Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 13684
Submitted: October 24, 2025 at 11:15:29 AM
First Name: Mina
Last Name: Saban
Pronoun: She/Her
Student Number: 20352975
Email: 21mds23@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: SOCY
Level of Study: 4
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the 21-day or one term deadline
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: I am writing to respectfully request the removal of the failing grade I received in SPAN 111 (Introductory Spanish I) during my first year at Queen’s University. I am seeking this consideration due to a combination of extenuating academic and medical circumstances that were beyond my control and that significantly impaired my ability to manage and address the situation at the time.
During my first year, I enrolled in SPAN 111 with the intention of continuing my Spanish studies from high school, where I had completed a Spanish course as part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. I was unaware that my prior experience disqualified me from registering for the beginner-level course. Shortly after classes began, students were required to sign a declaration confirming that they had no previous experience with Spanish to maintain academic fairness. Recognizing that this declaration did not apply to me, I immediately sought academic advice to ensure I did not violate academic integrity.
I visited the Student Academic Services office and explained my situation. I was advised that the best course of action would be to transfer my IB Spanish credit to replace SPAN 111, which, I was told, would effectively drop the course from my record. I followed the guidance I was given and was under the impression that the matter had been properly handled. However, towards the end of January, I discovered that the transfer had not been processed, and as a result, a failing grade for SPAN 111 appeared on my transcript.
At the same time, I began experiencing severe and unfamiliar health issues that further disrupted my ability to follow up on this administrative error. One month into my first semester, I experienced my first seizure, which marked the onset of a series of intense and unpredictable episodes that continued throughout the term. These seizures caused significant cognitive impairment, confusion, and memory loss, and were often followed by days of extreme exhaustion. The episodes were exacerbated by anxiety, sleep deprivation, and severe eczema, which created a cycle of physical and psychological distress that I struggled to understand or manage.
After several months of medical consultations, I was diagnosed with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy. At the time, I was dealing with a health issue I had never encountered before, and the fear of having another seizure became constant. I spent much of this period traveling between home and school for medical appointments and to recover under my family’s care. As a result, I was unable to maintain consistent communication with academic staff or complete necessary administrative steps. My condition made it extremely difficult to focus, remember tasks, or make informed academic decisions, and my ability to take timely action was compromised.
I now recognize that I made a serious mistake by not addressing the SPAN 111 issue earlier. However, my health challenges during that period created an overwhelming situation in which my primary focus had to be on stabilizing my condition and understanding what was happening to me. My first-year grades, including the failing grade in SPAN 111, are not reflective of my academic abilities or potential. In the years since, I have made significant adjustments to my lifestyle and academic habits to accommodate my condition. I have worked closely with healthcare professionals, developed effective management strategies, and consistently improved my academic performance. My transcript from the following years demonstrates this progress and shows my capability when I am not facing acute medical crises.
I am submitting this petition now, in my fourth year, because I have recently become aware of the long-term consequences that this fail has on my academic record as I apply to law schools. For a long time, I was under the impression that this grade was simply a defining feature of my academic history, something I would have to live with and accept as unchangeable. However, I have come to recognize that this failing grade does not accurately reflect my academic potential or dedication. Rather, it marks a very difficult period in my life — a time when I had little control over my health, and when I was deeply affected by a medical condition that limited my ability to act.
My medical circumstances persisted well beyond my first year, which delayed my ability to address administrative matters like this. But over the years, with the guidance of medical professionals and significant adjustments to my lifestyle, I have stabilized my health and regained control over my academics and personal life. Now, as I work toward pursuing law, I have come to understand that this mark is not an immovable part of my record, but something that I can rightfully seek to correct through this petition. I am taking this step because I believe my transcript should reflect the student I have become — one who has learned resilience through adversity and who continues to strive toward excellence despite the challenges I have faced.
In light of these extenuating circumstances, I respectfully request that the failing grade for SPAN 111 be removed from my transcript. I believe this adjustment would accurately reflect both my integrity and the significant effort I have made to overcome the challenges I faced. Thank you for taking the time to review my petition and for your consideration of my situation. I deeply appreciate your understanding and fairness.
