Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Whom It May Concern, /p

I am writing to request a Credit Standing (CR) score in my FILM220 course (Jews on Film).
I currently have an Incomplete mark and a standing mark of 51 in the course (see Appeal Screenshots, attached), and was intending to switch the course to a Pass/Fail under COVID procedures once I had a passing mark in the course. I submitted my final exam for the course on May 5, but did not receive a mark for it until July 25, achieving a passing grade with one assignment still outstanding. I would ask for permission for a Credit Standing grade because I would have been granted a Pass/Fail mark had my exam been graded at the time of its submission. /p

The end of the fall term was chaotic for all of us. I have attached my accommodations as documentation that I am in touch with Student Services about my needs and accommodations, but COVID undermined many of my personal coping strategies by cutting off gyms, parks, in-person therapy, and my ability to see people outside of my housemates, especially during the early months when anxiety was highest. The end of term was something that I struggled with, but managed to finish most of my courses with extensions rather than Incomplete marks. /p

My end of term was made especially chaotic by moving houses. I was initially planning to write my final assignment for FILM220 between moving and the beginning of summer courses, but moving took much longer than anticipated because we were doing it alone under COVID restrictions, and I was never able to begin the assignment. Summer courses have consumed most of my time up until now, and will be even more busy between now and the deadline of my Incomplete course. I do not believe that I could reasonably have obtained a better mark in FILM220 without sacrificing the grades of my summer courses, which are both essential to my teaching qualifications during my next degree. /p

For all of these reasons, I am submitting an appeal for a Credit Standing in FILM220. I have already asked Professor Dueck if he would approve of this step for me, and he has confirmed that he supports it. /p

I am eager to put last year's end of term behind me and focus on setting up routines for next term's online classes. I do not doubt that the next year will continue to try us in new ways, but I hope that it will not escalate to the April/May level of panic and anxiety that we were all experiencing at the end of Winter term. /p

Thank you for your time, I hope you are all staying safe, /p

-Zosha Matheson Dadey