Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Studies),

I would like to request an Aegrotat (AG) standing for my course PSYC 452 from Fall 2019. To date, I have an incomplete (IN) status for said course. However, I have been and still expect to be unable to complete the outstanding coursework, due to unexpected, extenuating circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following my previous appeal application from October 2019, I had been steadily making progress in my mental health and also demonstrated academic progress toward graduation. Despite some setback at the end of the term, which caused me to request the IN for PSYC 452, I successfully finished all three other courses (one is a full-year course) in the Fall 2019 semester without relying heavily on my accommodations. In my last intended semester as an undergraduate, I had only two courses left to finish this winter. By the time winter term began, I was no longer in need of occupational therapy. In order to keep myself busy and away from sliding back into depression and/or anxiety mismanagement, I kept proactively applying what I learned from my occupational therapy by carefully structuring my days, taking good care of my physical fitness, attending group therapy at Personality Disorder Service by Providence Care at the referral of my psychiatrist, and working part-time on campus at DrugSmart Pharmacy. Meanwhile, I was well on track in getting back to handling my uncompleted applications for exchange transfer credits from three years ago. As expected, this was a lengthy and time-consuming process, as it encompassed more than 20 courses over a period of four semesters abroad. In addition, taking steps to look toward my own future again, I started applying for a graduate program since the winter break. This application and its follow-up procedures had also kept me busy, in a healthy way, until the beginning of March. Early to mid-March was when I had the paperwork for my transfer credits finalized, and the time when I had planned for myself to start dedicating my extracurricular time to completing the outstanding assignment from PSYC 452. However, very soon after I was onto my work, the COVID-19 situation escalated, followed by the university lockdown.

I had been in such steady progress by this time that I was already in the process of terminating my medication treatment. Yet, despite my confidence and best efforts, the lockdown began to create a multitude of health and practical issues for me that I did not recognize until early April. The structure and support network I had built for myself, as outlined above, either became non-existent, dysfunctional, or inadequate after self-isolation began. It was not until a week earlier that I realized I had already slid back into the dual condition of depression and anxiety. In the meantime, the problems I have kept running into in setting up my online exam with the Faculty of Health Sciences, as just one example, created tremendous stress that further disabled me in my isolation. Even though I have tried a variety of measures to bring structure back into my daily life (including cultivating a garden in my yard), I have been unable to get out of bed most of the time, or too irritable and restless to stay concentrated whenever I managed to sit at the desk. Despite my continued communication with both my psychiatrist and counselor, I have not been able to keep up the good work I had maintained until mid-March, and I know by now that I am not capable beyond finishing the two exams I have left for this term¿¿s courses.

I have been in touch with my instructor, Dr. Stanka Fitneva, from PSYC 452 since the end of March, and she has been supportive of me getting an Aegrotat (AG) standing for the class. She also suggested the newly available Pass (P) grade, although I have been informed by the Faculty that an IN from Fall 2019 is not eligible for this option.

In summary, I am requesting to be granted an Aegrotat (AG) standing for PSYC 452 from Fall 2019. Given that students have the options to compensate for their difficulties with Passing (P) grades and late-drop policy without an appeal for their courses this semester, I think it is only fair that situations like mine get taken into account too, because the outstanding coursework from Fall term IN courses falls within the timeline of the Winter term. The remainder of my PSYC 452 has been as much affected as any other winter term courses. I would sincerely appreciate your understanding of my circumstances during this shared time of difficulty for all of us. It is in my hope that I can still graduate in time this spring despite this setback in my life.

Thank you very much for your time and my best regards,

Maria Bingjie Xu