Sincerely,
Mina Saban
During my first year, I enrolled in SPAN 111 with the intention of continuing my Spanish studies from high school, where I had completed a Spanish course as part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. I was unaware that my prior experience disqualified me from registering for the beginner-level course. Shortly after classes began, students were required to sign a declaration confirming that they had no previous experience with Spanish to maintain academic fairness. Recognizing that this declaration did not apply to me, I immediately sought academic advice to ensure I did not violate academic integrity.
I visited the Student Academic Services office and explained my situation. I was advised that the best course of action would be to transfer my IB Spanish credit to replace SPAN 111, which, I was told, would effectively drop the course from my record. I followed the guidance I was given and was under the impression that the matter had been properly handled. However, towards the end of January, I discovered that the transfer had not been processed, and as a result, a failing grade for SPAN 111 appeared on my transcript.
At the same time, I began experiencing severe and unfamiliar health issues that further disrupted my ability to follow up on this administrative error. One month into my first semester, I experienced my first seizure, which marked the onset of a series of intense and unpredictable episodes that continued throughout the term. These seizures caused significant cognitive impairment, confusion, and memory loss, and were often followed by days of extreme exhaustion. The episodes were exacerbated by anxiety, sleep deprivation, and severe eczema, which created a cycle of physical and psychological distress that I struggled to understand or manage.
After several months of medical consultations, I was diagnosed with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy. At the time, I was dealing with a health issue I had never encountered before, and the fear of having another seizure became constant. I spent much of this period traveling between home and school for medical appointments and to recover under my family’s care. As a result, I was unable to maintain consistent communication with academic staff or complete necessary administrative steps. My condition made it extremely difficult to focus, remember tasks, or make informed academic decisions, and my ability to take timely action was compromised.
I now recognize that I made a serious mistake by not addressing the SPAN 111 issue earlier. However, my health challenges during that period created an overwhelming situation in which my primary focus had to be on stabilizing my condition and understanding what was happening to me. My first-year grades, including the failing grade in SPAN 111, are not reflective of my academic abilities or potential. In the years since, I have made significant adjustments to my lifestyle and academic habits to accommodate my condition. I have worked closely with healthcare professionals, developed effective management strategies, and consistently improved my academic performance. My transcript from the following years demonstrates this progress and shows my capability when I am not facing acute medical crises.
I am submitting this petition now, in my fourth year, because I have recently become aware of the long-term consequences that this fail has on my academic record as I apply to law schools. For a long time, I was under the impression that this grade was simply a defining feature of my academic history, something I would have to live with and accept as unchangeable. However, I have come to recognize that this failing grade does not accurately reflect my academic potential or dedication. Rather, it marks a very difficult period in my life — a time when I had little control over my health, and when I was deeply affected by a medical condition that limited my ability to act.
My medical circumstances persisted well beyond my first year, which delayed my ability to address administrative matters like this. But over the years, with the guidance of medical professionals and significant adjustments to my lifestyle, I have stabilized my health and regained control over my academics and personal life. Now, as I work toward pursuing law, I have come to understand that this mark is not an immovable part of my record, but something that I can rightfully seek to correct through this petition. I am taking this step because I believe my transcript should reflect the student I have become — one who has learned resilience through adversity and who continues to strive toward excellence despite the challenges I have faced.
In light of these extenuating circumstances, I respectfully request that the failing grade for SPAN 111 be removed from my transcript. I believe this adjustment would accurately reflect both my integrity and the significant effort I have made to overcome the challenges I faced. Thank you for taking the time to review my petition and for your consideration of my situation. I deeply appreciate your understanding and fairness.
Sincerely,
Mina Saban
Documentation
Professional Letter: ProfessionalLetter.pdf
Decision Letters
Level 1 Status
Status: DeniedLevel 2
Appeal Type: Level 2
ID: 350
Submitted: December 16, 2025 at 3:13:47 PM
Relevant Petition: 13684
Decision(s) Being Appealed: Waive the 21-day or one term deadline
Appeal Grounds
Appeals to the Board of Studies must include a letter based on one or more of the Grounds for Appeal (Appeal Regulation 3.4). What are the grounds you are basing your appeal on?
