Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,
I am requesting a credit standing for the course ECON 480 which was completed the winter semester of 2020. The credits from this seminar are the only remaining requirements left for me to graduate. I am requesting an appeal for this course because of the extenuating circumstances that prevented me from completing course material in a timely manner. I am aware that an appeal this far removed is unprecedented, but I was only enlightened about the appeal process recently and believe the circumstances surrounding my case must be addressed. This is a seminar course where grading is weighted through class participation, a presentation, and a final paper. The final paper was worth 80%+ of the final mark. The late penalty was 2% per day. All course work was completed; however, the final paper was submitted roughly 2 weeks late. I had requested an extension but was denied, my grade for the paper would have been passing if not for the late penalty. This late submission was due to the debilitating impact the pandemic had on my mental well-being.
During this unforeseen transition, I developed an intense anxiety that deterred my ability to productively function. This coupled with a sudden move in working environments produced an atmosphere that was destructive to my academic productivity. I was aware of this, so I had asked my professor for an extension on the paper but was denied; this only added to my anxiety. This anxiety had prevented me from actively and productively attending my academic responsibilities. This was represented in my academic performance for all classes taken during the W20 semester. I failed 2 classes and opted to Pass/Fail another due to my passing, but poor performance. For ECON 480, I had received a grade of 46%, meaning this would have been passing if the late penalty had been subverted or a short extension had been given. This performance is in stark contrast with my academic resume and was only caused by the extenuating circumstances surrounding the pandemic. In retrospect, I should have appealed this immediately, but I was unaware of the appeal process at the time. I was alerted about the appeal process only recently through academic advisory and counselling through Student Wellness.
The W20 semester was scheduled to be my final semester before graduation, having not completed my degree had spiralled me further into a depression. At the time, these mental health struggles were novel to me, so I did not develop a meaningful plan to combat these issues. My plan moving forward was to simply retake my failed credits. I enrolled for F20 in ECON 411 and ECON 485, but my mental health had only regressed. My anxiety had grown and was particularly potent surrounding work in my seminar course. I would attend the library regularly but was unable to complete the work for my seminar in a timely manner. This resulted in me being unable to hand in the final paper for my seminar (ECON 485) entirely. I passed ECON 411 with a D+.
I decided to take a semester off to take a break and develop myself through work. This was done with the hope of providing myself new skills to combat my mental struggles. After contacting the Economics department, I was able to enroll for the F21 semester in a seminar course for the third time. I was determined, but the same issues I had during the F20 semester had re-emerged and I was unable to submit the paper again. At this point, I realized the extent of my dysfunction. I decided to ask for help regarding my mental health for the first time. I contacted my parents and opened up to them about my struggles. I have since contacted an academic advisor and counsellor through Student Wellness Services and am looking further into professional counselling.
During this time, I checked my transcript and my grade for ECON 482 for the F21 semester was graded IN. This was a surprise to me as I was expecting an F. My academic advisor had explained to me that this meant I would have until April 30 at the latest to hand in my paper for ECON 482 from the F21 semester. This however was never communicated to me, and I was only made aware of this by checking my transcript late in March. I do not have enough time at this point to complete my paper and the other academic requirements for the course, nor do I think a fourth attempt at writing this paper is a feasible solution. With an extension, my grade for ECON 480 would have been passing, and considering the dramatic academic shift during the onset of the pandemic, I believe my request for an extension was wrongfully denied. I am aware that an appeal for a course for the W20 semester is long overdue and unprecedented, but I believe a credit standing for ECON 480 deserves strong consideration.

Thank you for your consideration,

Riyan Khan