Petition Letter
I am writing to appeal the decision of Dr. David Lamb, the course coordinator for my undergraduate thesis course, regarding the decision to grade a zero for my thesis proposal. My supervisor for this assignment is Dr. Parvin Mousavi.
The deadline for this assignment was November 11, with a grace period extension to November 18. I had intended to use this grace period to continue working on the assignment, as I had high stress levels and mental health issues that prevented me from finishing (supporting documentation available). However, I fell ill with Norovirus on November 17 and was unable to submit the assignment by the 9 AM deadline on the 18th. I was unable to carry out my usual activities due to symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, soreness, and fatigue. Despite this, I had already completed the document before the deadline and submitted it directly to my supervisors on the evening of the 18th. I have proof of completion of my thesis document before the deadline (supporting documentation available).
I have explained the situation in detail to Dr. Lamb on the deadline and requested that the submission portal be reopened so that I can submit the assignment. I have been in correspondence with him throughout the term and finally received the decision to have a final grade of zero for this assignment on December 22 via email. Dr. Lamb did not address many of my concerns and questions and refused to meet with me to discuss the situation before coming to this conclusion.
Not once in my undergraduate career have I submitted an assignment late. I am a Major Award recipient and am actively involved in several clubs, musical ensembles, teaching assistant work, and lab research this semester. This is not habitual for me nor is it something I plan on happening in the future.
The syllabus for this course https://courses.caslab.queensu.ca/cisc500/grading/ lacks any information regarding late submissions. In many of my other courses, different practices have been followed that I believe should have been applied in this case. For example, most deadlines in my other courses are set for 11:59 PM, which would have allowed me to submit the assignment on the same day even if I was unable to do so in the morning. In addition, most of my other courses have a late submission policy that usually results in a 10% deduction in the grade for assignments submitted within 24 hours of the deadline. None of these policies, including any mention of a grade of zero after the deadline, are mentioned in the syllabus.
As the thesis proposal assignment is worth 20% of my final grade, I believe that Dr. Lamb's decision to give me a zero is harsh and extreme. This assignment is not only important for my undergraduate career, but also for my future prospects in graduate school. My supervisors accepted my submission without any issues and even requested that I continue working on the assignment for several weeks past the deadline for my own success. They have also reached out to Dr. Lamb to request permission to give me a grade but their plea was unsuccessful.
I understand that there are consequences for submitting assignments late, but the decision to give me a zero does not seem fair or proportionate to the circumstances. I would greatly appreciate an opportunity to discuss this further and provide any additional information that may be needed. Thank you for your time and consideration.
The deadline for this assignment was November 11, with a grace period extension to November 18. I had intended to use this grace period to continue working on the assignment, as I had high stress levels and mental health issues that prevented me from finishing (supporting documentation available). However, I fell ill with Norovirus on November 17 and was unable to submit the assignment by the 9 AM deadline on the 18th. I was unable to carry out my usual activities due to symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, soreness, and fatigue. Despite this, I had already completed the document before the deadline and submitted it directly to my supervisors on the evening of the 18th. I have proof of completion of my thesis document before the deadline (supporting documentation available).
I have explained the situation in detail to Dr. Lamb on the deadline and requested that the submission portal be reopened so that I can submit the assignment. I have been in correspondence with him throughout the term and finally received the decision to have a final grade of zero for this assignment on December 22 via email. Dr. Lamb did not address many of my concerns and questions and refused to meet with me to discuss the situation before coming to this conclusion.
Not once in my undergraduate career have I submitted an assignment late. I am a Major Award recipient and am actively involved in several clubs, musical ensembles, teaching assistant work, and lab research this semester. This is not habitual for me nor is it something I plan on happening in the future.
The syllabus for this course https://courses.caslab.queensu.ca/cisc500/grading/ lacks any information regarding late submissions. In many of my other courses, different practices have been followed that I believe should have been applied in this case. For example, most deadlines in my other courses are set for 11:59 PM, which would have allowed me to submit the assignment on the same day even if I was unable to do so in the morning. In addition, most of my other courses have a late submission policy that usually results in a 10% deduction in the grade for assignments submitted within 24 hours of the deadline. None of these policies, including any mention of a grade of zero after the deadline, are mentioned in the syllabus.
As the thesis proposal assignment is worth 20% of my final grade, I believe that Dr. Lamb's decision to give me a zero is harsh and extreme. This assignment is not only important for my undergraduate career, but also for my future prospects in graduate school. My supervisors accepted my submission without any issues and even requested that I continue working on the assignment for several weeks past the deadline for my own success. They have also reached out to Dr. Lamb to request permission to give me a grade but their plea was unsuccessful.
I understand that there are consequences for submitting assignments late, but the decision to give me a zero does not seem fair or proportionate to the circumstances. I would greatly appreciate an opportunity to discuss this further and provide any additional information that may be needed. Thank you for your time and consideration.