- The Associate Dean's decision did not follow the rules of procedural fairness. A breach of procedural fairness includes such things as the Associate Dean failed to:
- Follow the university rules and regulations in a way that supported your right to a fair process.
- Make a reasonable decision in your appeal. A “reasonable” decision is one that is based on evidence, thought out and supported by facts and logical inferences from the facts. To be reasonable, the decision must contain adequate reasons for the conclusions.
Appeal Grounds Details: I am writing to appeal the Associate Dean’s decision dated December 2, 2025, which denied my petition to waive the drop deadline for SPAN 111 (Fall 2022). I am appealing this decision on the grounds of procedural fairness and reasonableness, as permitted under Appeal Regulation 3.4. I respectfully submit that the decision did not fully account for documented medical evidence demonstrating that extenuating circumstances beyond my control prevented me from acting within the petition timeline.
The Associate Dean’s decision correctly notes that exceptions to petition deadlines require evidence that extenuating circumstances were ongoing and prevented a student from acting during the relevant period. I am submitting this appeal because I now have medical documentation that directly addresses this requirement and clarifies the timeline and functional impact of my condition in a way that was not fully recognized at the first level of review.
The Associate Dean’s decision correctly notes that exceptions to petition deadlines require evidence that extenuating circumstances were ongoing and prevented a student from acting during the relevant period. I am submitting this appeal because I now have medical documentation that directly addresses this requirement and clarifies the timeline and functional impact of my condition in a way that was not fully recognized at the first level of review.
Appeal Letter
Appeal Letter: Dear Members of the Board of Studies,
Beginning in Fall 2021, I experienced neurological symptoms that culminated in my first seizure involving loss of consciousness in Fall 2022. These symptoms were later diagnosed as Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy, a serious and lifelong neurological condition. As confirmed by my physician, my seizures were not fully controlled from the time of initial neurological consultation through early–mid 2025, and treatment was only gradually optimized. During this period, my condition had a significant impact on my executive and administrative functioning, including memory, concentration, processing speed, and decision-making. These impairments substantially affected my ability to manage academic responsibilities and navigate complex administrative processes. I have provided a medical letter confirming this timeline, the chronic nature of my condition, and its functional impact.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, my health challenges persisted. I required ongoing neurological care, diagnostic testing, and medication adjustments, and I experienced continued seizure activity, including a documented episode in September 2023. During this entire period, I believed that the SPAN 111 course had been handled administratively, based on academic advising I received in Fall 2022 after I disclosed my prior IB Spanish coursework and was advised to transfer my IB credit. I was not informed at that time that this would not remove the course from my record or that further administrative action would be required.
I did not learn that the failing grade could still be petitioned until January 2025, when I was informed by my academic advisor that a waiver of the petition deadline might be possible. However, this information coincided with a period in which my condition remained medically unstable. In January 2025, I experienced a major seizure involving loss of consciousness. As my physician confirms, my seizures were still not fully controlled at that time, and my executive and administrative functioning remained significantly impaired into early–mid 2025.
Although the circumstances underlying this petition arose in Fall 2022, my medical condition was not stabilized for several years thereafter. As documented by my physician, the ongoing effects of my epilepsy and associated anxiety reasonably impaired my ability to follow up on academic issues and to navigate complex university administrative processes during this period. I was therefore not functionally able to undertake a multi-step petition process requiring the collection of multi-year medical documentation, interpretation of detailed procedural criteria, and preparation of a clear written submission.
I submitted my petition in Fall 2025 once my condition had become better managed and I had the cognitive capacity to meaningfully understand, organize, and complete the process. The timing of my petition reflects the point at which I first had both the necessary information and the functional capacity to act.
The failing grade in SPAN 111 does not reflect my academic ability, but rather a period of significant medical instability combined with incorrect academic guidance that led me to believe the course issue had been resolved. Since stabilizing my health, I have demonstrated strong academic performance in upper-year Sociology courses and sustained engagement in the Queen’s community. I am now preparing applications for law school, and it is important to me that my transcript fairly represents my academic capability and potential.
In light of the documented medical evidence demonstrating ongoing impairment through early–mid 2025, and the reliance on academic advising I received at the time, I respectfully request that the Board of Studies grant my appeal and waive the petition deadline for SPAN 111 (Fall 2022). I submit that granting this appeal would be reasonable and consistent with principles of procedural fairness.
