Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom this may concern,

I am writing this letter with much humility and disappointment in my need to request to have my mark in Math 211 changed to credit.

The last two years have been incredibly difficult. My mother was diagnosed with cancer which led to subsequent treatments that had me rise to levels I did not think that I could. My mother's cancer was especially upsetting for me as she is my only parental support and we are very close. I jumped hurdles and I helped her as best as I could. I am not a huge fan of needles but she was even more afraid of them so I had to step up to be the one to give her bi-weekly injections.
I did not think it could get worse and then Covid happened. Due to the pandemic I was her only caregiver which although overwhelming I was honoured to be. At Least we had each other but it was very isolating.

First year I struggled continuously through online learning and was so relieved when second year started with in class learning. My mental health was improving and my marks were indicative of my improved state of mind. I earned a 3.6 GPA first semester of second year. Then Covid knocked me off my feet again as I tested positive and was hit hard. I was scared of the lasting effects from having Covid and the isolation and fear of infecting my roommates was very stressful on top of the strain of being sick. One of the major symptoms I experienced was brain fog and an inability to focus. I was unable to seek medical attention as I had tested positive and needed to isolate. I struggled with the sickness, wrote my exam virtually and did horribly. I managed to pass that exam with a 60 but I know I could have done much better had I not been sick.

Second semester we returned to online learning which was incredibly detrimental for my marks as well as my mental health. I am not sure if I had lingering effects from having Covid but I had a hard time focusing which is unusual for me. I had a hard time leaving my bed and would often spend most of the day sleeping. When I was awake I had a hard time focusing and was suffering from symptoms of depression. I started to suffer academically and prior to my exam I reached out to my Professor regarding my situation and my email was left unanswered. I went for extra help at the Math Help Centre and the graduate students were unfortunately unable, due to the uniqueness of this course, to decipher the math problems in order to help me. I sacrificed time with my family by not going home to celebrate Easter so that I could focus on preparing myself for the final exam and the results were dismal. This was a big sacrifice for me as having gone through 2 years of cancer treatments with my mom it saddens me to miss out on moments with her.

My weakened immune system might have been the cause of my contraction of a very bad viral ear infection which caused me to temporarily lose my hearing. The infection lasted over two weeks and prevented me from a normal quality of life. I was not able to communicate and study in any normal setting such as the library. This restriction became incredibly isolating and stressful. When I was finally able to see a doctor I was prescribed antibiotics which did not provide any relief until after I completed the exam.

I felt lost in that second semester and I don't feel as though I had the support that I needed. I went into the exam feeling as though I had fallen between the cracks. I do not want to have this one mark have a negative effect on my GPA and I ask that you please grant me this one chance to receive credit for Math 211 instead.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Madeline McDermott