Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Samantha Melnick
Student 20106822

February 18, 2020

Associate Dean,

Subject: Academic Appeal

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to you to explain the issues surrounding my situation and I would like to ask you to consider my appeal on my grade in CHEM 281. My father has had brain cancer for the last 7 months with many complications in hospital and has been treated for a severe infection in December 2019. His health has been declining throughout this time which has been very difficult for me to cope with. Unfortunately, this has put a lot of stress on me and has resulted in increased anxiety and panic attacks. As a result, I deferred my final exam.

Over the winter break, I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, was prescribed antidepressants and started to see a psychologist. I wrote the exam despite my extenuating circumstances on January 10, 2020.

Unfortunately I did not learn until January 30th that I did not pass CHEM 281. I was already enrolled and attending CHEM 282. At this point the drop course cut off date passed for a full refund. I feel that my course mark was impacted by the fact that 95 of the course was weighted on exams written in lecture halls with a certain amount of time to answer questions. Another factor is that my CHEM 281 exams were written at a specific time, sometimes at night when it is hard to focus. As a result of my anxiety and learning style this format and evaluation process is very difficult for me.

The remaining 5 of the CHEM 281 course were WileyPlus assignments which were online assignments. I did significantly better on these assignments in comparison to the exam which demonstrates my understanding of the course. It also highlights my inability to do well in exams and the stress and anxiety I face in these circumstances. It is evident that my cognitive abilities are affected in this high stress environment. When I wrote this exam I didn¿¿t have any accommodations. Now that I have accommodations for extra time and the ability to write in a smaller room, I am confident that I will be able to succeed in future examinations.

The other courses I took last semester were more assignment based and involved essays, discussion posts and group assignments. This layout and structure enable me to have flexibility in times I choose to work on my assessments. If I am particularly anxious at a certain time, I can come back to the assignment later unlike in an exam environment. In addition, the online courses had online exams which could be written at any given time in the comfort of my room which reduces my stress and mirror that accommodations I now have.

I have also decided to switch my major from Life Sciences to a Health Studies because I have discovered that is what I¿¿m most passionate about and the evaluations are more assignment based, which will better suit my learning style. I think a path in Health Studies is right for me and as a result do not plan on retaking CHEM 281 in the future.

I am asking that you consider my extenuating circumstances and the impact of the stress on me and grant me the opportunity to remove the CHEM 281 grade from my transcript and provide me with a full refund for the CHEM 282 course. I have enclosed a letter from my psychologist and my current academic accommodations. If you need any further information, please contact me at (647) 771-4726.

Thanking you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Samantha Melnick