Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Yash Mehta
2324 West Ham Rd
Oakville, ON L6M 4N6
21yrm@queensu.ca
April 29th 2024

Dr. Jenn Stephenson
Associate Dean (Academic)
Queen’s University
99 University Ave.
Kingston, ON K7L 3N6

Dear Dr. Stephenson,

I am writing to request your consideration for academic concessions regarding my performance in the SPAN 111 course during the Winter 2023 term and the MATH 121 course in the Summer 2023 term. Due to a series of challenging personal circumstances, I believe that the grades recorded for these courses do not accurately reflect my capabilities under normal conditions. Thus, I respectfully petition for credit standing in both courses.

Throughout the Winter 2023 term, I encountered significant personal difficulties that profoundly impacted my ability to perform academically. These challenges were exacerbated by the ongoing effects of a family crisis, which continued to affect my mental and emotional well-being into the Summer 2023 term during which I was enrolled in MATH 121. The persistent nature of these issues significantly hindered my ability to maintain the standard of work that I typically uphold.

For SPAN 111, the essential issue was my inability to consistently participate in class and complete assignments on time, crucial for language acquisition. In MATH 121, the intensive nature of the summer course combined with my personal circumstances led to a similar decline in my academic performance.

I have sought assistance from university counseling services during this period and have been working with a therapist to manage my situation effectively. I am in the process of obtaining formal documentation from my healthcare provider, which will detail the impact of my personal circumstances on my academic performance. This documentation will be forwarded to your office as soon as it is available.

While I did not maintain communication with the instructors of SPAN 111 and MATH 121 at the time due to my distress, I did maintain communication with Professor Erin Meger from my Discrete Mathematics in Computing class (CISC 102) during the Winter 2023 term, who is aware of and can validate my extenuating circumstances during that period. Currently, I am in the process of reaching out to my instructors in both the Spanish and Math courses to discuss my situation and seek their understanding and support retrospectively.

Given the unique and extenuating nature of my circumstances, I kindly request that you consider granting me credit standing for SPAN 111 and MATH 121. This measure would significantly assist in maintaining my academic progression and alleviating the undue stress caused by factors beyond my control.

Thank you for considering this request. I appreciate your understanding and am eager to continue my studies with the dedication and focus that I have always strived to achieve. Please let me know if there is any further information you require or any procedures I should follow to assist in your decision.

Sincerely,

Yash Mehta
20356876