Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

I am writing to respectfully request permission to credit (CR) ENGL100 and drop (DR) PSYC100 courses, which I completed during my first year in the Arts and Science program. As an international student, I was forced to arrive at school later than other students due to visa reasons, which made it difficult for me to acclimate to the curriculum in a timely manner. Consequently, my initial grades in these courses were below my expectations.

The processing of my visa was overseen by my high school teacher. Initially, I entrusted my passport to the guidance teacher, but due to an unfortunate error on their part, my passport was lost, necessitating a time-consuming and energy-draining process of obtaining a new one. Subsequently, while waiting for my visa to be approved by the IRCC, the progress of my application was stalled in the background check phase, with no advancement from July 7th, 2022, until mid-August. As a result, I submitted a second application, but this also yielded limited progress. My family and I had to resort to making international calls and sending emails and telegrams to the Canadian Visa Application Center to finally receive news on September 13th that my application had been dispatched to the IRCC Office. On September 14th, my application was received and is currently being processed at the IRCC Office. In response, I hastily booked a flight to Canada on September 16th upon receiving this update. Unfortunately, the IMM5813 customs letter did not arrive in time, precluding my boarding the plane, forcing me to cancel the flight and incur additional expenses. Given my desire for a more immersive school experience, I decided to stay in China and attend online classes, although I later received my customs letter on September 15th, a day before my scheduled departure. However, due to the need to travel one day in advance to catch the flight, I postponed my travel plans to September 23rd. This sequence of events proved to be a significant source of mental stress for me and my family. As a result, I missed the first week of freshman orientation and the second week of classes, including the laboratory session of the PSYC100 course and the first assignment explanation from professor of ENGL100. Therefore, under such circumstances, I only scored 58.5 points in the first assignment which weighting ten percent of my grade in the ENGL100 course without knowing the requirements. In the PSYC100 course, I failed the midterm exam because I was not familiar with the course content and learning method due to my absence in the first lab. Upon my arrival at the university, I struggled to adapt to the academic and social milieu, given the linguistic and cultural differences, posing significant challenges to my studies and daily life.

Despite these challenges, I remained committed to improving my academic performance and dedicated myself to making up for lost time. I availed myself of every resource available to me, including attending office hours and seeking guidance from my peers, and took every opportunity to develop my skills and knowledge in these subjects. This dedication paid off in the latter half of the term, as I was able to significantly improve my grades and demonstrate a solid grasp of the course material.

I am currently faced with the reality that my grade in these courses is impacting my GPA and potentially limiting my academic potential. I am deeply committed to achieving academic excellence and demonstrating my full potential as a student in the Arts and Science program. I believe that the decision to credit these courses would not only improve my academic standing but also reflect my true abilities and potential in these subjects. By doing so, I would be able to achieve my academic goals and position myself for success in future coursework.

Furthermore, I believe that my request for credit is justified based on the extenuating circumstances surrounding my initial academic struggles. As an international student, I faced numerous cultural and linguistic barriers that made the transition to Canadian academia challenging. However, I have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to overcoming these barriers and excelling in my coursework, as evidenced by my improved performance in the latter half of the term.

I understand that the university has certain regulations and criteria regarding the crediting of courses, and I am willing to comply with any additional requirements or conditions necessary to achieve this outcome. I am confident that with your support and guidance, I can achieve my academic goals and continue to contribute positively to the university community.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I would be happy to provide any additional information or documentation that may be required to support my request. Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Xinrong Yu