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Petition Letter: Petition for CR Conversion of ECON361

Dear Associate Dean,

I am writing to formally request the conversion of my final grade in ECON361 to CR due to extenuating medical and personal circumstances that significantly impacted my academic performance. These unforeseen challenges affected my ability to adequately prepare for and perform in the final examination.

I had a serious wisdom tooth infection in the middle of April that needed immediate medical care. The earliest extraction appointment available was more than three weeks away, even though the patient sought treatment at many clinics. Antibiotics and painkillers only temporarily relieved my symptoms, which made me hard to focus and interfered with my sleep, so that it very difficult for me to study. The persistent pain made it challenging to maintain focus for extended periods, reducing my capacity to engage in exam preparation as thoroughly as I had planned. In addition, I was physically and psychologically worn out from not getting enough sleep at this important time, which made it even harder for me to remember and absorb the material I would need for the final exam.

Additionally, I faced an unexpected and urgent travel disruption that significantly compounded my stress. My lease in Kingston was set to expire on April 25, which was also the date of my trip back to China. However, the airline unexpectedly canceled my flight, As a result, I will be faced with nowhere to go at the end of my lease and a large amount of luggage that I will not be able to store. With no confirmed flights and my lease expiring, I had to quickly settle this matter with the airline and ticketing companies several times, often at night due to time zone differences. These late-night negotiations further disrupted my already limited rest and diverted my attention away from academic preparation. The accumulation of stress, uncertainty, and exhaustion exacerbated my anxiety, significantly impairing my cognitive function and ability to concentrate leading up to the ECON361 exam.

Compounding these difficulties was an unexpected increase in the final exam weight. Shortly before the final, the exam was announced to constitute 50% of the course grade, a substantial shift from my original expectations. Despite my growing difficulties, I was unable to withdraw because the course drop date had already past by the time this modification was announced. Given the increased weight of the final exam and my inability to effectively prepare due to extenuating circumstances, my final grade in ECON361 was disproportionately affected compared to my other coursework. I attempted to mitigate the impact of my situation by reaching out to the professor after the exam to request a retake or an alternative assessment method. Unfortunately, my request was denied, thus I was unable to make up for the significant disadvantages I had experienced during the exam time. Therefore, I would like to apply for academic consideration for this session to minimize the impact of these factors on me.

This grade does not accurately reflect my academic abilities. I have consistently performed well in economics courses, maintaining an overall A- average. However, the D+ I received in ECON361 has significantly lowered my cumulative GPA, which may negatively affect my graduate school applications. For the reasons stated above., this grade do not meets my normal level of performance and does not demonstrate my understanding of the subject matter.

I have attached official documentation from therapist in wellness center verifying the impact of these circumstances. Moving forward, I have taken proactive steps to ensure that similar disruptions do not negatively affect my academic performance again. I will carefully manage my course selection by prioritizing courses with balanced grading structures, avoiding an overly concentrated exam schedule, and planning my arrangements further in advance to prevent last-minute complications. Additionally, I will continue implementing stress management strategies and maintaining communication with academic advisors to ensure my academic progress remains uninterrupted. Instead of forcing my way through the program, I will asked the college for help as soon as possible when I was faced with an unexpected situation.

Given the significant impact of these factors on my coursework and academic record, I respectfully request that my petition for change this course grade into CR. I sincerely appreciate your time and consideration in reviewing my request. Please let me know if any additional information is required.

Sincerely,
Chuyu Xu