Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern,

I have been met with unexpected family circumstances that are beyond my control, which make me unable to complete the final exam in PSYC 399. I was on the phone with my father a few days ago and realized that he was falling in and out of consciousness, called 911, and drove to Toronto to meet him at the hospital. He is a long term alcoholic, and I am his primary emergency contact. At the hospital, we learned that he has severe liver damage, which is met with his existing MS and several gut related health problems. I have had to take him to a detox facility in Brampton, and home, and take care of him during the days before a longer term rehabilitation program which will take place in a few weeks in North Bay. Because I am his primary contact, I have had to spend most days in Toronto, unable to study for this exam. I believe it would be the only option for me at this time to re-weight my course grade, as travelling back to Kingston is a challenge and means that I will have to leave my father, who is unwell, alone in his apartment. It is also unclear when he will have more care, and so I don't think deferring the exam is plausible, provided that I graduate in April. I really hope you consider this circumstance to be both out of my control and as influential to my academic performance as I have found.

Thank you,
Alison Carney