Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I am appealing for a late drop of ASTR 101, a course of action recommended by the professor, David Hanes.

I was also deregistered from EMPR 250 because I did not get vaccinated against Covid-19. I sought an exemption for medical reasons but discovered that the criteria was extremely narrow and despite the severity of my health circumstances, I did not qualify for one.

Therefore, I am also appealing for a full tuition refund for ASTR 101 and EMPR 250 for the fall term. I understand that this is a separate appeal to the Registrar but I would prefer to write just one letter for the appeals.

2021 proved to be an especially difficult year for me. Earlier in the year, I was hospitalized in the ICU for almost a week. Upon discharge, there were many added medical factors to contend with that were, to put it mildly, extremely challenging to manage. I have faced health problems throughout my years at Queen's and I have learned many coping strategies. However, this past fall, I was completely unprepared for some of the added difficulties. Most of my time in late September and October was spent trying to manage these new developments and I did not attend to academic matters until November.

At this point, I discovered that I had been deregistered from EMPR 250, an in-person course. At the beginning of the fall term, I had spoken to Dr. Robert Hickey about my situation and he was amenable to accommodating me. However, the vaccine policy preempted this and I was informed that I could not be registered in an in-person course even though I could not attend the class in person.

I also contacted the instructor for ASTR 101, David Hanes, about completing his course during the remainder of the term. (Having dealt with numerous health challenges during my years at Queen's, I have become quite adept at completing courses in a much shorter time frame.) However, since I had not completed any of the course work, the professor recommended that I appeal for a late drop.

There was another significant development during the fall term. I learned that my job had been effectively eliminated (due to government regulation) and I now have no income that could cover my rent, much less my basic living expenses. I have been looking for work but given my difficult health situation, my job prospects are quite limited. This is why I must also appeal for a full tuition refund. A full refund could help pay for much needed medical aids/equipment, which is now deemed a luxury expense because rent must be the first priority.

I have attached medical documentation from Dr. Lee in support of my appeals. I have also attached my e-mail correspondence with the ASTR 101 professor, David Hanes. I did ask Dr. Robert Hickey for confirmation that I did not attend or complete coursework for EMPR 250. I did not hear back from him but I suspect this was because he had to quickly adapt to the everchanging demands of the pandemic. I am certain that he will confirm that I did not attend his classes or complete the coursework for EMPR 250.