Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Faculty Office,

I am writing to formally request a Credit Standing (CR) for my ENGL 100 summer 2025 course, in which I received a final grade of D. I believe my final grade does not reflect my true academic performance due to circumstances beyond my control, and I respectfully ask for consideration under Academic Regulation 6.

In ENGL 100, there were three major writing assignments worth a combined 45% of the final grade. While I completed all coursework, including the final exam, an unfortunate submission error with Writing Assignment 2 significantly lowered my final grade. Writing Assignment 2, worth 15% of the course, was mistakenly submitted as a duplicate of Writing Assignment 1. This error occurred because the file for Writing Assignment 1 was saved on my desktop as “ZedAssignment1 (2).docx.” When uploading the file to OnQ, the shortened display of the filename showed only “(2),” which led me to believe I was submitting the correct document.

I was working under my permanent QSAS accommodations, which allow for extensions on deadlines. I completed Writing Assignment 2 within this extended timeframe and have attached time-stamped records confirming this. On July 10th, 2025, I discovered the error, and I explained the situation to my instructor while requesting to submit the correct assignment, along with providing timestamps to prove that the correct assignment was completed six days past the deadline (the same day I submitted the incorrect assignment). I believe that if the course was an in-person course, I would’ve discovered the error earlier than July 10th. Despite this, my request to replace the incorrect file with the completed Writing Assignment 2 was denied, as course policy prohibits accepting assignments more than two weeks past the deadline under any circumstance. While I understand the importance of consistent policies, I believe this outcome is disproportionately punitive in this case. The error was a human and technical mistake, not an indication of neglect, and I had verifiable proof that the correct assignment was finished within the accommodation window.

As a result, I was given a failing grade for Writing Assignment 2. This single error had an outsized impact on my overall grade, lowering my final standing in the course to a D. Without this penalty, my performance in ENGL 100 would have been significantly stronger and a more accurate reflection of the work I completed throughout the term.

I received a A- on writing assignment 1, a C+ on writing assignment 3, A+ on 7 of my quizzes, A- on 5 of my quizzes, C- on 3 of my quizzes, A+ on my discussion forum, and a B- on my final examination. I respectfully submit that the grade I received does not align with my demonstrated effort or ability. There are unusual circumstances to this error.

Thank you for considering my petition. I appreciate your time and understanding in reviewing my request for Credit Standing in ENGL 100.

Sincerely,

Stella Zed