Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 12150
Submitted: July 28, 2024 at 7:58:04 PM
First Name: Saif
Last Name: Alzraigat
Pronoun: Mr
Student Number: 20154424
Email: 18sba3@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: APEC
Level of Study: 4
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the 21-day or one term deadline
Level 1 Status
Status: Partial GrantLevel 2
Appeal Type: Level 2
ID: 290
Submitted: September 5, 2024 at 11:24:02 AM
Relevant Petition: 12150
Decision(s) Being Appealed: Waive the 21-day or one term deadline
Appeal Grounds
Appeals to the Board of Studies must include a letter based on one or more of the Grounds for Appeal (Appeal Regulation 3.4). What are the grounds you are basing your appeal on?
- The Associate Dean's decision did not follow the rules of procedural fairness. A breach of procedural fairness includes such things as the Associate Dean failed to:
- Make a reasonable decision in your appeal. A “reasonable” decision is one that is based on evidence, thought out and supported by facts and logical inferences from the facts. To be reasonable, the decision must contain adequate reasons for the conclusions.
Appeal Grounds Details: I am appealing the Associate Dean’s decision on the grounds that it did not fully consider the ongoing impact of my cancer treatment, as outlined in the medical documentation provided by Dr. Basim Aljalabneh. Specifically, the decision to deny my request to drop GPHY 330 (Fall 2022) and for Credit or Aegrotat Standing in ECON 310, ECON 239, and GEOL 106 (Winter 2022) was not reasonable because it focused on a brief absence during reading week, while failing to account for the prolonged effects of chemotherapy and its cumulative impact on my academic performance.
The documentation provided confirms that I underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy from May to August 2022, and that the side effects of this treatment—such as fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and physical exhaustion—persisted well into the Fall 2022 term. The Associate Dean’s decision, while acknowledging my absence during reading week, did not consider the broader, long-term academic impacts of my condition before, during, and after that period.
The reasoning that I was able to return to my studies shortly after reading week overlooks the fact that my recovery from chemotherapy was ongoing. As such, it was unreasonable to conclude that my performance was not significantly compromised throughout the Fall 2022 term.
The documentation provided confirms that I underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy from May to August 2022, and that the side effects of this treatment—such as fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and physical exhaustion—persisted well into the Fall 2022 term. The Associate Dean’s decision, while acknowledging my absence during reading week, did not consider the broader, long-term academic impacts of my condition before, during, and after that period.
The reasoning that I was able to return to my studies shortly after reading week overlooks the fact that my recovery from chemotherapy was ongoing. As such, it was unreasonable to conclude that my performance was not significantly compromised throughout the Fall 2022 term.
Appeal Letter
Appeal Letter: Dear Members of the Board of Studies,
I am appealing the Associate Dean’s decision to deny my request for Credit Standing or Aegrotat Standing in ECON 310, ECON 239, GEOL 106 (Winter 2022), and to drop GPHY 330 (Fall 2022), on the grounds that the decision did not follow procedural fairness. Specifically, I believe the Associate Dean’s decision failed to fully consider the ongoing impact of my cancer treatment, as outlined in the medical documentation provided by Dr. Basim Aljalabneh.
Failure to Consider the Cumulative Impact of Cancer Treatment:
The Associate Dean’s decision stated that my medical documentation “did not confirm any long-term academic impacts during the 2022 Fall term.” However, the letter from Dr. Basim Aljalabneh, dated July 31, 2024, clearly outlines that I underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy from May to August 2022. Chemotherapy is not a treatment from which one recovers quickly, and its side effects—such as fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and physical exhaustion—persisted well into the Fall 2022 term.
While the Associate Dean acknowledges my brief absence during reading week, it is crucial to emphasize that Dr. Aljalabneh can attest that my return during this period, after undergoing chemotherapy, undoubtedly meant my academic performance was impacted before, during, and after this period. The decision to focus on this brief absence overlooks the broader, long-term challenges that significantly hindered my ability to perform academically. The ongoing effects of chemotherapy did not cease when I returned to class; they continued to impair my concentration, energy levels, and capacity to complete coursework.
Inconsistent Evaluation of Cancer-Related Evidence:
The Associate Dean’s decision to grant my request to drop COMM 211 (Summer 2022) based on my cancer treatment acknowledges the impact of my medical condition during that term. However, the same reasoning was not applied to GPHY 330 (Fall 2022), despite the fact that my recovery from chemotherapy extended well into the Fall semester. Dr. Aljalabneh’s letter explicitly confirms that my cancer treatment continued to have cumulative effects on my physical and mental state, which undeniably affected my ability to manage my academic workload during that period.
This inconsistency raises concerns about whether the same standards of fairness were applied when evaluating the impacts of my condition on different courses.
