Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing to request consideration regarding my academic performance in this course due to significant extenuating family and personal circumstances that were beyond my control and had a direct impact on my ability to perform academically throughout the term.
Over the course of this academic year, my father’s health severely declined as a result of terminal kidney disease. As his condition worsened, our relationship also became increasingly strained and emotionally difficult, eventually leading to estrangement. Throughout this period, I was dealing with ongoing emotional distress related both to his deteriorating health and the instability within our relationship. I received several painful and distressing emails from him during the term, including around the time of my midterms, which significantly affected my emotional well-being, concentration, and ability to focus academically.
In addition to the emotional impact of these circumstances, I was also unexpectedly cut off financially by my father and left without income during the term. This created substantial stress and instability while I was simultaneously trying to manage a full course load and maintain my academic responsibilities. The combination of emotional strain, family instability, and financial uncertainty affected my sleep, focus, motivation, and overall ability to adequately prepare for academic evaluations.
The circumstances had the greatest impact surrounding both midterms in this course. I attempted to seek extensions and academic accommodations for both evaluations; however, due to the structure and policies of this specific course, I was unable to receive the same accommodations that were granted to me in my other courses. As a result, I completed the second midterm despite being under considerable emotional distress and without adequate time to recover or stabilize my circumstances beforehand.
Despite these challenges, I continued attending to my academic responsibilities and did my best to complete the requirements of the course. However, the circumstances significantly impaired my academic performance in a manner that was not reflective of my usual abilities or effort as a student. I also took steps to manage the situation by attempting to communicate regarding accommodations and working to maintain my academic standing throughout the term despite the challenges I was facing.
I respectfully ask that these extenuating circumstances be taken into consideration in evaluating my petition. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.