Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Appeal Regarding Incomplete Final Exam Due to Technical Issues:

Dear Associate Director,

I am writing to formally appeal for consideration regarding my final exam in GLPH 385, which took place on the 2nd of April this year. I am requesting to be granted the opportunity to either rewrite the exam or complete an alternative assessment due to a technical issue that was beyond my control and directly impacted my ability to complete the assessment.
I started the online final exam at 4:29pm, and I was given 1 hour and 15 mins (15 minutes more than usual, due to disability accomodations I have on Ventus) to complete the exam. During the final exam, I encountered an unexpected technical malfunction that prevented me from completing and submitting the exam. Despite having completed 4 out of the 6 pages, I experienced a sudden issue with OnQ that disrupted my progress: my answers stopped saving in the quiz, and I could not move pages. After trying to resolve the issue through myriad means such as refreshing the page, moving to the previous page, and switching Wi-Fi networks, I took a screenshot of the error message I was getting (IMG_7473) and notified my course instructor of the issue. She advised me to contact IT Services.
After explaining the situation to them, IT Services they concluded that my time would have kept running in OnQ as I was trying to rectify the error message, as I stopped seeing the error message once my time ran out around 5:45pm. They said that since the quiz had already finished and had been submitted, there was nothing they could do and I should speak to my professor. She then advised me to submit an appeal to the Health Sciences Faculty.
This technical disruption was unforeseen and occurred at a critical moment during the exam, which significantly affected my academic performance – I could not finish the last two pages of the exam, which made up a third of the exam. I had no prior indication that such an issue would arise, and I acted promptly by documenting the problem and seeking assistance.
I understand the importance of academic integrity and fairness in the assessment process, which is why I took steps to provide evidence of the disruption. I have included a screenshot of the technical error that occurred (IMG_7473). I have also included a screenshot of the time I had on the exam (Screenshot 152), as well as a copy of the email I sent to my professor at the time. In that email, I outlined why the screenshot was taken on my phone: I started the exam in OnQ on my phone as I was in transit to Stauffer Library from another exam I had earlier that day (Screenshot 153).
I actually submitted an appeal in April concerning this issue to the Health Sciences faculty. I recently found out that it was withdrawn as I needed to submit the appeal to the Arts and Science faculty even though it was a Health Sciences course. That is why I am submitting this now.
Should my appeal be granted, I am prepared to rewrite the exam or complete an alternative assessment at the earliest opportunity. I remain committed to my academic success in this course and seek an opportunity to prove so without being impeded by such unforeseeable circumstances.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my appeal. I would be grateful for the opportunity to demonstrate my understanding of the course material under fair conditions.

Sincerely,
Aanuoluwapo Adeyemi
20353657
21ada9@queensu.ca