Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern,

I am writing to respectfully request a Credit (CR) standing for DEVS 361 for the Winter 2025 term due to extenuating circumstances that significantly impacted my academic performance.

Throughout the months of February to April, I experienced a number of serious and unforeseen personal and family-related challenges that deeply affected my ability to focus and succeed in this course. These events were entirely beyond my control and created a prolonged period of disruption during the most critical months of the academic term.

Firstly, during this time, both a provincial and federal election were underway, and a close family member was running in each. As a result, I was heavily involved in both campaigns, which consumed a substantial portion of my time and mental energy. While I tried to balance these commitments with my academics, the reality was that it became increasingly difficult to keep up with coursework in this particular class.

More significantly, my brother was hospitalized during this period following a serious relapse related to schizophrenia. This was an incredibly difficult and emotional time for my family and me. The stress and concern for his well-being, as well as the added responsibilities I took on at home, deeply impacted my mental health and capacity to concentrate on my studies. In fact, he is still in the hospital, and is now getting ECT

On top of these two major events, several other personal matters arose that compounded my stress levels. The combined effect of all these circumstances created a situation where I was unable to perform to my usual academic standards. While I remained enrolled and attempted to keep up, my performance in this course suffered as a direct result. I did not feel able to request accommodations at the time as I had hoped the situation would improve, but it unfortunately persisted through the remainder of the term.

I would like to emphasize that my academic record outside of this course remains strong, which I hope demonstrates my commitment to my studies under normal conditions. It is only due to this exceptional and stressful period that I underperformed in this particular case.

I am including supporting documentation to verify the circumstances described and hope that you will consider my request for a Credit (CR) standing as a fair and compassionate outcome under the circumstances.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Shyan Hayder
22fpb8@queensu.ca
647-223-9573