Inability to Meet Academic or Appeal Deadlines Due to Medical Condition:
I understand that university policy requires students to drop courses by a certain deadline. However, at the time, the intensity of my cancer treatment and recovery process made it impossible for me to consider appealing or handling any academic work. As noted by Dr. Aljalabneh, my focus during the Fall 2022 term was entirely on medical recovery, and it was out of my reach to engage with academic responsibilities or drop courses by the published deadlines. This context was not adequately reflected in the Associate Dean’s decision, even though the medical evidence clearly supports that I was not in a position to fulfill academic requirements during that time.
Request for Reconsideration:
I respectfully request that the Board of Studies reconsider the denial of Credit Standing or Aegrotat Standing in ECON 310, ECON 239, GEOL 106 (Winter 2022), and the denial to drop GPHY 330 (Fall 2022), on the grounds of procedural fairness. A more thorough consideration of the ongoing impacts of my cancer treatment, as documented by Dr. Basim Aljalabneh, should be taken into account in making a fair and reasonable decision.
Additionally, Dr. Aljalabneh can attest that my return during reading week does not imply I was fully recovered; rather, my academic performance was significantly impacted before, during, and after that period. The deadlines for dropping courses or appealing were simply beyond my ability to meet given my medical condition at the time.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Saif Alzraigat
I am appealing the Associate Dean’s decision to deny my request for Credit Standing or Aegrotat Standing in ECON 310, ECON 239, GEOL 106 (Winter 2022), and to drop GPHY 330 (Fall 2022), on the grounds that the decision did not follow procedural fairness. Specifically, I believe the Associate Dean’s decision failed to fully consider the ongoing impact of my cancer treatment, as outlined in the medical documentation provided by Dr. Basim Aljalabneh.
Failure to Consider the Cumulative Impact of Cancer Treatment:
The Associate Dean’s decision stated that my medical documentation “did not confirm any long-term academic impacts during the 2022 Fall term.” However, the letter from Dr. Basim Aljalabneh, dated July 31, 2024, clearly outlines that I underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy from May to August 2022. Chemotherapy is not a treatment from which one recovers quickly, and its side effects—such as fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and physical exhaustion—persisted well into the Fall 2022 term.
While the Associate Dean acknowledges my brief absence during reading week, it is crucial to emphasize that Dr. Aljalabneh can attest that my return during this period, after undergoing chemotherapy, undoubtedly meant my academic performance was impacted before, during, and after this period. The decision to focus on this brief absence overlooks the broader, long-term challenges that significantly hindered my ability to perform academically. The ongoing effects of chemotherapy did not cease when I returned to class; they continued to impair my concentration, energy levels, and capacity to complete coursework.
Inconsistent Evaluation of Cancer-Related Evidence:
The Associate Dean’s decision to grant my request to drop COMM 211 (Summer 2022) based on my cancer treatment acknowledges the impact of my medical condition during that term. However, the same reasoning was not applied to GPHY 330 (Fall 2022), despite the fact that my recovery from chemotherapy extended well into the Fall semester. Dr. Aljalabneh’s letter explicitly confirms that my cancer treatment continued to have cumulative effects on my physical and mental state, which undeniably affected my ability to manage my academic workload during that period.
This inconsistency raises concerns about whether the same standards of fairness were applied when evaluating the impacts of my condition on different courses.
Inability to Meet Academic or Appeal Deadlines Due to Medical Condition:
I understand that university policy requires students to drop courses by a certain deadline. However, at the time, the intensity of my cancer treatment and recovery process made it impossible for me to consider appealing or handling any academic work. As noted by Dr. Aljalabneh, my focus during the Fall 2022 term was entirely on medical recovery, and it was out of my reach to engage with academic responsibilities or drop courses by the published deadlines. This context was not adequately reflected in the Associate Dean’s decision, even though the medical evidence clearly supports that I was not in a position to fulfill academic requirements during that time.
Request for Reconsideration:
I respectfully request that the Board of Studies reconsider the denial of Credit Standing or Aegrotat Standing in ECON 310, ECON 239, GEOL 106 (Winter 2022), and the denial to drop GPHY 330 (Fall 2022), on the grounds of procedural fairness. A more thorough consideration of the ongoing impacts of my cancer treatment, as documented by Dr. Basim Aljalabneh, should be taken into account in making a fair and reasonable decision.
Additionally, Dr. Aljalabneh can attest that my return during reading week does not imply I was fully recovered; rather, my academic performance was significantly impacted before, during, and after that period. The deadlines for dropping courses or appealing were simply beyond my ability to meet given my medical condition at the time.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Saif Alzraigat
Documentation
Document: SaifAlzraigatKHCCDocumentation.pdf
I plan to submit additional documentation at a later date: I submitted the documentation via email, as they are not uploading on here.