Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 13177
Submitted: May 16, 2025 at 2:38:00 PM
First Name: Melina
Last Name: Glavas
Pronoun: She/Her
Student Number: 20422298
Email: 23xtm1@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BSH
Plan: BIOL
Level of Study: 2
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Code: BIOL 200
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Petition Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: Dr Paul Grogen; Dr. Tim Brit
Code: BIOL 206
Term: Winter
Year: 2025
Petition Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: Dr. Jannice Friedman
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: To the Academic Petitions Committee,
I am writing to respectfully request academic credit (CR) for BIOL 200 (Diversity of Life) and BIOL 206 (Evolutionary Genetics) due to substantial academic disruptions during the Winter 2025 term that were beyond my control. These changes significantly impacted the structure of both courses and directly affected my ability to perform to my full potential.
In BIOL 206, scheduled in-person tutorials were no longer offered. These sessions were essential for engaging with complex material and clarifying concepts in an interactive setting. Their absence made it more difficult to stay on track, particularly as the material became more challenging later in the term.
In BIOL 200, the impact was much greater. In person tutorials were cancelled entirely, and the content was reallocated to the final exam. This change shifted the grading scheme mid-semester and placed excessive emphasis on the exam without the learning support needed.
Another significant factor affecting both courses was the format of the final exams. Originally, BIOL 200 was designed to have a fully written exam, while BIOL 206 was supposed to include both written and multiple-choice components. Instead, both exams were changed to 100% multiple-choice. This limited format did not allow me to demonstrate my full understanding of the material, especially in courses designed to assess written critical thinking and application of biological concepts. The exam structure did not reflect the learning objectives or assessment plans outlined at the beginning of the term.
Despite these unexpected changes, I remained committed to both courses and increased my independent study efforts. However, the loss of core instructional components, the shift in grading weight, and the removal of written assessments significantly hindered my ability to succeed. These changes created a learning and evaluation environment that was inconsistent with what was originally communicated and expected.
I am confident that under normal circumstances—with access to tutorials, balanced assessments, and the opportunity to show written understanding—I would have performed much more strongly. These disruptions affected my academic outcomes in ways I could not have anticipated or controlled.
For these reasons, I respectfully request that I be granted credit (CR) for BIOL 200 and BIOL 206 as a fair response to the exceptional circumstances that impacted my performance in the two courses.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Melina Glavas
Student ID: 20422298
Email: 23xtm1@queensu.ca
I am writing to respectfully request academic credit (CR) for BIOL 200 (Diversity of Life) and BIOL 206 (Evolutionary Genetics) due to substantial academic disruptions during the Winter 2025 term that were beyond my control. These changes significantly impacted the structure of both courses and directly affected my ability to perform to my full potential.
In BIOL 206, scheduled in-person tutorials were no longer offered. These sessions were essential for engaging with complex material and clarifying concepts in an interactive setting. Their absence made it more difficult to stay on track, particularly as the material became more challenging later in the term.
In BIOL 200, the impact was much greater. In person tutorials were cancelled entirely, and the content was reallocated to the final exam. This change shifted the grading scheme mid-semester and placed excessive emphasis on the exam without the learning support needed.
Another significant factor affecting both courses was the format of the final exams. Originally, BIOL 200 was designed to have a fully written exam, while BIOL 206 was supposed to include both written and multiple-choice components. Instead, both exams were changed to 100% multiple-choice. This limited format did not allow me to demonstrate my full understanding of the material, especially in courses designed to assess written critical thinking and application of biological concepts. The exam structure did not reflect the learning objectives or assessment plans outlined at the beginning of the term.
Despite these unexpected changes, I remained committed to both courses and increased my independent study efforts. However, the loss of core instructional components, the shift in grading weight, and the removal of written assessments significantly hindered my ability to succeed. These changes created a learning and evaluation environment that was inconsistent with what was originally communicated and expected.
I am confident that under normal circumstances—with access to tutorials, balanced assessments, and the opportunity to show written understanding—I would have performed much more strongly. These disruptions affected my academic outcomes in ways I could not have anticipated or controlled.
For these reasons, I respectfully request that I be granted credit (CR) for BIOL 200 and BIOL 206 as a fair response to the exceptional circumstances that impacted my performance in the two courses.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Melina Glavas
Student ID: 20422298
Email: 23xtm1@queensu.ca
Documentation
Professional Letter: Provost and Vice-Principal Matthew Evans.pdf