Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Members of the Petitions Committee,

I am writing to formally petition for academic consideration for the Winter 2026 semester. Most importantly, I am respectfully requesting that the Committee consider the circumstances that affected my academic performance and allow me the opportunity to remain in, or be reinstated to, the Bachelor of Computing Honours program.

I am also requesting deferred final examinations to the Fall 2026 term for STAT 263, ASTR 101, and CISC 326, as well as credit standing for CISC 271. These requests arise from a series of extenuating personal and medical circumstances that affected most of the Winter 2026 semester.

Beginning in the first week of January, my grandfather was hospitalized and placed on life support. Every day felt uncertain because my family and I did not know whether he would recover or pass away. When he later passed away, I was already emotionally exhausted, and the grief became even harder to manage because he was the only grandparent I had a close relationship with due to language barriers with my other grandparents.

The week after his passing, war broke out in my home region, where my family and close friends live. My entire support system was there, and I spent much of the semester under constant stress and fear for their safety, especially for family members and friends who were drafted to war. I have since returned home and am currently in the affected area. Although the situation is calmer, we still live with uncertainty and fear that the situation may worsen again.

These circumstances directly affected my academic performance. Throughout the term, I struggled to keep up consistently with lectures, assignments, studying, and exam preparation. As the semester continued, I found it increasingly difficult to concentrate, retain material, and prepare properly for final assessments. This affected my ability to complete or attempt the final examinations for STAT 263, ASTR 101, and CISC 326, and it also affected the conditions under which I wrote the CISC 271 final examination.

After my grandfather’s death and after the conflict began, I sought support through Student Wellness and met with a therapist. The therapist recognized that the stress, anxiety, and depression I was experiencing were affecting my academics and provided academic consideration for part of the term. Although this support helped, the circumstances continued to be difficult to manage alongside a full course load.

After the Winter semester, and after returning home in the spring, I was assessed and diagnosed with ADHD. This was not something I had previously known about, but in hindsight, it explains many of the academic difficulties I have struggled with throughout university. I am now receiving support from a psychiatrist and have registered with QSAS so that I can access appropriate accommodations going forward. Since receiving this diagnosis and support, I have already noticed improvement in my ability to manage coursework, and my summer term has been more successful.

For STAT 263 and CISC 326, I have been in contact with my professors, and they have agreed to allow me to write the deferred examinations in the Fall 2026 term. I respectfully ask the Committee to formally approve these deferrals.

For ASTR 101, I am requesting a deferred final examination to the Fall 2026 term. I was unable to attend the makeup examination scheduled in May because I was already out of the country. The instructor’s email notifying me of the makeup date arrived after I had booked and committed to my travel arrangements, leaving me with no feasible way to return in time.

For CISC 271, I am requesting credit standing. Although my circumstances would ordinarily have justified deferring the examination, the course instructor was retiring at the end of the term, and a deferral was not available. Rather than forgo the course, I wrote the final examination under difficult conditions so that I would not lose the credit. Given that I completed the examination despite my circumstances, I respectfully request that the Committee grant credit standing for this course.

I recognize that my performance this past semester fell short of what I am capable of. I do not wish to make excuses, but rather to explain the circumstances that were genuinely outside of my control and how they affected my academic performance. I also ask the Committee to consider that I am entering the final year of my degree and am very close to completing my Bachelor of Computing Honours program. This degree is something I have worked toward for several years, despite many challenges, including medical difficulties, four surgeries during university, the deaths of two grandparents, and the impact of war on my family and support system. Being moved to the general program at this stage would have a significant impact on my academic path and future plans.

Now that I have a formal ADHD diagnosis, psychiatric support, QSAS accommodations, and a clearer plan for managing my academics, I am confident that I am in a stronger position to succeed. I am committed to completing these examinations, improving my academic standing, and completing my Bachelor of Computing Honours degree.

I have attached supporting documentation, including documentation from my psychiatrist and confirmation of the academic consideration provided by my Student Wellness therapist. I am also happy to provide any additional documentation if required, including instructor correspondence confirming the exam arrangements, travel records, or any other documents the Committee may request.

Thank you for your time and understanding. I sincerely hope the Committee will approve my petition, defer my examinations, grant credit standing for CISC 271, and allow me the opportunity to complete my Bachelor of Computing Honours Degree.

Respectfully,

Yumna Sultan
Student Number: 2015437