Thank you for your time and careful consideration.
Sincerely,
Mina Saban
Student ID: 20352975
Queen’s University
Beginning in Fall 2021, I experienced neurological symptoms that culminated in my first seizure involving loss of consciousness in Fall 2022. These symptoms were later diagnosed as Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy, a serious and lifelong neurological condition. As confirmed by my physician, my seizures were not fully controlled from the time of initial neurological consultation through early–mid 2025, and treatment was only gradually optimized. During this period, my condition had a significant impact on my executive and administrative functioning, including memory, concentration, processing speed, and decision-making. These impairments substantially affected my ability to manage academic responsibilities and navigate complex administrative processes. I have provided a medical letter confirming this timeline, the chronic nature of my condition, and its functional impact.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, my health challenges persisted. I required ongoing neurological care, diagnostic testing, and medication adjustments, and I experienced continued seizure activity, including a documented episode in September 2023. During this entire period, I believed that the SPAN 111 course had been handled administratively, based on academic advising I received in Fall 2022 after I disclosed my prior IB Spanish coursework and was advised to transfer my IB credit. I was not informed at that time that this would not remove the course from my record or that further administrative action would be required.
I did not learn that the failing grade could still be petitioned until January 2025, when I was informed by my academic advisor that a waiver of the petition deadline might be possible. However, this information coincided with a period in which my condition remained medically unstable. In January 2025, I experienced a major seizure involving loss of consciousness. As my physician confirms, my seizures were still not fully controlled at that time, and my executive and administrative functioning remained significantly impaired into early–mid 2025.
Although the circumstances underlying this petition arose in Fall 2022, my medical condition was not stabilized for several years thereafter. As documented by my physician, the ongoing effects of my epilepsy and associated anxiety reasonably impaired my ability to follow up on academic issues and to navigate complex university administrative processes during this period. I was therefore not functionally able to undertake a multi-step petition process requiring the collection of multi-year medical documentation, interpretation of detailed procedural criteria, and preparation of a clear written submission.
I submitted my petition in Fall 2025 once my condition had become better managed and I had the cognitive capacity to meaningfully understand, organize, and complete the process. The timing of my petition reflects the point at which I first had both the necessary information and the functional capacity to act.
The failing grade in SPAN 111 does not reflect my academic ability, but rather a period of significant medical instability combined with incorrect academic guidance that led me to believe the course issue had been resolved. Since stabilizing my health, I have demonstrated strong academic performance in upper-year Sociology courses and sustained engagement in the Queen’s community. I am now preparing applications for law school, and it is important to me that my transcript fairly represents my academic capability and potential.
In light of the documented medical evidence demonstrating ongoing impairment through early–mid 2025, and the reliance on academic advising I received at the time, I respectfully request that the Board of Studies grant my appeal and waive the petition deadline for SPAN 111 (Fall 2022). I submit that granting this appeal would be reasonable and consistent with principles of procedural fairness.
Thank you for your time and careful consideration.
Sincerely,
Mina Saban
Student ID: 20352975
Queen’s University
Documentation
Document: MinaSaban_MedicalLetter.pdf
History
Originally submitted October 24, 2025 at 11:15:29 AM.
| Field | Reference | Old Value | New Value | Note | User | Date/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| status | N/A | Received | In Review | Kerri Andrews | 2025-10-31 1:48:03 PM | |
| status | N/A | In Review | Denied | Heather Carter | 2025-11-26 3:28:34 PM | |
| associate_dean | N/A | Dorit Naaman (Associate Dean Academic) | Heather Carter | 2025-11-26 3:28:34 PM | ||
| decision_letter | N/A | N/A | Decision letter sent | Heather Carter | 2025-12-02 9:00:58 AM | |
| new_appeal_level_2 | N/A | Level 2 | Level 2 Appeal ID: 350 | 21mds23 | 2025-12-16 3:13:47 PM | |
| status | N/A | Received | In Review | Kathrine Scott | 2025-12-17 9:30:50 AM | |
| status | N/A | In Review | ADA Amended Decision | Kathrine Scott | 2026-01-29 2:29:11 PM |