Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: 29/1/2019

To Whom It May Concern:

I am looking to appeal for a late transfer from ASTR 101 to MUTH 111. Early in the semester there were extenuating circumstances that caused me to miss a number of classes, specifically in ASTR 101. Another student, that had at one point been a close friend, had been suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder. Every night around 2 a.m., for the first two weeks of this semester, he would come to my room and knock furiously until I let him in to talk. Often times he was bloody as a result of self-harm and I would help him to bandage himself up. As he had been a close friend, I did all that I could. Throughout that time, I was exhausted every day and missed a number of classes and found it hard to focus on the ones I did attend. After those two weeks, though, the lack of sleep, the constant sight of gore, and the effects it was having on my mental health and school became too much to bear and I spoke with him, asking him to stop coming to my room every night. He didn't take it well and began to harass me verbally and threaten me with violence. It got to the point, after a few days, where I was terrified to leave my room or attend classes that we shared together, including ASTR 101. By the end of that week, he was sent home and removed from the school as a result of his actions.

By the time I had attended a couple classes of ASTR 101, while the student was still here, I realized that I was struggling greatly with the content, as it included more math than I expected. As a result, I spoke with the instructor, Graham Appleby, about falling behind and what I could do. He spoke with me about lowering the level of mathematical skill required, but as classes and assignments progressed, I noticed no real difference. As well, I started a study group with several students in the class in an attempt to grasp the course content and improve my understanding. My difficulties in the class persisted. As a final attempt to improve my overall marks, I contacted Charan Rainford and Anna Taylor, the academic advisor at the BISC, with the interest of switching into another course that would be better suited to me. They informed me that I had missed the deadline but that I had a right to appeal as my circumstances in the beginning of the semester had held me back.

Since speaking with Charan and Anna, I have also had a meeting with one of my other instructors, Diana Gilchrist, and have since been regularly attending her MUTH 111 classes. I am currently also a student in her MUTH 232 class and have a great understanding of the course content. As well, I have fully caught up in the MUTH 111 classes and have made up for past assignments, studied past notes, and met with other students in the class with questions about the content I was unsure of.
I would be eternally grateful for the opportunity to switch my classes and begin to improve my academic standing this semester.

Thank you,
Daisy Boyle