Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I, Malcolm May, am formally appealing to drop my winter 2020 courses, namely, MATH 112, 225, 281, and PHAR 270, from my transcript. I am requesting a refund for these courses.

Before the COVID-19 In the winter of 2020, before the COVID shutdown, I regretfully could not continue my studies at Queen's due to acute sickness and my doctor's recommendation to pause my studies.

I fully intend to use the refunded tuition to return to study in 2022. This was a significant set-back in my studies. I would like to drop and receive a refund for these courses since I was not able to attend, or gain any value from them, due to a severe deterioration of health at the time. In my condition, I was not able to attend lectures, or assessments, from January of 2020 to the end of the W20 term.

My psychiatric healthcare provider strongly recommended I take a complete break from my studies. Documentation was provided for this situation in the Fall of 2019. I optimistically re-enrolled in classes for the winter term, eager as I was to succeed in academics, but my health again deteriorated. Likely, as a direct result of this. My physician was aware and following my case closely, and documentation was submitted as early as November 2019. Attached letters from my professors confirm that I did not attend classes or complete assessments from January onward in Winter 2020.

I deeply enjoy studying at Queen??s, and I have demonstrated since this misfortune that I am capable of success at the University: In the Fall term of 2020, I adapted to studying in remote learning as my re-introduction to course work. This was very challenging, but by the end of Winter 2021, I had found success in my courses. The Fall 2021 term saw my continuation of studies in 400-level biochemistry. I would like to complete my undergraduate degree in the year 2022, with help of tuition fees reimbursed for winter 2020.

My illness in 2019/2020 was caused by factors out of my control, and prevented me from attending classes or taking advantage of the resources for which I had paid through tuition fees. Therefore, I did not receive the academic services for which my fees were assessed. If this tuition refund is granted, I would appreciate the opportunity to reallocate the tuition fees that I paid, to complete my degree course work in 2022.

This was of course an unwelcome set-back out of my control. I did not immediately drop the courses because my rapidly declining health was occupying my attention at the time. I have the full intention of returning to my studies in 2022, but I would require reimbursement or consideration for free enrollment for this to be financially possible.

It is worth noting that this request for tuition fee amendment is not related to the lockdown in response to the COVID-19 crisis. This is in reference to an independent relapse of illness that took place several weeks?? precedent to the COVID-19 crisis. Documentation was provided, and an amendment was approved for Fall 2019, during the Fall of 2019.