Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Sara Bruni (Student Number: 10184193). I am writing to appeal to drop my PSYC 100 course past the academic deadline. After receiving my final grades for all my first year courses, I learned that I was unsuccessful in my psychology final exam, and did not pass the course. Extenuating circumstances contributed to my inability to pass the mid-term and final exams and, ultimately, the course.

I am a hardworking and dedicated student. I attended lectures and tutorials, with the exception of days when I was sick. My mid-year and official grades, together with my cumulative GPA¿¿s for both the 2015 Fall and the 2016 Winter terms reflect this.

A review of both of my term statistics and mid-term and official grades confirms that I have been consistent in my studies at Queen's, and am in good academic standing with the exception of PSYC 100, which dramatically lowered my accumulated GPA for both terms. I understand that my failed grade in psychology may leave the impression that I did not make the course a priority, however this was not the case. I attended the majority of my psychology labs with the exception of those days when I was sick, and extenuating circumstances which will be detailed later in this appeal. Furthermore, I made it a priority to complete weekly readings for psychology before looking at assignments or readings for other courses. In addition to my consistent studying for psychology, I was proactive during the second term, attending five psychology studies to earn an extra 5 percent on my final exam in order to better position myself to maintain a passing grade.

In the two weeks leading up to the PSYC 100 mid-term exam, I fell ill with a serious case of influenza, from around the middle of week 11 (November 23- 27) until December 7 when I was cleared by a doctor. I experienced severe muscle fatigue, was unable to hear properly out of one ear due to congestion, suffered asthma attacks and outbreaks, fever and vomiting. It was for this reason that I did not attend the majority of my tutorials and lectures during that period. I went to the hospital on December 3 where I was given a prescription and a doctor's note with the instructions to rest. Further, the note excused me from classes until December 7 when I was no longer contagious.

I made every effort to prepare for my mid-term exam, which was scheduled as my first exam on December 9 (2 days after I was cleared by the doctor). However, this proved to be extremely difficult as I had the overbearing symptoms listed above, which took a serious toll on my PSYC 100 mark; my mid-term grade for PSYC100 was a 58, as I scored a 38.78 on the mid-term exam. I believe that being sick up until my psychology mid-term greatly impacted my ability to absorb and retain information, as well as successfully write the exam. I did not appeal my mid-term mark after discovering my grade, as I was confident that I would be able to maintain a passing grade and earn the 6 credits. I have attached an image of my doctor's note, as well as an email to one of my TAs, where I explained my absence for weeks 11 and 12.

Throughout the 2016 Winter term, I had been dealing with anxiety that was triggered by family events that were beyond my control. My grandfather was in failing health, and was frequently rushed to hospitals and doctors. On March 29 (10 days before the PSYC 100 final exam), I had learned that my grandfather was diagnosed with terminal cardiac amyloidosis (a type of blood cancer), and given a prognosis of 3-6 months to live. I had a very close relationship with my grandfather and was very saddened and anxious upon discovering this, however I continued to study for my PSYC 100 final daily. On April 5, while studying for the exam, I received a text message from my sister notifying me that my grandfather had been rushed by ambulance to the hospital and was in congestive heart failure. This triggered severe anxiety, limiting my ability to focus on my academics and prepare myself for my upcoming exams scheduled to begin 2 days after receiving this news. While I was able to maintain my good grades in my other 4 courses, my psychology mark greatly suffered as it was my first exam. I have attached the text messages notifying me of my grandfather's hospitalization, as well as his death certificate. He passed away on May 6.

On learning of my failing grade in psychology, I immediately took steps to rectify the situation as best I could. I enrolled in HIST125: The Evolution of Modern Europe and focused on improving my GPA and restoring my academic standing to the high standard and level I know I am capable of achieving. I have completed the course with a final grade of a B. I have also learned that there are circumstances where it is appropriate to request a deferral, and I would likely have qualified given my ill health in semester one, and my family crises in semester two.

In closing, I respectfully request that this Appeal Board grant my appeal to drop PSYC100, even though the deadline has passed. I submit that the circumstances noted above are exceptional and warrant such measures.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.


Yours Respectfully.
Sara Bruni