Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Whom This May Concern,

The reason for requesting an aegrotat grade for Knpe 354 (Occupational Biomechanics and Ergonomics) and Anat 380 (Clinically Relevant Human Anatomy) is due to an extenuating circumstance that was out of my control but, in turn, put me in an extremely difficult position. On April 16th, I was involved in a car collision with my significant other and had hit my head on the dashboard. On top of the mental and physical stress that I have been dealing with from this accident, I was pressured to keep preparing for my at-the-time upcoming exams. I had been experiencing painful migraines up until and after my supposed exams and struggled to focus on the study material as screen time and light made it worse. On April 18th I made an appointment with a virtual doctor through the Drugsmart pharmacy, and they told me my symptoms aligned with a mild concussion. The doctor advised me to go to the emergency department in order to receive a doctor's note as she was not authorized to do it over the phone. In light of covid-19, I did not feel comfortable going to the hospital. I was very overwhelmed at this point as I had presentations due the next day for Knpe 354 and had barely made good progress on them due to my migraines and ability to focus. To better understand how this time was extremely difficult for me, two of my housemates tested positive for covid-19 the week prior to my accident. They were self-isolating in our student house during this time, which caused a lot of stress for the rest of my housemates and me. I contacted my Knpe 354 professor, Dr. Costigan, and he advised me that I request for an aegrotat, and he would support a reweight of my final grade. I made an appointment with student wellness to talk to an academic advisor on April 19th to discuss what an aegrotat grade is and my next steps. She advised me that I could not request an aegrotat until my classes were finished and grades were released. She advised me to reach out to the rest of my professors and ask for an incomplete as a form of a 'backup' plan in case this aegrotat request were to be declined. I contacted my Hlth 331 and Anat 380 professors, told them about my situation and that I was planning to request for an aegrotat and asked for further accommodations such as an incomplete where I would do the exam in the summer. My Hlth 331 professor advised me that he could not do an incomplete for my grade and would not accept an aegrotat request, and therefore, I had to take this exam even under the circumstances. I am upset with the performance of this exam as I know I could have done a lot better if I was in better shape mentally and physically. My Anat 380 professor said he would rather speak with the Associate Deans once I submitted my aegrotat to talk about accommodations.

In terms of the timeline of this extenuating circumstance in relation to my final courses, I had a presentation for Knpe 354 due on April 19th, a two-hour examination on the 22nd for Hlth 331 and a three-hour examination for Anat 380 on the 23rd. During that time, I was required to complete three different presentations that I will only be questioned on for one (Knpe 354) and study a full semester's worth of material for both Anat 380 and Hlth 331 to be prepared for the exam. After hearing back from my Hlth 331 professor, I cancelled my exam time for Anat 380 and moved my Hlth 331 to the 23rd (the optional last day of exam times).

I made an appointment with student wellness to see a doctor on April 27th as I knew I had to get documentation for my aegrotat request and was still experiencing symptoms. Dr. Ryan Lee formally diagnosed me with a mild/moderate concussion, advised me not to do strenuous work for 2-4 weeks and to come back if symptoms are persistent. To better understand how I am doing today, it has been almost three weeks since my accident, and I still experience migraines when I look at my computer and phone screen for too long and being under fluorescent light for long periods.

I would not be able to complete an exam over the summer for Anat 380 because I have been accepted for a crucial Chiropractic clinic internship that starts May 10th and requires me to work five days a week (May-September). This internship is important to me as it is the first job I will have that is in my field of study and will make a significant difference in my resume when applying for Chiropractic college. I must focus on creating an excellent first impression and connection, don't book time off, and focus on working hard and being a part of the clinic team. On top of this internship, I come from a very dysfunctional family household, to say the least, where my mental health is always and has always been at a low point when I go back for holidays and summer. Due to this internship, I have to live within this household as it is closer to the location of the clinic I am working in. With that being said, the environment in which I will be living and the expectations for my internship will not allow for an optimal schedule nor environment to focus on in-depth content for an Anat 380 exam.

I kindly ask that you grant this request for an aegrotat grade so I can continue with proper recovery and have some peace of mind going forward into the summer.

Kind regards,
Reegan Maracle