Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Letter: Dear Members of the Board of Studies,

I am writing to formally appeal the decision made by the Associate Dean to deny my petition to drop MATH 231, MATH 384, and STAT 361 (Fall 2023) after the academic deadline and to waive the requirement to withdraw for one year. I believe the decision did not fully consider the evidence and circumstances presented in my petition.

Firstly, the Associate Dean's decision does not adequately reflect the impact of the extenuating circumstances I outlined in my petition. I provided a detailed account of the emotional and psychological distress caused by the tragic events in Gaza, including the loss of several family members. This distress severely impacted my ability to perform academically, particularly during the final exam season. At that time, I did not have control over dropping the courses and was planning to graduate this year, making it a very difficult decision. The evidence I couldn't provide the evidence because is about my family and relatives in Gaza and we know the situation is very difficult so I couldn't provide it because it of people who died there from my family, which is hard to describe and hard to provide evidence for that clearly, indicated how these extenuating circumstances directly affected my academic performance, yet this was not sufficiently considered in the decision.

Secondly, the Associate Dean’s response emphasized that I should have dropped courses by the established deadlines, citing a previous petition decision letter from May 2023. However, this does not reasonably consider the ongoing and escalating nature of my circumstances during the Fall 2023 semester. The ongoing in Gaza and the consequent emotional toll made it extraordinarily difficult to make clear academic decisions within the given timeframe. Expecting that I should have managed to drop the courses despite the significant trauma I was experiencing seems unrealistic. The decision overlooks the fact that the cumulative emotional and psychological impact of these events severely impaired my ability to make timely and rational decisions regarding my course load.

Thirdly, the decision did not sufficiently acknowledge the proactive steps I have taken to address my academic performance. I am currently enrolled in summer courses and have shown improvement in my academic performance due to the less demanding course load. Furthermore, I have been attending regular counselling sessions and have developed strategies to manage my mental health better. These efforts were outlined in my petition, yet the decision did not adequately consider these steps or their potential positive impact on my future academic success. Overlooking these proactive measures does not appreciate my commitment to overcoming the challenges I faced and my dedication to improving my academic standing.

Additionally, I would like to address a specific point regarding MATH 231 (Introduction to Differential Equations). This course is equivalent to MATH 225 (Ordinary Differential Equations), which I am currently taking as a summer course. Based on my current grades and the progress I have made, I am confident that I will pass MATH 225 by the end of the summer term. Since MATH 231 will not be offered next year, it is crucial to consider dropping MATH 231 now, as it is effectively redundant with the successful completion of MATH 225. This redundancy should be a compelling reason to grant the petition to drop MATH 231, ensuring that my academic record accurately reflects my current and ongoing efforts to fulfill the course requirements.

Furthermore, I want to emphasize that my GPA will rise after completing the summer courses I am currently enrolled in. Based on my performance so far, I expect to achieve high grades, ranging from A to B, in most of these courses. According to the GPA calculator on Queen's Arts and Science website, my GPA is projected to rise to around 1.6 or very close to it after the 12 units of summer courses. This significant improvement means that I will meet the GPA requirement, and thus, it would be reasonable to waive the requirement to withdraw for one year. It would be disheartening if, despite achieving the necessary GPA, I am still required to withdraw, especially since I am looking to graduate this Fall with a 90-unit general degree without honours and move forward with my career.

I respectfully request that the Board of Studies reconsider my petition. I believe that a fair and reasonable decision, which fully considers the evidence and circumstances presented, would support my request to drop the courses and waive the requirement to withdraw for one year. I am committed to my academic success and have demonstrated my willingness to take the necessary steps to overcome the challenges I have faced.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Basel Abdelhadi