Petition Letter
June 11, 2022 Sokolowski, Trevor
27 Francis St
Kingston, ON K7M 1L8
Dear Associate Deans for Academics,
My name is Trevor Sokolowski and I am appealing for credit standing for PHYS 239 (Winter 2022). The reason I am appealing for the course to be changed to a credit standing is because of how my final grade was impacted from a difficult circumstance.
I want to illustrate the situation and thought process that has resulted in my choice to ask for an appeal for this course. This was supposed to be my final semester of my undergraduate degree. I took 4 courses to make sure that I could handle the load of all the courses and perform at my best. In previous years I had struggled immensely academically, but learned strategies in order to overcome each difficulty. Feeling the most prepared I have ever felt, resulted in me doing great work in each of my classes. I was starting to feel overwhelming amounts of stress knowing the weight of my final (PHYS 239) exam. I met with a SWS counsellor to alleviate that pressure so I could be in the best headspace to write that exam. On exam day I felt a little uneasy in my stomach on my walk to the exam room (which I thought to be a result of high stress). Upon arrival, my stomach did not settle and got worse. At this point I was feeling very nauseous and was having extreme difficulty focusing on the work in front of me. The longer I stayed the harder it became to write the exam. In this time I had to use the bathroom and told the proctor who walked me there, that I was not feeling good. When asked if I could complete my exam, I said was unsure and was ushered back to the exam room. With my condition getting worse I wrote what I could, and handed the exam in early to rush back to my house. I spent the rest of the day combating this sickness which had me extremely puzzled at the time. I have taken so many precautions to setup a strong foundation for my academics in the past few years. This is why it was so difficult for me to tie the cause of my stomach problems to any situation. I had nutrition in order, exercise in order, and had sleep at a reasonably healthy state.
After the exam I emailed the professor about my situation and how I was willing to show that it was not a strong nor equal representation of my understanding of the course due to the circumstance I wrote the exam in. The professor directed me to Academic Considerations and would determine a reweighing based on their verdict. Since the exam was attempted and all deliverables were submitted, Academic Considerations could not adjust anything in my situation. This resulted in the professor deeming no re-distribution of grades which causes the 50% exam to be counted making me fail the course. A few weeks went by and I had to go to a physicians office for a fungal infection. I thought it to be caused by my high stress in the past few weeks, just like the unsettled stomach. After discussing with them, I found out that my sickness was most likely food poisoning due to how severe my symptoms were and since they were worse than I have experienced from stress. After emailing my professor about this important detail, I have received no response leaving my exam counted and my course as a fail.
I understand that Academic Considerations state to not arrive or attempt deliverables or tests of any kind, to avoid this situation. However, it was impossible for me to discern the two situations as they share similar symptoms. I would never have made the call to stay at home from a slightly unsettled stomach, as exams always bring that degree of stress to myself. I am making this appeal as I don't believe a near impossible call in judgement deserves to withhold my graduation.
Sincerely,
-Trevor Sokolowski
(20061824)
27 Francis St
Kingston, ON K7M 1L8
Dear Associate Deans for Academics,
My name is Trevor Sokolowski and I am appealing for credit standing for PHYS 239 (Winter 2022). The reason I am appealing for the course to be changed to a credit standing is because of how my final grade was impacted from a difficult circumstance.
I want to illustrate the situation and thought process that has resulted in my choice to ask for an appeal for this course. This was supposed to be my final semester of my undergraduate degree. I took 4 courses to make sure that I could handle the load of all the courses and perform at my best. In previous years I had struggled immensely academically, but learned strategies in order to overcome each difficulty. Feeling the most prepared I have ever felt, resulted in me doing great work in each of my classes. I was starting to feel overwhelming amounts of stress knowing the weight of my final (PHYS 239) exam. I met with a SWS counsellor to alleviate that pressure so I could be in the best headspace to write that exam. On exam day I felt a little uneasy in my stomach on my walk to the exam room (which I thought to be a result of high stress). Upon arrival, my stomach did not settle and got worse. At this point I was feeling very nauseous and was having extreme difficulty focusing on the work in front of me. The longer I stayed the harder it became to write the exam. In this time I had to use the bathroom and told the proctor who walked me there, that I was not feeling good. When asked if I could complete my exam, I said was unsure and was ushered back to the exam room. With my condition getting worse I wrote what I could, and handed the exam in early to rush back to my house. I spent the rest of the day combating this sickness which had me extremely puzzled at the time. I have taken so many precautions to setup a strong foundation for my academics in the past few years. This is why it was so difficult for me to tie the cause of my stomach problems to any situation. I had nutrition in order, exercise in order, and had sleep at a reasonably healthy state.
After the exam I emailed the professor about my situation and how I was willing to show that it was not a strong nor equal representation of my understanding of the course due to the circumstance I wrote the exam in. The professor directed me to Academic Considerations and would determine a reweighing based on their verdict. Since the exam was attempted and all deliverables were submitted, Academic Considerations could not adjust anything in my situation. This resulted in the professor deeming no re-distribution of grades which causes the 50% exam to be counted making me fail the course. A few weeks went by and I had to go to a physicians office for a fungal infection. I thought it to be caused by my high stress in the past few weeks, just like the unsettled stomach. After discussing with them, I found out that my sickness was most likely food poisoning due to how severe my symptoms were and since they were worse than I have experienced from stress. After emailing my professor about this important detail, I have received no response leaving my exam counted and my course as a fail.
I understand that Academic Considerations state to not arrive or attempt deliverables or tests of any kind, to avoid this situation. However, it was impossible for me to discern the two situations as they share similar symptoms. I would never have made the call to stay at home from a slightly unsettled stomach, as exams always bring that degree of stress to myself. I am making this appeal as I don't believe a near impossible call in judgement deserves to withhold my graduation.
Sincerely,
-Trevor Sokolowski
(20061824)