Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Studies),

I am writing to request an appeal for a credit standing in Math 121 due to extenuating circumstances which I will describe below.
In the beginning of April, my cousin Angel Villeneuve-Steadman was killed in a horrific canoeing accident. On April 3rd 2016, Angel¿¿s canoe capsized on Pigeon Lake and she was unable to return to shore. On April 16th 2016, after a thirteen-day emergency search involving underwater search teams, helicopters and recovery units, Angel¿¿s body was found. During this ongoing search, I was restless and in shock. These symptoms made tasks such as studying and remaining focused on schoolwork extremely challenging. Therefore, disabling me from performing to the best of my abilities. At the time I felt it was best to push through my emotions and make an effort to distract myself with studying for upcoming exams. This was especially true during the rescue search seeing as there was nothing I could do but wait to hear from my family.
On the morning of my Math 121 exam, I received a phone call informing me that Angel¿¿s body had not yet been recovered. Although devastated, I had already written the majority of my exams and decided I would attempt to put my feelings aside and write my math exam to the very best of my ability. Once finished, I could then focus on my family and not dwell on a postponed end to first year. Although I had struggled with Math 121 during the year, I had seen the final exam as an opportunity to improve my grade. Knowing I was not performing to my potential, I worked very hard and met with a tutor once a week throughout second semester. Resulting in high hopes of improving my final grade. However, after the exam I was extremely unconfident with my performance. When my roommate entered our room and (knowing of my situation) asked me how I was feeling, I broke down. In that moment, I experienced a flood of emotions and realized that not only had I lost my cousin, I had also jeopardized my math credit while trying to deny reality for as long as possible. It was only then, after I had taken my exam that I realized I needed help and reached out. I went to meet with an Arts and Science Academic Advisor and explained my situation. After speaking with Spring Forsberg I felt relieved. Spring was very helpful, understanding and above all was someone there to listen during my time of need. She informed me of possible academic outcomes and explained the steps to take moving forward.
When I received my grade in Math 121 I realized I was not mentally or emotionally fit to have written the exam. This was an error in my judgement as my ability to make decisions during this time was clouded. In the future, I will use this experience to recognize when I should seek professional guidance. This could include academic and mental health professionals. I have learned that due to an extenuating circumstance, meeting with a personal counselor and/or academic advisor is beneficial. These individuals are there to support students and provide information on how to proceed moving forward. Whether it be requesting to drop a course to retake it the following year/ over the spring session or requesting a postponed exam date, there are many options that can be perused. In the future I plan to use the resources stated above to assist me in achieving my academic goals.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my request.
Sincerely,

Kaitlyn Varley (10197072)