Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

Request:
I am appealing to change my GEOL 106 grade from an F to a DR credit.

Explanation of Extenuating Circumstances:

On April 17, 2019 - I reached out to my professor Anna Harrison, in regard to the options available to me to complete the course. I was offered accommodations due to a death in my family at the time and I ended up leaving school early because of it. It was suggested to me that I do my best to finish up the rest of my courses since it would be difficult to enter third year with multiple exams left to complete while also starting the semester. I spoke to a number of academic advisors and it was decided that since the GEOL 106 exam was worth 60 of my grade, it would be a reasonable idea to defer the exam and complete the other courses I had at the time. I did this despite going through the process of grieving which was quite horrible if I'm being honest. I was completing essays while funeral arrangements were being made around me. I didn't finish the semester strongly at all. I was also unmedicated at the time for my ADHD.

I did not request a late drop or AG standing (I wish I did because then at least I would have been able to get the credit) because I did not foresee the circumstances I would experience leading up to the exam date in September 2019, and thought that I could save my grade by writing the exam in September since I would have time to study for it in August. I was working all summer excluding the 2 weeks before school began. It was during this time that my family decided to fly to Guyana to visit my grandfather as a small vacation but it turned out quite differently once we arrived and witnessed his state of living.

We didn't know it at the time, but he was declining deeply into dementia. This wasn't realized until he started talking to his dead wife and having other vivid hallucinations in front of us. The severity of the issue increased when he explained scenarios where his living room flooded and he was drowning in water levels up to his head. His home is lifted and there are several windows. He also explained episodes where he believed someone was trying to kill him, but they didn't succeed because the knife they were using was too dull. The situations I've outlined, in addition to others I have not discussed, took place in the environment I was trying to study for my 60 exam in. I really tried. I slept with that textbook. It was so difficult to focus that at one point, I was forced to read the geology textbook out loud, chapter by chapter, to make sure that I wouldn't stray away from the topic while reading in my head. I was determined to do well on this despite my circumstances. I desperately wanted to get this credit and the exam was offering me the chance to do well. My first year went horribly, and the end of second year trampled all of the effort I put in previously in the semester. I was anxious that I would be pushed even further behind in my degree, and I could not afford that. I hate excuses and I hate having to outline them to my university.

I wrote the exam and needless to say, I did not pass the exam which meant that I did not pass the course. It was horrible to see and I was very distressed following the release of my final grade. I never found out what I got on the exam, but I know that I did not pass. I did not reach out to appeal my grade because the deadline had passed. When I spoke to an academic counsellor due to an issue I was experiencing with POLS 347, I was advised to apply anyway in consideration of my circumstances. I cannot stress how difficult it is to have another DR on my transcript. My first two years have been incredibly bumpy and really had me questioning if I'm fit for university life. During my third year (the one I've just completed) other than facing mental health issues, which was a blip in comparison to trying to function in light of many deaths, my grandfather losing it, and being unmedicated for severe ADHD, I didn't have an array of issues. I went from a D GPA in first year and being a C student in second year, to a student with not a single grade below a B. I received all A's and B's with a higher course load than ever. I know what I'm capable of now but it's quite regrettable that my GPA/transcript does not reflect this. My chance of getting into law school is a bit jeopardized but I'm still doing my best to fix it. It pains me to have to appeal this course but I don't believe there are any other options for me at this point (since I did complete all of the coursework) so I must take the L and pay the 50 appeal fee.

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter and consider my circumstances. If there are any other options available to me other than applying for a DR, I will be more than happy to hear about them. I look forward to hearing from you soon and I hope that you are safe and well in light of the COVID19 pandemic.

Best,
Ashley Persaud