Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: January 3rd, 2022


VIA APPEAL APPLICATION FORM (ONLINE)


Queen??s University
FAS (Office of the Associate Dean- Academic)
94 University Avenue
Kingston, ON
K7L 3N6
__

Dear Dr. Stephenson,

Re: PHIL 263 Credit Standing Petition

Please accept my credit standing request for PHIL 263, as discussed via email on October 27th, 2022. As you will see in SOLUS, my posted grade for the course is currently sitting at D. This is a much lower grade than my other courses, demonstrating that I was negatively affected by the instructor??s refusal to accommodate throughout the term. Additionally, a grade of D falls within the generally accepted grade range for credit standing requests in the Faculty of Arts and Science.

Since the beginning of Fall term, I have attempted to contact the instructor and organize a situation where my documented accessibility needs were being met. Although the instructor did eventually agree to share the necessary materials in an appropriate format after multiple months of negotiation, it was a constant challenge to maintain a steady transfer of content after each lecture, delivered in a timely fashion. As a result, the course delivery model unfairly impacted my academic performance, resulting in the grade I ultimately received.

Please do not hesitate to contact Dr. James Fraser (Acting Associate Dean- Teaching and Learning), who has kept a detailed log of all correspondence with the instructor. In addition to my own interactions with the instructor that have been shared with the Dean??s Office, Dr. Fraser has initiated several private telephone and email conversations which I cannot speak to, as the transcripts have not been shared with me. However, Dr. Fraser has indicated that he would be happy to share these with your office, should they be necessary to support this request. Additionally, Dr. Lynda Jessup wrote a formal letter to the instructor on Monday, November 14th. This letter formally identified a need to change the course delivery model. I trust that Dr. Jessup would be content sharing this letter with your office, if necessary.

Should you need to contact the Philosophy Department, please contact Dr. Christine Sypnowich (Department Head), who oversaw this case at the departmental level. Dr. Sypnowich has also kept a detailed log of all virtual and in-person interactions with the instructor. She has kindly agreed to be contacted if necessary.

Thank you for your time and consideration, Dr. Stephenson. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions about this petition.

Sincerely,

Jacob Reesor