Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Academic),

I am writing to request Credit (CR) standing for CHEM 112A/B General Chemistry. On my transcript, CHEM 112A appears as NG for Fall 2025, while the final grade and 6.0 units are recorded under CHEM 112B in Winter 2026. My petition is therefore for the final CHEM 112A/B grade recorded under CHEM 112B.

I completed and passed the course, including the required coursework and final assessment. My final grade was B-. This grade is much lower than my usual academic performance. In my other first-year courses, I earned A+ grades, so CHEM 112 is a clear outlier in my academic record. I do not believe this grade reflects my actual ability, effort, or academic potential. I am not asking for the course to be regraded. I am requesting CR standing because serious health, residence, and commuting circumstances affected my performance in this specific course.

During the first half of CHEM 112A in Fall 2025, I lived in a quad-style residence in Leonard Hall. I was placed in this room type after residence selection, and I was not able to submit Canadian medical documentation before the placement was finalized because I was in China and did not have timely access to my family doctor, Dr. Patrick Maloney. Once I moved into the residence, the environment made several existing health needs much harder to manage.

I wear contact lenses every day and need a clean space to handle them safely. I also have significant vision needs, including myopia and astigmatism, which made shared bathroom use and showering difficult to manage safely. At the same time, I was managing ongoing skin sensitivity that required daily care, longer showers, and regular treatment. The limited shared washroom access and open shared living environment made it difficult to keep a stable medical and hygiene routine.

I was also dealing with a recurring ear infection, sinus and allergy symptoms, fragrance and dust sensitivity, and sleep problems. These issues became harder to control in a shared residence setting because I could not control noise, cleanliness, scent exposure, or bathroom access. I often had difficulty sleeping, and poor sleep affected my concentration, memory, and energy. These problems were not separate from my academics. They directly affected my ability to prepare for CHEM 112 regularly.

CHEM 112 was especially affected because it is a cumulative course. The material builds week by week, and it requires steady practice, review, and attendance. When my health and living situation disrupted my sleep, daily routine, and study time during CHEM 112A, I fell behind in a way that was difficult to fully recover from later. Even though I continued completing the course, I was not working under normal conditions. The disruption started during the fall term, when the foundation of the course was being built, and the effect carried into CHEM 112B.

I tried to address the situation while continuing my studies. I contacted Dr. Patrick Maloney to request support for a Queen’s health accommodation form. I explained that my residence setting was worsening my health concerns and that I needed a more suitable living arrangement. I also communicated with Queen’s residence or university staff about the room situation and the need to move. I also contacted the Student Wellness Centre for support related to my health, sleep, stress, and accommodation concerns. These steps show that I was managing the problem at the time, not only after receiving my final grade.

After the residence situation became too difficult, I arranged to move into an apartment at GeoPark. This gave me a cleaner and more private space, which helped with some of my health needs. At the same time, the move created another academic challenge during CHEM 112B. I had to travel from GeoPark to CHEM 112 lectures on West Campus and to morning labs and tutorials in Chernoff Hall. During the winter semester, this commute became difficult for me as a first-year student who was still adjusting to Kingston’s winter conditions. Snow, ice, cold weather, and longer travel time made it harder to attend comfortably, arrive prepared, and keep a stable study routine, especially while I was still managing foot pain, fatigue, vision needs, health routines, and poor sleep.

The winter commute did not cause the problem by itself. It added to the health and academic disruption that had already started in the fall. CHEM 112 required consistent attendance, preparation, and review across both terms. The combination of health problems, the residence change, the winter commute, and the cumulative structure of the course made it much harder for me to perform at the level shown in my other courses.

I have supporting documents related to my health concerns, my request for medical support, and my housing situation. I am submitting the medical documentation currently available to me, which was originally prepared for my residence accommodation, because I am currently in China and cannot obtain an updated course-specific letter from my family doctor’s office without phone contact. These documents show that the circumstances were real, ongoing, and connected to the period when I was taking CHEM 112A/B. My transcript also shows that CHEM 112 was not consistent with my normal academic performance.

For these reasons, I respectfully request that the final CHEM 112A/B grade recorded under CHEM 112B be replaced with Credit (CR) standing. This would allow the course to count as completed credit toward my degree while excluding this unusually affected grade from my GPA. I understand that CR standing is a serious request, and I am making this petition because the grade was directly affected by circumstances beyond my control.

Thank you for reviewing my petition and supporting documentation.

Sincerely,
Tianqi (Asli) Ling
Student Number: 20507420