Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: The courses I am requesting are CHEM 121 Fall 2022/Winter 2023, PHGY 170 Summer 2023, and BIOL 102 2023 Fall. I have a functional neurolocical condition that is now in remission. During my first two years of study at Queens I experienced intermittent paralysis, difficulty breathing, intense brain fog, and difficulty speaking. These symptoms greatly impacted my ability to complete coursework to the best of my abilities. I have attached documentation from my family physician attesting to the severity of these symptoms. I was unaware that requesting a credit standing was possible until now.

My first year of study at Queen’s was still during COVID, which was a difficult time to access support. When I would try to get into the on-campus walk-in clinic or speak with someone in academic advising, I had a hard time accessing resources as they seemed to be limited or unavailable. As such, I was unaware that credit standing was a possibility until this past semester. Starting University while struggling with my condition made it seem like the ability to understand and access available resources was an impossible task. For these reasons I was unable to apply for a credit standing within the proper timeline. Academic integrity is defined as “a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to six fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage” by the International Center for Academic Integrity. I firmly believe that waiving the petition to extend the deadline so I may receive a credit standing for courses taken during my first and second years of study at Queen’s University would not detract from this definition. I recognize that I was granted accommodations for examinations which help as I receive an additional 30 minutes for every hour. During final exams in the Winter 2023 term I had no ability to move my dominant hand. While these accommodations assisted me with taking midterms and exams they were unable to assist me when a friend had to lift me into bed 2-4 nights a week so I wasn't sleeping on the floor, when my head was so filled with fog I couldn't string two words together, when I felt like I was going to pass out because my lungs couldn't draw in enough air. My Functional Limb Weakness made it very difficult to function as a student and impacted my ability to study and prepare to take tests and exams. In the response I received to my petition it was advised that I could drop courses should the workload be too challenging. I took 4 courses in the first and second semester during my first year as my symptoms proved to be more challenging than I anticipated with the stress of university life. After my first semester in first year I was ready to drop out because my symptoms were becoming so severe. When I returned for the second semester I decided to try and stay for one week because of my love for academia and for Queen’s University, this became my new motto through all my symptoms and episodes, until I completed first year. I feel this courage in the face of adversity definitely falls into the definition of Academic Integrity. I understand that everyone has their own struggles, and I do not say this to diminish what others have gone through, however I became aware that Credit Standing was possible this year when a student told me how they were granted a credit standing because she had to get emergency surgery to have her tonsils taken out. If that is considered an extenuating circumstance by the board, I do not see how my condition is not also deemed an extenuating circumstance. Future plan Over the summer of 2024 I was able to get my condition under control to the point where I am no longer actively symptomatic. During my third year of study I was learning how to navigate university life as a healthy student. My grades have been improving, and as I continue to learn and grow I am confident I will remain on this positive trajectory and reach my full potential. I would challenge you to remember what the situation was like during COVID and then put yourself into the shoes of an 18 year old with a serious medical condition living away from home for the first time, trying to navigate access to services in university life at this time. There was nothing in any of those circumstances that made it easy for me to find help. I urge you to consider the holistic picture when assessing my petition for academic standing. Thank you for your consideration of my case, Taylor Turpin

I understand that my condition is not common, possibly making it difficult to see why it would impact my studies so severely. I would happily meet with the board of studies and the Associate Dean to better explain the severity of my functional limb weakness, and provide further information from my physician. My condition turns stress and anxiety into physical symptoms. As you can see by my physician's note I would experience paralysis ranging from localized to my dominant hand to my entire body, immense brain fog that prevented clear thought, occasional loss of speech and eyesight and a difficulty breathing to the point of feeling as though I am suffocating. I would experience one or many of these symptoms on a daily basis. Upon returning to my dorm after classes I would collapse on my floor unable to get up for half an hour to hours later. I would stare at my laptop waiting for my head to clear so I could think straight, or see my screen clearly. My petition was denied on the grounds that my grades have not improved a significant amount. However, my GPA was a 2.0 in my first two years of study and a 2.58 in my first semester of third year. Based on the GPA to percent conversion chart provided by Queen.s this is roughly a change from 63% to 70%. I recognize that this is not where I would like my GPA to be, and I strongly believe I am capable of more, however I do believe there is a noticeable improvement in my grades now that I have learned how to live with this condition as a student. In my initial petition I had said that my condition is now in remission, I believe this was the wrong word to use. While I am no longer actively symptomatic, I must still take certain measures to ensure that I remain that way. During my third year I was learning how to live with my condition and approach student life as a healthy version of myself. It has been a long hard road coping with my functional limb weakness, but I am very proud of myself for all I have accomplished, and for the advancements in my grades.