Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Associate Dean (Academic),

I am writing to appeal for a standing of credit received in the course of PSYC 221 (Fall, 2020).
I completed all required course work, but due to an extenuating circumstance around the time of the exam, my final grade suffered immensely. Although I was registered in five courses for the fall semester, I only require a CR standing for PSYC 221, as this was my only course with a final exam.

On November 17th, I underwent a partial thyroidectomy for the removal of a tumour to which my surgeon equated to the size of a large plum. I was able to receive accommodations for extenuating circumstances during this time. The process of recovery proved to be very challenging and I was not able to resume my studies until November 30th. At this point, I had lots of schoolwork to catchup on while still recovering not only physically, but mentally. On December 7th, four days prior to my exam, the pathology report came back with a diagnosis of a very rare form of thyroid cancer called, Hurthle Cell Carcinoma. As you can imagine, I was devastated by this news and the considerable amount of stress and uncertainty placed on my shoulders severely impacted my ability to study effectively. I immediately reached out to the Academic Considerations Team to discuss my options moving forward. I had hoped to be eligible for aegrotat standing, however the weight of my final exam was 48 percent. Unfortunately, I did not receive a response from the academic considerations team until an hour before my exam. The response I received did not seem a viable option as I would have been given an incomplete in the course. I am currently a fourth-year student and have applied to the Queens Consecutive Education program for the fall of 2021. An incomplete on my transcript would prevent me from graduating this term and negatively impact my chances of acceptance. On the day of my final exam, I was aware that my surgical team was presenting my case at a multidisciplinary cancer conference to determine the next course of action as they had never seen this form of cancer in someone as young as myself. The impending results of the conference and overall stress from the diagnosis certainly impacted my concentration during the exam. Due to the fact that I was unable to foresee what kind of treatment plan would be decided for me in the new year, an exam deferral would not have been possible.

While the final grade I achieved in PSYC 221 is a passing level, it is a substantially lower grade than I would have obtained given ordinary circumstances. I am pleading for a Credit Standing because the final exam did not reflect my previous performance in the course. I am also worried that my GPA will suffer and ultimately affect my graduate school applications. For the future, I plan to continue with the last semester of my undergrad whilst attending specialist appointments. I would also like to note that I will be taking a lighter course load this coming semester, which will help with my stress levels through this time.
Thanks in advance for your understanding during this difficult and unforeseen time.

Best,
Sophia Natalina (20025821)