Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

I am requesting to appeal for Aegrotat Standing for two courses for the 2020 Fall academic term (KNPE 251 and HLTH 252)

I wanted to inform you of my personal extenuating circumstances that have arisen, which explains the reason for this appeal and my academic performance. Unfortunately, I have had some major health concerns over the past few years that have involved multiple surgeries and treatments for Thyroid Cancer. During my ongoing follow up appointments this October, the doctors began investigative procedures to determine whether or not I was still in remission. In early November, it was confirmed that I was no longer in remission and my Cancer had come back. There is no good time or place to hear this news, especially hearing it for a second time but it was especially difficult processing this while in the middle of a stressful time with school. This unforeseen circumstance is one that has been beyond my control, and I have been struggling for quite some time to navigate through this, on top of trying to complete my studies.

As you can imagine, it has been incredibly hard for me to process this news as it indicates I will have to repeat several procedures and surgeries that I have had in the past. Physically and mentally, I have not been well which has contributed to additional stress and worry. When I received confirmation that my cancer has recurred, I had biopsies, ultrasounds, and CT scans during the months of November and December. Due to these ongoing assessments that took place during important weeks of the semester, it has taken up an immense amount of my time and it has hindered my ability to complete my school responsibilities from mid-way through the semester until now. Unfortunately, it became too difficult to keep up with my school obligations as I have not been able to focus and give my complete attention to my studies including final assignments, midterms and exams.

Currently my physicians are consulting, reviewing my results and working on a treatment plan which will involve surgery and other forms of treatment. At this time, it is unclear when my circumstances will be resolved, and my physicians have indicated that these interventions will continue to occur over the coming months.These difficult and stressful times have contributed to additional anxiety and it has been very challenging as I try to adapt to an illness beyond my control. My academics have suffered from this and it has been very upsetting for me as I always strive to excel in my courses. I genuinely care about how well I do in school and it is very important to me to complete this semester. I have done my best to finish the semester on my own but am in need of academic support as I no longer feel I can complete the remaining deliverables to the best of my ability. The outstanding work for each of my courses are as follows; a final exam for KNPE 251 and a final assignment and midterm for HLTH 252. I am requesting an appeal for Aegrotat Standing in hopes that I can successfully complete my semester as planned. Thank you for your time in considering this request, and should you require any further details or information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Senna Baldwin