Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 10177
Submitted: March 17, 2023 at 2:26:45 PM
First Name: Aziza
Last Name: Omer
Pronoun: She/her
Preferred Name: Aziza
Student Number: 20040204
Email: 16ao13@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: GPHY
Level of Study: 4
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Code: GPHY 247
Term: Fall
Year: 2021
Petition Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: Sarah Yakimowski
Section/Class Number: 009
Code: ECON 110
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2021
Petition Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: Ian Cromb
Section/Class Number: 001
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Academic),
I am writing this petition to request credit standing in the following courses:
GPHY 247, Fall 2021, grade: C
ECON 110A / 110B, Fall 2021-Winter 2022, grade: B-
Due to extenuating circumstances relating to my physical health, I was unable to perform to the best of my ability in the courses listed. Toward the middle of the fall 2021 term, after the drop deadline, I began to experience repeated acute episodes of gastritis while also suffering from a separate infection. I saw multiple doctors and was prescribed over-the-counter medications that did not eliminate these issues. At one point, I had to visit the emergency room because the pain from gastritis was so severe.
These conditions impacted my ability to sleep, eat, and focus on several occasions throughout the year. It particularly affected my ability to perform in technical courses, such as statistics and economics, where new lessons build upon previous lessons. This can make it more difficult to catch up when momentum is lost. Furthermore, assessments in these courses are timed and at times worth large portions of one??s grade. This created an added level of anxiety regarding a potential gastritis flare-up while studying or during exams. This concern was not as severe concerning written assessments in arts courses, where I could take breaks to tend to my health before the final deadline. The acute mental stress of writing tests tended to worsen my gastritis symptoms, particularly on my final exams.
I had an especially painful flare-up during my online statistics (GPHY 247) exam, which led me to contact my professor and inform them of the situation. I stated that I was in severe pain despite following my doctor??s advice. I did not hear back from the professor before the exam. Since the exam was already deferred, I feared I would not receive another opportunity to write it, and thought it was in my best interest to complete it. Afterward, the professor advised that I should not have done so and should have applied for academic consideration.
Had I known my symptoms would persist as long as they did, I certainly would have elected to drop the courses in question. Ahead of the winter term, I made extensive changes to my lifestyle and eating habits in the hope that I would be able to recover from any negative effects on my academic performance. But my efforts were not fruitful. Moreover, I did not know about the option to submit a petition after the drop deadline.
I withdrew from my studies for the 2022??2023 academic year to tend to my health given the ongoing nature of this issue and other worsening chronic health concerns. Namely, treating my autoimmune condition and mental health concerns. There have also been several events, including the passing of loved ones that have required my immediate attention. It is only in recent weeks after months of therapy and doctors visits that I have had the time and resources to address issues that arose in the 2021-2022 academic year.
I am currently in the process of determining the root cause of my stomach pain, which could be an H. pylori infection or an autoimmune disease, among other possibilities. Once the root cause is determined and addressed, I look forward to resuming my studies at Queen??s and performing at a level consistent with my academic history. I have learned from this experience how to navigate similar challenges more proactively in the future. If I am struggling academically, I will promptly speak with an academic advisor to discuss my options and make sure I do not find myself in the same situation again.
While I am aware that credit standing is usually granted within one year of course completion and for grades below a C, I am hoping that an exception can be made in this instance for the following reasons. Firstly, extenuating circumstances mentioned above delayed my petition. Secondly, this is my first time writing a petition and that the grades I received in these two courses are highly inconsistent with those I received previously in a wide variety of courses. My previous academic performance awarded me placement on the Dean??s List, and there was a clear drop in performance during the onset of my illness. My Fall 2021??Winter 2022 grades do not reflect my dedication to my studies, and I feel it would be extremely unfortunate if my performance in these courses limited my opportunities to pursue my goals in post-graduate education.
Attached to my petition you will find two medical notes from the fall and winter terms, and I am in the process of obtaining another note to demonstrate that this condition is ongoing.
Thank you for your time and consideration of my request.
Sincerely,
Aziza Omer
20040204
I am writing this petition to request credit standing in the following courses:
GPHY 247, Fall 2021, grade: C
ECON 110A / 110B, Fall 2021-Winter 2022, grade: B-
Due to extenuating circumstances relating to my physical health, I was unable to perform to the best of my ability in the courses listed. Toward the middle of the fall 2021 term, after the drop deadline, I began to experience repeated acute episodes of gastritis while also suffering from a separate infection. I saw multiple doctors and was prescribed over-the-counter medications that did not eliminate these issues. At one point, I had to visit the emergency room because the pain from gastritis was so severe.
These conditions impacted my ability to sleep, eat, and focus on several occasions throughout the year. It particularly affected my ability to perform in technical courses, such as statistics and economics, where new lessons build upon previous lessons. This can make it more difficult to catch up when momentum is lost. Furthermore, assessments in these courses are timed and at times worth large portions of one??s grade. This created an added level of anxiety regarding a potential gastritis flare-up while studying or during exams. This concern was not as severe concerning written assessments in arts courses, where I could take breaks to tend to my health before the final deadline. The acute mental stress of writing tests tended to worsen my gastritis symptoms, particularly on my final exams.
I had an especially painful flare-up during my online statistics (GPHY 247) exam, which led me to contact my professor and inform them of the situation. I stated that I was in severe pain despite following my doctor??s advice. I did not hear back from the professor before the exam. Since the exam was already deferred, I feared I would not receive another opportunity to write it, and thought it was in my best interest to complete it. Afterward, the professor advised that I should not have done so and should have applied for academic consideration.
Had I known my symptoms would persist as long as they did, I certainly would have elected to drop the courses in question. Ahead of the winter term, I made extensive changes to my lifestyle and eating habits in the hope that I would be able to recover from any negative effects on my academic performance. But my efforts were not fruitful. Moreover, I did not know about the option to submit a petition after the drop deadline.
I withdrew from my studies for the 2022??2023 academic year to tend to my health given the ongoing nature of this issue and other worsening chronic health concerns. Namely, treating my autoimmune condition and mental health concerns. There have also been several events, including the passing of loved ones that have required my immediate attention. It is only in recent weeks after months of therapy and doctors visits that I have had the time and resources to address issues that arose in the 2021-2022 academic year.
I am currently in the process of determining the root cause of my stomach pain, which could be an H. pylori infection or an autoimmune disease, among other possibilities. Once the root cause is determined and addressed, I look forward to resuming my studies at Queen??s and performing at a level consistent with my academic history. I have learned from this experience how to navigate similar challenges more proactively in the future. If I am struggling academically, I will promptly speak with an academic advisor to discuss my options and make sure I do not find myself in the same situation again.
While I am aware that credit standing is usually granted within one year of course completion and for grades below a C, I am hoping that an exception can be made in this instance for the following reasons. Firstly, extenuating circumstances mentioned above delayed my petition. Secondly, this is my first time writing a petition and that the grades I received in these two courses are highly inconsistent with those I received previously in a wide variety of courses. My previous academic performance awarded me placement on the Dean??s List, and there was a clear drop in performance during the onset of my illness. My Fall 2021??Winter 2022 grades do not reflect my dedication to my studies, and I feel it would be extremely unfortunate if my performance in these courses limited my opportunities to pursue my goals in post-graduate education.
Attached to my petition you will find two medical notes from the fall and winter terms, and I am in the process of obtaining another note to demonstrate that this condition is ongoing.
Thank you for your time and consideration of my request.
Sincerely,
Aziza Omer
20040204
Documentation
Professional Letter: Aziza Omer Medical Document Fall PDF.pdf