Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Lora Marie Sanborn, Student 10007103
15 Muirdale Avenue
Toronto, ON
M9R 2V3

Monday, September 5, 2016

Dr. Johanne Bénard
Associate Dean (Studies)
Faculty of Arts and Science, Dunning Hall - First Floor
94 University Avenue
Queen's University
Kingston, ON
K7L 3N6

Subject: Dropping ENGL 100 from my transcript

To the Associate Dean (Studies),

I am appealing to drop a course that I failed (Summer 2016 semester: ENGL 100) from my transcript.

I realize that I have applied before to have courses removed from my transcript due to medical issues, however the issue that prevented me from doing well in this class was unrelated and temporary (I came down with mononucleosis). Concurrently with the course I am appealing to drop, I was also enrolled in two other courses that I did well in (I received a B+ and an A). These courses were graded on many smaller assignments that were manageable even with my symptoms. The ENGL 100 course had more significant writing assignments ¿¿ four essays that I was unable to complete because of my mononucleosis symptoms (constant intense nausea, feeling extremely weak/fatigued, and vomiting, among other things). These symptoms made it difficult for me to concentrate for the amount of time necessary to make progress on, or complete lengthier, more heavily graded assignments.

My symptoms only started to dissipate towards the end of the course. I was able to complete some of the smaller assignments in the ENGL 100 course and I was well enough by the time of the final exam to take it. I received a note from my doctor asking that I be excused from academic obligations from May 20th to July 8th, which covers a significant portion of my assignments for ENGL 100, assignments that if I were well enough to complete, would have allowed me to pass the course. As I was feeling better, after the final exam I submitted my documentation to my professor, explained the situation, and requested an Incomplete Grade so I could submit my assignments. This request for an Incomplete Grade was not granted, and my professor advised me to try to get the course dropped from my transcript.

I did not drop the course before the academic drop date for the following reasons:
1. I was hoping my symptoms would subside.
2. I was relying on my professor accepting the doctor¿¿s note and allowing me to submit some, or all of my assignments when I was feeling better.
3. The drop date without financial penalty was May 6, 2016. As I am financing my education myself with the assistance of the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), I take my courses extremely seriously given the financial burden I have to incur, and by the time I developed symptoms the drop date without incurring a financial penalty had already passed. I was determined to complete the course so that the payments I had made could be used towards receiving my credits.

The fact that I was able to successfully complete some of the smaller assignments and the final exam in ENGL 100, and that the grades in my other two courses were good, demonstrate my dedication to my academics and my efforts to do well in them. As I no longer have symptoms of mononucleosis and have successfully overcome my mental health issues (the reason of my previous appeals), I am confident in my ability to do well going forward. I have included my documentation with this appeal ¿¿ if more specifics are required I am happy to provide them. If there is any opportunity at all for me to still submit some, or all of my assignments to pass the course, I would be grateful to pursue that. Barring that, I appreciate your consideration to remove it from my transcript.

I have been working diligently to overcome my medical issues, with positive progression, and hope that this temporary setback with mononucleosis does not negatively impact my academic comeback overall. I am looking forward to calling myself a Queen¿¿s alumni in the near future.


Sincerely,
Lora Marie Sanborn
(10007103)