Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To The Office of the Associate Dean (Academic),
I am appealing Professor Meghan Norris' finding of a departure from academic integrity of plagiarism, as well as the sanction of 50 off final exam grade.

The Finding:
Fairness is a tenet of Academic Integrity (noted in clause 1.1.1 (iii) of Academic Regulation 1). The Turnitin report provided as evidence included no commentary nor specification on the infraction being investigated. I scoured the document to understand the index and determine what precisely I was to defend. At no time was it transparent or clear what specific content was of question during the investigation. It was not until the sanction was issued that identified: an exam answer using verbatim language from your textbook.
As much of the similarity index is immaterial (as acknowledged by Professor Norris), I interpret the finding as referring to a paragraph in question 2. This is not a significant overlap and the evidence provided is a gross misrepresentation of the severity of the perceived infraction (7 to the reported 53).
It is not fair the onus resides with the student, especially a first-year without experience, to both identify the precise reason of investigation, as well as defend it. An accusation of plagiarism should include transparent and clear identification of the specific passage(s) under investigation.
The reasoning also assumes a cut and paste directly from the textbook. I acknowledge the passage in question is an overlap to the text. However, there was no intent, and I absolutely did not copy and paste from the text during the exam.
The question was to diagnose a patient, which requires a broad understanding of the overall coursework. I recognize now that I had not paraphrased the particular passage in question as I transposed them from my notes, however it was used to support and elaborate an original and informed response, and was a fraction of a comprehensive answer that itself cannot be copied from a textbook.
I was aware of the reminders and policies on plagiarism and take them seriously. Throughout this course, I have taken over 200 pages of careful study notes from various sources. I spent over two weeks studying, completely isolated from other students, and preparing as though this were a closed book exam. Rewriting, rereading, organizing and segmenting coursework solidifies my inherent understanding; this is what I used to aid me in my exam (as was allowed). I also consulted both TA's and Professor for guidance on how I might achieve a higher grade. Why do all this if my plan was to cheat out of the textbook
I also had just undergone major surgery and the deferred exam was scheduled during my recovery period. I offer this extenuating circumstance not to account for any intentional misconduct, but to provide context of added mental and physical stress during recovery, on top of exam prep and the anxiety of missing plan selection deadlines due to deferrals. Relying on my notes was key to my study process during this time; any error would have been due to forgetting, after weeks of pre-surgery preparation, what had been paraphrased and what was not. Again, the passage is not significant to the overall performance on the exam and I am concerned with regards to procedural fairness.

The Sanction:
I do not believe there was fair application of the factors to be considered when assigning a sanction (per Clause 1.3.3). The degree is not significant; it does not form a significant portion of the exam, I am first-year with no previous university experience, no previous incidents, no deliberate attempt, no injury to others, and no intimidating conduct.
Yet I received one of the harshest sanctions; one that is disproportionate, does not provide for a remedy to educate and is excessively punitive (re: Clause 1.3.4.1). The exam mark (prior to sanction) was 81, underscoring overall knowledge of the content. But this sanction denies me acceptance into psychology as a major, medial, or minor, devastating my academic future, self-esteem and career goals.
I recognize the error and will adapt my study process going forward to ensure this does not happen again. I take academics very seriously and would never jeopardize my ethics or that of the institution. I am an excellent, dedicated and honest student with a strong academic history; elementary school valedictorian and honours student throughout highschool (I can provide references from teachers).
I have dreamt of being an active part of the Queen's community and know I would be an asset to academics and research here.
All I ask is that you give me that chance. This honest mistake does not warrant the sanctions severe impact to my future. I am at the beginning of my life, with high expectations for myself and would like to prove my dedication to uphold integrity and academic success.