Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Academic Dean,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am scheduled to write my deferred CHEM 112 exam on May 20th, and my POLS 112 exam on May 21st, however, I am petitioning for Aegrotat standing in both CHEM 112 (Winter, 2026) and POLS 112 (Winter, 2026). Despite my passion for these courses and their respective content, I am forced to request AG standing due to unforeseen extenuating circumstances that have arisen.

My mother is terminally ill, and just 10 days ago, doctors informed us of her imminent end. This news has been devastating for my family, and since then, I have been unable to sleep, find myself becoming sicker under the new stress, and most pertinent–am struggling to study. I am greatly distraught over her condition and have sought the help of mental health counselors in an attempt to manage the effects of this circumstance. In addition to being unable to concentrate in this troubling time, my days have been spent organizing arrangements for my aunts and uncles who will soon be flying over to provide her with support in the remaining weeks. This has meant hours that would have been used for studying were, and continue to be, used in supporting my father and my mother in her remaining time.

Due to my mother’s critical condition, I am not in the capacity to be able to write my final exams. I am emotionally exhausted, and recognize that if forced to write these final evaluations, my final mark will not be reflective of the student I have and hope to continue to be. Throughout the term, I have worked tirelessly to achieve high grades in both these courses, in spite of the fears I held regarding the evolution of my mum's condition. My parents worked hard to provide me wth the opportunity to be a student at Queens University. I am proud of my academic standing and all that I have put into these courses throughout the winter term. I feel it would be a shame to have my final grade not reflect the extenuating circumstances that have occurred, which were beyond my control. I am committed to my academics, but am unable to meet the expectations of the final assessments, given the extraordinarily difficult situation at hand.

I sincerely hope you will consider my petition for aggregate standing regarding both CHEM 112 and POLS 112. Going forward, I will continue to regularly meet with a personal counselor so that I will be equipped to handle a rigorous fall course load.


Thank you immensely for your time and consideration in this matter; it is greatly appreciated.