Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Academic Petitions,

I am writing to request academic consideration for ECON 111, which I took in Winter 2024. My request is that I be permitted to retroactively convert my grade (B-) to a Personal Interest Credit (PIC). I am aware that I missed the deadline and that the University’s policy is to not allow this kind of retroactive change. I am making this request on compassionate grounds.

In the winter semester my 85 year old grandmother, Elizabeth Carnegie (a Kingston resident), had to return from Florida because she was experiencing a toxic liver reaction to medication. I am very close with my grandmother and visit her weekly to help her with tasks. I am actively engaged in her eldercare.

Her health crisis began on the weekend of February 23rd. She flew back to Canada on February 28th, saw her doctor on the 29th, and was admitted to the emergency at KGH on March 1st. It was a very stressful time. I contemplated making ECON 111 a PIC on this date, owing to the stress of these events and the requirements of keeping up with my required courses. I decided to continue in ECON 111 as a graded course because I thought I would be able to dedicate time to study for the final exam, even amidst these difficult circumstances.

My grandmother remained in the hospital until March 5th. Her health continued to decline and she was readmitted to the hospital April 6th where she remained until April 16th. During this time she was tested for bile duct cancer and other serious health issues. These serious medical concerns were very stressful because the tests were inconclusive if she had terminal cancer. This period coincided with my exam preparation period.

My grandmother is now at home recovering. I am able today to share a doctor’s note my grandmother received for a medical insurance claim that proves her hospitalization the first time and shows her reentry on April 6th. If needed I can get an additional note to prove the duration of her second stay.

The stress of my grandmother’s hospitalization impacted my academic performance - I was upset and distracted. I am a 3rd year Life Science student and I take my studies seriously. I did everything within my capacity to carry on with my end-of-term assignments and final exams. ECON 111 was an online class and it was the one that suffered the most.

If you look at my academic performance until this semester you will see that I am a serious and hardworking student. I received a final grade of B- in ECON 111. As a student working toward graduate school this grade will have a significant impact on my GPA. In retrospect, I know I should have made a decision to convert ECON 111 to a PIC by the deadline, but at that time I did not know the extent of the stress of my grandmother’s illness on me and how it would interfere with my preparation for exams.

I am requesting to convert ECON 111 to a PIC on compassionate grounds. I hope that you can appreciate that my decision to keep ECON 111 as a graded course at the March 1 deadline was made without the knowledge of the stress that my grandmother’s health events, which intensified after March 1, would have on my academic performance in the course. Please note that I am only requesting a PIC for ECON 111 and will accept the outcomes of my other Life Science classes in Winter 2024, which were taken as required or potentially required for two different specializations.

Thank you for considering this request.

Yours sincerely,

Ruby Gore