Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

I am appealing for a credit standing (CR) in my chem 281 (Fall, 2019) class. I got a concussion in water polo on October 17th 2019, and I am still in recovery. This injury has severely impacted my academics this semester as I had to miss several classes in order to recover. Also, because it affected my brain where any schoolwork I did, increased my symptoms. I could not read without a headache or nausea. I could not study for more than 10 minutes without having to stop and take a break. I could not do computer work. Every time I saw a screen, I would get nauseous. I had to see the sports psychologist at the arc to help me unblock things in my mind because my symptoms where overwhelming.

On November 8th, my organic chemistry class was having our second midterm and my goal was to try to write it. My professor told me to not write the midterm, and that he could reweigh my final. Which means that my final would have been worth 80 percent of my grade. That is too much pressure weighted onto my final for such a difficult subject.

Having missed all my midterms in all my other classes, I refused to miss another midterm, and have yet another reweighed final that is over 50 percent. The midterm had virtual labs which I could not do, and the professor told me they would just be weighted to my final. Also, since I was unable to attend all the classes prior to the midterm he also said that I could write the makeup midterm on November 11th, to give me a little extra time if I needed. However, that did not help as my head could not handle studying, I could not prepare for the midterm the way I wanted to. During the midterm I was very symptomatic, when I first glanced at the scantron bubbles I got very nauseous. Reading the first questions gave me a pounding headache, and I knew that I should not be writing the midterm, as I could not think. My symptoms got the best of me and I failed. Leaving me in the same boat where I would have to pass the final to pass the course.

I went back to my professor during his office hours and he told me it would be best to drop the course, and that I should take it when I am healthy. Yet, although I am not well, I did not want to fall behind. This course was my only prerequisite for my classes in the winter semester and was my favourite subject. Dropping it would mean I would be a year behind for my favourite class. I could not let that happen. It was also too late to drop the course since it was after the deadline, and I already dropped a course, and did not want to have to drop another course due to my head.

Since my brain was very weak, and I could not study for very long, my doctor thought it would be best for me to push back all my finals to January so I can rest. I pushed back all my finals except my organic chemistry one so I can just focus on studying for one thing because my head could not handle very much. I went to the office hours and Dr. Carran told me I should make tables to learn all the mechanisms. I even got a tutor to help me too. Doing what I can and studying a little every day I passed the exam and passed the course. However, because I wrote the midterm while I was very symptomatic, my overall grade is very low and not to my standards. Additionally, since I had to write the virtual labs on my final, when I still was unable to use computers, I could not study for them by doing the computer lab. Also being symptomatic during the final affected my performance as well. During the exam I had to take several breaks to help ease my headaches, and nausea from reading.

Therefore, since my concussion has affected me, I am hoping that you can grant my appeal. I am still in recovery from this injury, and my symptoms still affect the way I think today, thus impacting my academic performance.

Thank you for your time,
Chloé Buso