Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

I am writing to petition for Credit Standing (CR) for HIST 403: Topics in Canadian History, taught by Professor Jeff Brison in Winter 2025, pursuant to Academic Regulation 10.3.2. That regulation provides that CR standing may be granted where a student has completed all required coursework, earned a passing grade, and received a substantially lower grade than might have been expected due to circumstances beyond their control. My petition rests on the ground that my registered QSAS accommodations, which entitle me to alternative evaluation in lieu of participation/attendance marks and occasional absences from class, were not applied by Professor Brison and therefore led to a C grade.

I. My QSAS Accommodations

I am a registered QSAS student with documented accommodations arising from pre-existing mental health conditions and disability. My accommodations include alternative evaluation in lieu of participation/attendance marks and occasional absences from class. These are on record with QSAS and were in effect throughout the Winter 2025 term. My QSAS advisor, who was previously Toni Thornton (thornton@queensu.ca) and is now Caroline Jesuthasan (Caroline.Jesuthasan@queensu.ca), can confirm both the existence and the scope of these accommodations. I have attached my QSAS accommodation letter as Exhibit A.

II. The Accommodation Was Discussed With Professor Brison and Not Honoured

At the beginning of the course, Professor Brison agreed that my OnQ responses could substitute for in-person attendance, which is consistent with my registered accommodations. In an email chain on May 10, 2025 (Exhibit B), Brison refers to my OnQ participation as