negatively impact my competitiveness for future academic and postgraduate opportunities, which is causing me immense stress for my future.

There has been very little communication about how the final grade for CISC 226 will be determined, which has added to my undue stress and uncertainty. I am asking that students in this course be awarded proper letter grades that reflect the work we have completed. Given the lost instructional time and educational value, I also believe a partial tuition refund is warranted.

Finally, I urge the university to meet the demands for fair and equitable pay for PSAC 901 members, who are critical to the quality of undergraduate education. Prompt resolution of the strike would benefit not just the striking staff but also students whose academic progress is being jeopardized through no fault of their own.

Thank you for your time and consideration.
Kathryn Parenteau