Petition Letter
Katherine Tate
506-175 Bath Road
Kingston, Ontario
K7M 7K9
February 11, 2021
Dr. Jenn Stephenson
Associate Dean (Academic)
Faculty of Arts and Science
Dunning Hall - First Floor,
94 University Avenue
Queen's University
Kingston, ON Canada
K7L 3N6
Dear Dr. Stephensen:
Please accept my appeal to revert my grade in GNDS 445 (Fall 2019) to an incomplete so that I can submit my final paper. I am registered with Student Accessibility Services. As a result of the accommodations I have received I have been able to keep up with the academic requirements of my program. However, during the fall and winter of 2019 my adult son, who has disabilities but lives on his own, was struggling at his job and was afraid he would be evicted from his apartment. He felt that he was being harassed by his superintendent. He would call me often, deeply distressed by what was happening both at work and at home. While I tried to connect him with resources in his own community, I turned to my psychologist and the staff at the Ban Righ Centre for support. Managing my disability while taking 3 courses and helping my son became overwhelming. I struggled to complete the final exams for SOCY 200 and SOCY 303. That was when I realized that I could not finish the final assignment for GNDS 445. I work hard on my assignments and I needed more time to submit my best work. I asked Dr. Morgensen for an incomplete in GNDS 445 so that I could take time to finish the final paper in the new year.
I only took 2 courses the following term so that I could also complete the paper for GNDS 445. I successfully completed the Winter 2020 term but found myself struggling with mental health issues resulting from the distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. My mental health issues were particularly difficult during the summer. As I still had an incomplete listed in SOLUS and Dr. Morgensen assured me that I could still complete the work, it did not occur to me to look further into the status of GNDS 445.
After completing the requirements for my degree in Fall 2020, I was researching master¿¿s programs when I discovered that my incomplete had been changed to an F. I made an appointment with an academic advisor who told me I would have to appeal the grade in that course if I still wanted to finish it. My former husband died suddenly on Boxing Day and I have spent the past several weeks helping my son make final arrangements for his father. I spoke with Dr. Morgensen last week and he is still willing to grade my final paper. He is very supportive of my application to appeal my grade in GNDS 445 because I already had a passing grade in the class even before submitting the final paper.
Since I am no longer taking classes, I am free to focus on completing the final assignment for GNDS 445. I feel that I now have the time and support needed to finish by March 12, 2021. Dr. Morgensen is still willing to meet with me and answer any questions I have about course content and the requirements for the assignment. Lisa Webb from the Ban Righ Centre is a continuing source of support I can access if I feel overwhelmed. I am also aware of the writing centre resources available, should I need them.
The pandemic made this past year particularly challenging. I would really appreciate the opportunity to put this year behind me and to complete GNDS 445. I am a strong student. My current grade does not reflect the effort I have already put into this course nor does it reflect my academic ability. I am applying to master's programs and I am concerned that this grade could limit my future academic prospects. It took me 25 years and a lot of perseverance to complete the requirements for my degree. It is important to me to finish what I started and end my undergraduate degree at Queen's on a positive note. Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Katherine Tate
03757669
506-175 Bath Road
Kingston, Ontario
K7M 7K9
February 11, 2021
Dr. Jenn Stephenson
Associate Dean (Academic)
Faculty of Arts and Science
Dunning Hall - First Floor,
94 University Avenue
Queen's University
Kingston, ON Canada
K7L 3N6
Dear Dr. Stephensen:
Please accept my appeal to revert my grade in GNDS 445 (Fall 2019) to an incomplete so that I can submit my final paper. I am registered with Student Accessibility Services. As a result of the accommodations I have received I have been able to keep up with the academic requirements of my program. However, during the fall and winter of 2019 my adult son, who has disabilities but lives on his own, was struggling at his job and was afraid he would be evicted from his apartment. He felt that he was being harassed by his superintendent. He would call me often, deeply distressed by what was happening both at work and at home. While I tried to connect him with resources in his own community, I turned to my psychologist and the staff at the Ban Righ Centre for support. Managing my disability while taking 3 courses and helping my son became overwhelming. I struggled to complete the final exams for SOCY 200 and SOCY 303. That was when I realized that I could not finish the final assignment for GNDS 445. I work hard on my assignments and I needed more time to submit my best work. I asked Dr. Morgensen for an incomplete in GNDS 445 so that I could take time to finish the final paper in the new year.
I only took 2 courses the following term so that I could also complete the paper for GNDS 445. I successfully completed the Winter 2020 term but found myself struggling with mental health issues resulting from the distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. My mental health issues were particularly difficult during the summer. As I still had an incomplete listed in SOLUS and Dr. Morgensen assured me that I could still complete the work, it did not occur to me to look further into the status of GNDS 445.
After completing the requirements for my degree in Fall 2020, I was researching master¿¿s programs when I discovered that my incomplete had been changed to an F. I made an appointment with an academic advisor who told me I would have to appeal the grade in that course if I still wanted to finish it. My former husband died suddenly on Boxing Day and I have spent the past several weeks helping my son make final arrangements for his father. I spoke with Dr. Morgensen last week and he is still willing to grade my final paper. He is very supportive of my application to appeal my grade in GNDS 445 because I already had a passing grade in the class even before submitting the final paper.
Since I am no longer taking classes, I am free to focus on completing the final assignment for GNDS 445. I feel that I now have the time and support needed to finish by March 12, 2021. Dr. Morgensen is still willing to meet with me and answer any questions I have about course content and the requirements for the assignment. Lisa Webb from the Ban Righ Centre is a continuing source of support I can access if I feel overwhelmed. I am also aware of the writing centre resources available, should I need them.
The pandemic made this past year particularly challenging. I would really appreciate the opportunity to put this year behind me and to complete GNDS 445. I am a strong student. My current grade does not reflect the effort I have already put into this course nor does it reflect my academic ability. I am applying to master's programs and I am concerned that this grade could limit my future academic prospects. It took me 25 years and a lot of perseverance to complete the requirements for my degree. It is important to me to finish what I started and end my undergraduate degree at Queen's on a positive note. Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Katherine Tate
03757669