Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

I hope this finds you well. My name is Hana Janfada, I am a third year Life Sciences student. I am writing to formally request credit standing for PHYS 115 which I took in the Fall 2025 semester, or a late drop if the former is not possible. Throughout this course, I did my best and succeeded at keeping up with course content, staying on top of homework assignments, and participating in labs. Physics has always been a subject I struggle with, but through my efforts I found myself doing much better than I initially believed I could.

In the weeks leading up to the final exam, I found myself greatly stressed and anxious with self-doubt for the upcoming assessment, but I did my best to persevere. During this time I was also dealing with a recurring severe cold. Unfortunately, a mere few days before the exam, I received news from Iran that my grandfather had passed away. He hadn’t been well for the past year, and I intended to go for a final visit during the past summer. Sadly I was not able to do so due to the war my country was in. These circumstances took an immense toll on my emotional state, as well as my ability to keep a straight mind in terms of academics. In the final days leading to the exam, I really tried to stay strong and treat the situation at hand as professionally as possible, but ultimately the grief of the situation was too much for me to handle.

During my first year or so at Queen’s I found myself struggling academically for the first time in my life, which was a very difficult reality for me to come to terms with. Over the last few semesters, I’ve really held myself to a higher standard and done the work to get back to my usual self, and my grades have reflected that growth. Going into the exam, though I tried to deny it, I knew deep down that I wasn’t in the brightest headspace to write a final for a subject I’ve always found so daunting. Due to the changes I’ve made in myself and my habits I convinced myself that it would be weak to defer the exam, and that it would be a shame considering all the effort I had committed to the course throughout the past months. Leaving the exam, I knew it did not go well at all, and I knew that my performance was not an accurate reflection of the knowledge I had gained. Seeing my final grade, a D, confirmed this.

It is due to these circumstances that I kindly request the approval of my petition to receive credit standing for this course, or a late drop if that is more feasible. I want to emphasize that I truly put in considerable effort throughout the duration of this course, and really was very committed to doing well. Early December was a very emotionally heavy time for me, and I do believe I would have done drastically better on the final exam had the situation been different. I plan on retaking PHYS 115 next semester with a clearer mind, and I am determined to show my understanding of the content. I absolutely understand the importance of academic integrity and performance, but I very respectfully ask to be considered with my performance in this course.

The approval of this request would greatly alleviate the burden of my poor grade in this course that does not reflect my true abilities, and it would allow me to focus on my future academic success without the lingering of this experience.

I would like to add that I unfortunately do not have access to documentation of my grandfather’s passing due to the continuous internet and cellular blackout in Iran, where my father also resides. I hope you understand. My mother has written a letter in regard to the situation as well that I will be providing as my supporting piece of documentation.

Thank you kindly for your time and consideration.

Hana Janfada
Kingston, ON
20402539
22bp48@queensu.ca