Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Jenn Stephenson,

I am writing to request you to¿waive the deadline¿to make an academic appeal for credit standing for a course I took in Fall 2019 (CISC 320). Under the Queen's Appeal Regulations (3.3.4), I was to submit an appeal for credit standing before the end of the subsequent term in which the class was offered - in my case, the deadline being the end of the Winter 2020 term. This letter will outline the reasons why I was not able to meet this deadline.

During the Fall 2019 term, I experienced an extenuating circumstance due to a severe mental health condition. This resulted in a significant decline in my academic performance, as seen from my term GPA of 1.8 at the time, significantly lower than my cumulative GPA of 3.68 before the term. During both the Fall 2019 and Winter 2020 term, I received the assistance of multiple therapists, counsellors, and doctors from Queen's Student Wellness Services, in addition to my family doctor (all of whom provided numerous short-term accommodations from October 2019 to April 2020). I was also put on medication, the side effects of which had a further impact on my ability to perform academically.

Due to the aforementioned reasons, I was unable to complete the final exam for CISC 320 during December 2019 (in addition to major deliverables from other courses). Although I expected to complete the exam in January 2020, my condition continued to worsen, despite the assistance I was receiving. In addition, due to an error in guidance from an academic counsellor that was not identified until late March, I had a difficult course load of 6 classes during the Winter 2020 term - although only 3 were needed. As such, balancing both my condition and my academic responsibilities became incredibly difficult, and I was unable to write the final exam for CISC 320 for the majority of the term.

After multiple visits to an occupational therapist at Queen's Student Services, I was told that I must complete my CISC 320 final before the first week of May 2020 to graduate on time (in addition to my overdue deliverables from both the Fall 2019 and Winter 2020 terms). Despite still not being in a state to perform to my potential, I agreed to write the exam on May 1, 2020. I did not receive my results until May 13, 2020, well after the end of the Winter 2020 term.

In addition, due to the fluctuating nature of my condition, the severity of which is especially triggered by factors such as quarantine, personal life circumstances, and school-related stress, I was unable to submit the academic appeal during the summer. As a dual degree Commerce and Computing student, I submitted a similar request for credit standing and waiving the deadline to the Commerce Office (two courses in Fall 2019) in July 2020, both of which were approved. During this process, I received assistance from a Commerce Academic Counsellor, who helped me retrieve documentation and construct my appeal letter. I was not able to receive such assistance for this appeal, thus resulting in a delay and having to wait until my condition significantly improved in order to be functional again.

I do not want to understate the impact that my condition has had on my life, as well as my ability to fulfill my responsibilities. The last 10 months have represented the most difficult period of my life and have crippled me and prevented me from accomplishing even the most basic tasks.

To support my claims, I have included a letter from my family doctor during the summer who confirms the nature of my condition and the impact of the medication I have been prescribed. I also have included communication between my CISC 320 professor and me, which includes the date of my final exam, as well as my professor's support for my appeal for credit standing. Lastly, I have included my short-term accommodation letter received by a doctor at Queen's Student Wellness Services that allowed me to postpone my CISC 320 final during December 2019.

I greatly appreciate you taking the time to read this letter and for considering my request. I am happy to answer any questions or discuss this further at any time, as well as retrieve additional documentation if needed.

Sincerely,

Farhaj Khan