Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom this may concern,

I am writing this letter to request an extension for two INs from the fall term of 2023. This fall term I experienced one of the most difficult events of my life. In September, my home of Eastern Libya was faced with disastrous floods that killed around 20,000 people over two days. This event had a very severe impact on me as my brother and other close family members were in the city of Derna while it flooded. This resulted in a taxing three weeks for me where the symptoms of my disability worsened, and I struggled to prioritize my academics over my health. Worrying for my family and watching my homeland being destroyed was far from easy. Shortly following this, the attacks in Gaza also took a strong toll on me and left me in deep trauma. Having lived through the war in Libya, seeing the images coming from Gaza triggered traumatic memories for me and I was often unable to focus in my classes. Sometimes I was fully unable to attend class, I lost my appetite on many days, I suffered several anxiety attacks, etc. Throughout this period, I tried to update my professors and request extensions whenever I needed them. However, all the effort I put in to complete my work was not enough. In POLS 339, I have yet to complete the take-home exam and one assignment. In POLS 243, I have one paper left to submit.

It has been extremely difficult for me to navigate my disabilities as I did not get diagnosed until my first year of university. Having to learn how to take care of myself and treat my disabilities when big life events occur was a big adjustment and it is something I am still learning.

With so much impacting my life at the time, I suffered from exacerbating symptoms of my disabilities, which directly impacted my ability to complete my schoolwork. Since then, I have been seeing my doctor on a regular basis and looking into psychological treatment such as therapy and counselling. I am now at a better place in my life and have reached a point where I have found more effective treatment for my disability. I plan to complete my outstanding work for these classes and hope that with your consideration and understanding you would grant my request to extend my INs. As overwhelming as it was for me to write this letter and submit this petition, I knew that my education was still the most important thing to me. Due to this, I wanted to make sure I would still have the opportunity to perform to my best level academically despite the many challenges I have faced within the last year. I know that being able to do this will only make me a better and stronger student. I sincerely appreciate the time you have taken to consider my request. I have faith that, given the circumstances outlined, you will find importance in my request and grant the extension for the incomplete assignments. Your support in this challenging situation means a great deal to me.

Sincerely,

Joud Qumizakis