Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Ben Gotlib
262 Colborne st
Kingston, ON
K7K 1E5

Associate Dean (Academic)
Student Services, First Floor Dunning Hall
Queen's University


April 6, 2022,

Dear Associate Dean,

I am appealing to drop CLST 201 (Winter semester, 2022) past the academic deadline.

I am a second year student and hope to declare my plan to major in Classics. Extenuating circumstances beyond my control have directly affected my performance in this course. I had Covid-19 such that I was unable to successfully prepare for a mid term in this course that has irreparably compromised my ability to succeed in this course. Due to this, my professor (Prof. B. Kavanagh) has advised me to drop the course as I will not pass it.

I contracted Covid over Reading Week. I felt very sick and took a rapid Covid test on Friday February 24 which confirmed a positive case. For over the next two weeks, I was very unwell with significant respiratory symptoms. I had a pounding headache for much of this period and my ability to sleep was greatly impacted. I self-isolated myself in my room in my student house, careful to avoid contact with my four other roommates and to not risk exposing my fellow peers to my illness unnecessarily. I was extremely fatigued and had to rest for many days on end to be able to even feel that I could work productively. I missed the first two weeks of classes after reading week and, as a result of my Covid infection, I fell very behind in my studies, including work in this course.

As I was sick with Covid, on March 5, I applied for academic consideration covering this course and two others. In my application I requested from March 4th to March 10. I was only notified that my request was approved for March 4 to 8, on March 10, after the extension had already ended. I was still feeling very unwell with bad respiratory symptoms at this time. Thankfully, I finally tested negative on March 13. Although I was negative, I still felt very tired with very low energy, nonetheless I was excited to finally be able to attend in-person lectures, especially after months of online learning.

I had a midterm scheduled in CLST 201 on March 13. This being the case, I understood I had no alternative but to write the test as my consideration period had expired on the 8th.

I knew that I would have to do well in this midterm as I did not in the first mid term.
I tried my best to study for the upcoming test, however, I was still very tired and unable to study as hard and for as long as I needed to. I tried to write the test to get it behind me and catch up with other work. I hoped to get a decent mark to improve my grade in the course.

Unfortunately, the mid term was very difficult. A few days after the completion of the midterm Prof. Kavanagh posted an announcement to the class onQ that addressed concerns that many students had regarding the midterm. In this announcement, among other things, he stated I do not know how you would understand some of the slides if you weren't in class to hear an explanation. Although the professor posted his lecture slides online, now knowing this I do not believe I should be penalized by having a failure on my transcript when the professor for the course stated that the material we were evaluated on would be very difficult to understand if not for attendance in his lectures to hear his explanations. Under normal circumstances I would accept the consequences of my not attending his in person lectures, yet it seems that in this particular instance my attendance in his class was out of the question. I now know that I missed important lectures and information relevant to the test as a result of missing two weeks of classes before the mid term. As stated above, my professor advised me to drop the course as I would not pass it. I am extremely concerned that a failure on my transcript in this course will prevent me from pursuing my plan to major in Classics. This would be very disappointing to me as a student because I have thoroughly enjoyed all my other education I've received by enrolling in CLST courses.

Through this very negative and stressful experience, I realize that I need to better understand Queen's policies regarding academic consideration and if I am in doubt when circumstances are beyond my control, I will reach out to my professor or an academic adviser. I also understand that I need to carefully consider my progress in a course as I go along and be extremely mindful of drop dates.

Thank you very much for taking time to review my appeal. I greatly appreciate it.

Yours sincerely,

Ben Gotlib 20240810