Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr.Johanne Bénard,

I am a fourth year English major. Last year, I experienced a multitude of health problems that impacted my academic performance. My grades shifted drastically from first and second year. I am requesting aegrotat standing, credit standing, and a late drop of my courses.

Firstly, in November 2015 I was diagnosed with Pneumonia (as documented by my emergency room visit under Pneumonia Documentation). As I had never had pneumonia, I was unsure of the symptoms, and was diagnosed late in the virus' progression. The symptoms of pneumonia caused me miss almost three weeks of school, I was unable to breathe comfortably, walk long distances, or stay awake/focused for long periods of time. Further, I was prescribed Azithromycin, an antibiotic I discovered I was allergic to; this drug caused my face and throat to swell, which prolonged my recovery (as documented by the shift in prescriptions under Pneumonia Documentation), and prevented me from attending classes. November is the key part of the term with regards to assignments and course material. I fell behind in coursework and was overwhelmed with the process of balancing getting healthy and completing a full course load.

Just before the December exam period, I recovered. However, by that point in time, I was very behind in classes, and unable to keep up with the combined assignments and studying. Even with an extension in one class (Econ 231) and the help of my peers, I felt my performance was severely impacted by both my missed classes, as well as my increased load of work. I entered the December break very behind in my full year courses, with unfinished assignments, and with very poor performance in my Fall term courses.

During the December break I went skiing, and had a fall that resulted in me being diagnosed at a later date with a concussion (documented by the emergency room visit as well as my registration with Queen's Accessibility under Concussion Documentation). The impact the concussion, as my third concussion, was extreme lethargy, gaps and trouble in memory, difficulty reading, shortened attention span, and an inability to look at screens. Paying attention in class, in-taking information, and completing assignments on time - as they required the use of a computer, became very difficult, and impossible in some cases. I would forget tasks, find myself spending hours doing simple readings, and experience extreme difficulty in keeping up, as well as participating in class.

Combined with a second round of pneumonia in February (documented by the perscription of Teva-Doxycycline Pneumonia Prescriptions under Pneumonia Documentation, with the possibility of further documentation through Queen's Student Health), I was finding myself unable to keep up with balancing my health and my school work. This round of pneumonia was better managed yet still caused me to miss a week of classes.

I was not in very good health, and feeling like my coursework was again spiralling out of control. Nevertheless, I have always felt strong in academics, and tried to push past my health problems. Again, I was unable to achieve success, and barely passed ENGL 347, and ENGL 360, and received an Incomplete in ENGL 311; I failed ECON 231 . These results are far from my past demonstration at Queen's, and my professors as well as myself have noticed a reversal in my academic standing as a direct result of my illness.

I sought and received registration with the disability services (Documented in Disability Registration under Concussion Documentation), as well as continued to follow up with Queen's Athletics/ Kingston KOPI clinic's Dr.O'Connor. Further, I stayed in Kingston for the summer - I am from Vancouver, to be close to the doctors who knew my medical history, and could help improve my health.

I am now feeling much stronger, and am feeling ready and excited to have a clean bill of health entering this term. I worked hard over the summer to follow a regime that improved the state of my concussion, and am feeling much more confident in my ability to engage in learning. I am maintaining contact with Dr. O'Connor. to continue ensuring the effects of the concussion are minimized, and following his training program. With regards to pneumonia, I am aware of warning signs, triggers, and quick treatment options, and am further waiting to receive a vaccine. I am being pro-active in speaking to my current professors about plans to keep me on-track and accountable to success this year. I have made changes in my personal, professional, and academic life to supersede my new understanding of my health.

This appeal is with regards to limiting the impact of my illness upon the academics of my third year. I am seeking a Late Drop of ECON 231, as well as Credit Standing for ENGL 347 and 360. I am also appealing for a remedy of the incomplete grade in ENGL 311, in the form of either aegrotat standing or extension of an incomplete, whichever may be deemed more suitable in the situation.

I am confident that I am better able to manage my health, and have safeguards as well as a plan in place to do so. Last year was one of the most difficult years of my personal and academic life, and was not a reflection of my past level of academic success at Queen's. I would like be able to complete my fourth year on time, and with the same level of success I earned in years one and two.

Best Regards,
Emma MacNaught