Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dean Stephenson,


I am writing to appeal the grade I received in my Social Determinants of Health course (HLTH 101) in the Winter 2022 term. As such, I am requesting a credit standing (CR) be issued in place of the posted aegrotat grade C- as the grade I received did not reflect my knowledge and abilities that were performed over the span of the course. Had circumstances been more typical, my outcome in HLTH 101 would have been far more successful.


In the Fall 2021 term, it was discovered that I had a brain tumour that was enlarging to a potentially fatal size. Being added to the surgery waitlist with the expectation I was to be operated on during the Winter 2022 term was mentally taxing, especially when trying to meet the demands of my academic courses. During this time, I experienced many debilitating symptoms caused by my brain tumour that often came in the form of severe pain to the head and neck. In addition to the mental and physical impairments of my brain tumour, my tinnitus (high-frequency ringing in the ear) became worse over the course of the Fall term due to continued loss of hearing, creating an anxious environment, regardless of my whereabouts. Furthermore, it was recently discovered that I was attending university with untreated and undiagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (see attached diagnosis). To summarize, the combined effects of dealing with a brain tumour that required removal, trying to cope with worsening tinnitus, and struggling with what I now know was ADHD, made it difficult to excel in my academic studies.


The Social Determinants of Health course was where my extenuating circumstances affected my academic performance most significantly. The expected amount of reading, writing, and critical thinking in the course was difficult to manage with focus and concentration lacking, being easily distracted, and having negative and worrisome thoughts. This led to misunderstanding key concepts in readings and making careless mistakes on quizzes. Between taking much longer to finish the same assignments my peers received, and the incapacity to organize and manage time, I struggled with meeting deadlines. This would result in rushed work that would not have complied with my standards in previous years, accompanied by the reflecting grade. In some instances, assignments and quizzes failed to be submitted as a result of acute symptoms caused by my brain tumour as I was physically unable to complete work due to the severe nature of the symptoms. With HLTH 101 exclusively grading students on reading and writing assignments, the circumstances I underwent directly impacted my academic performance in the course.


With the ambition to do well academically, I took many steps to resolve or at the minimum, make symptoms more manageable. During the period these symptoms occurred, I had numerous calls with my family doctor, saw multiple medical professionals in the Kingston area, either by appointment or being admitted to the emergency room, and sought out counselling services. Unfortunately, all forms of treatment provided in Kingston, Ontario were ineffective, resulting in my return to Vancouver, BC (my residing city) in early November 2021 to seek immediate medical attention from my specialists. At this time, I was in contact with Professor Fergus and had let him know of my circumstances. It was discussed that my options were to either receive an incomplete (IN) and submit outstanding items at a later deadline or receive an aegrotat grade of a B (75%) or a credit standing (CR). After having sought out the attention of my specialists, treatment for my symptoms sounded promising and straightforward at the time being. With an optimistic approach, I decided to continue the course with the expectation of demonstrating my knowledge and abilities to the standard I once held myself to. In the period I was given to complete the outstanding items, medication I was given to help manage symptoms made completing the lengthy writing assignments challenging as my symptoms became sporadic and unpredictable. In between working on the remaining items for HLTH 101, I would be in the emergency room or on bed rest. The cycle of feeling normal one moment and debilitated the next, made it hard to think clearly and communicate what was occurring to medical personnel and university professionals, such as Professor Fergus. This ultimately led to the request for an aegrotat grade in consequence of worsening symptoms and ineffective non-surgical treatment which was communicated to Professor Fergus.


Upon receiving the aegrotat grade C-, I was physically unable to make an appeal as my day-to-day consisted of being bedridden up until the end of my post-operation recovery. Having only undergone surgery less than three months ago, my recovery interfered with the deadline to submit an appeal.


It would be greatly appreciated if my appeal letter and supporting documentation be looked over and a credit standing (CR) be considered. Since recovering from surgery, my plan is to return to my studies in the Winter 2023 term with proper accommodations and effective treatment for my disabilities, allowing for a successful term. Thank you for your consideration.


Sincerely,


Christina Gee
BSc Kinesiology 2025/26, Queen??s University
20276891 20creg@queensu.ca