Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 12899
Submitted: April 2, 2025 at 2:36:17 PM
First Name: Heather
Last Name: Milligan
Pronoun: she/her
Preferred Name: Heather
Student Number: 20301835
Email: 21hmm5@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: ENGL
Level of Study: 4
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Code: ENGL 349
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2025
Petition Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor's Name: Chris Bongie
Section/Class Number: 349
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Net ID: 21Hmm5
Student number: 20301835
I am writing to formally request a Credit Standing (CR) for my English 349 course due to exceptional circumstances that have significantly impacted my academic performance this past year.
From the beginning of November until mid-December, I was severely ill with pneumonia, which necessitated my return to my hometown. I was unable to navigate the stairs to my bedroom in my student house, making it impossible for me to stay in Kingston. During this period, I missed a substantial number of classes, which has greatly affected my attendance record and overall performance in English 349.
Despite these challenges, I have been enrolled in seven courses this semester and have been diligently working to pass all of them. I have accepted a spot in the Teacher's College at Nipissing University for September 2025, and I am committed to fulfilling the requirements for my English Honours degree. English 349 is crucial for this, and I have completed all tests except the final one due on April 21.
I have accommodations for absences in class, but my attendance, which constitutes 40% of the grade, is failing. I have reached out to my Ventus advisor to discuss this as well, however she is very busy this time of year- so no appointment can be made prior to the 4th- however I have emailed her and am hoping to communicate that way to provide me some guidance. I am not proud of this situation, but my mental health has been severely impacted this semester. I received accommodations in the second semester of my second year, which I use sparingly, primarily for exams in small rooms. I have also sought additional guidance through regular tutoring for my courses to help bridge the gap of being absent from class.
Last year, I attempted American English and received 48%, with one essay being failed despite appealing the grade. I felt the essay was marked unfairly, especially after seeking guidance from the professor and being dismissed, which left me in tears. As a result, I am now taking English 349 to fulfill the requirements for my degree.
I am not writing for sympathy; I have tried my best at Queen's despite a major setback in my second year that led to my need for accommodations. I spoke with the English department regarding taking two half credits in May( since this is a full year course), as this course fulfills a letter grade needed for my degree. They suggested I make this appeal to see if a CR would be possible. Unfortunately, no courses that fulfill this letter grade requirement are offered in the summer which adds to the complexity of my case.
Participation in the class involves handing in prompts at the beginning of each session, which I am unable to do when not physically present. I take full responsibility for missing classes this year; however, I was not in a mental position to attend. My six other courses (one being online) have substituted modes of delivery to accommodate my needs.
I am exploring my options before deciding whether to drop the class on April 4th to receive a NG instead of an F. All my documentation has been submitted through Ventus. I am not proud of how my mental health and pneumonia have affected my last year at Queen's, which was supposed to be exciting. However, I am proud of the determination and efforts I have made to keep my head above water and complete this year instead of taking the year off.
Thank you for considering my request. I hope you will grant me a Credit Standing for English 349, allowing me to continue my academic journey without further setbacks.
Sincerely,
Heather
Student number: 20301835
I am writing to formally request a Credit Standing (CR) for my English 349 course due to exceptional circumstances that have significantly impacted my academic performance this past year.
From the beginning of November until mid-December, I was severely ill with pneumonia, which necessitated my return to my hometown. I was unable to navigate the stairs to my bedroom in my student house, making it impossible for me to stay in Kingston. During this period, I missed a substantial number of classes, which has greatly affected my attendance record and overall performance in English 349.
Despite these challenges, I have been enrolled in seven courses this semester and have been diligently working to pass all of them. I have accepted a spot in the Teacher's College at Nipissing University for September 2025, and I am committed to fulfilling the requirements for my English Honours degree. English 349 is crucial for this, and I have completed all tests except the final one due on April 21.
I have accommodations for absences in class, but my attendance, which constitutes 40% of the grade, is failing. I have reached out to my Ventus advisor to discuss this as well, however she is very busy this time of year- so no appointment can be made prior to the 4th- however I have emailed her and am hoping to communicate that way to provide me some guidance. I am not proud of this situation, but my mental health has been severely impacted this semester. I received accommodations in the second semester of my second year, which I use sparingly, primarily for exams in small rooms. I have also sought additional guidance through regular tutoring for my courses to help bridge the gap of being absent from class.
Last year, I attempted American English and received 48%, with one essay being failed despite appealing the grade. I felt the essay was marked unfairly, especially after seeking guidance from the professor and being dismissed, which left me in tears. As a result, I am now taking English 349 to fulfill the requirements for my degree.
I am not writing for sympathy; I have tried my best at Queen's despite a major setback in my second year that led to my need for accommodations. I spoke with the English department regarding taking two half credits in May( since this is a full year course), as this course fulfills a letter grade needed for my degree. They suggested I make this appeal to see if a CR would be possible. Unfortunately, no courses that fulfill this letter grade requirement are offered in the summer which adds to the complexity of my case.
Participation in the class involves handing in prompts at the beginning of each session, which I am unable to do when not physically present. I take full responsibility for missing classes this year; however, I was not in a mental position to attend. My six other courses (one being online) have substituted modes of delivery to accommodate my needs.
I am exploring my options before deciding whether to drop the class on April 4th to receive a NG instead of an F. All my documentation has been submitted through Ventus. I am not proud of how my mental health and pneumonia have affected my last year at Queen's, which was supposed to be exciting. However, I am proud of the determination and efforts I have made to keep my head above water and complete this year instead of taking the year off.
Thank you for considering my request. I hope you will grant me a Credit Standing for English 349, allowing me to continue my academic journey without further setbacks.
Sincerely,
Heather
Documentation
Professional Letter: Scanned_from_a_Lexmark_Multifunction_Product11-19-2024-130617.pdf
Document: Screen Shot 2025-04-02 at 2.35.21 PM.png
Decision Letters
Level 1 Status
Status: DeniedLevel 2
Appeal Type: Level 2
ID: 319
Submitted: May 13, 2025 at 12:51:15 PM
Relevant Petition: 12899
Decision(s) Being Appealed: Drop a course after the academic deadline: ENGL 349, Fall/Winter 2025 (Chris Bongie )
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: Hello,
I submitted a level one appeal and it was denied, and they told me if I wanted that to be reviewed that I needed to submit a level to appeal. I am hoping I will be able to get my F changed on my transcript for this course as I was unable to drop the course before the deadline for this option. The reason I was unable to drop before the deadline was that I had my petition open and they told me if I was to drop the course that my petition would no longer be active, and by the deadline there was not a decision reached about my petition. Since there was no decision made and I was hopeful that my petition would be approved, I obviously did not drop out of the course before the April 4 deadline. With that being said, I am hoping that since dropping out was not an option for me at that time that I could be approved to not have an F on my transcript. I'm going to teachers college in September which I've already excepted, however having an F on my transcript will greatly affect me. All my other grades for the semester are excellent and I am a good student, I understand my petition was denied however I am hoping that since dropping the course was out of my control within the designated time. That someone would be able to adjust the F on my transcript. I think my level one petition got confused as they were saying how I had pneumonia for two months of the course but that was at the end of first semester beginning of second semester and that did not affect my ability to drop out of the course on time, however that was not what I was trying to say. That was just a contributor to me not being able to pass the course. Thank you in advance for your time.
I submitted a level one appeal and it was denied, and they told me if I wanted that to be reviewed that I needed to submit a level to appeal. I am hoping I will be able to get my F changed on my transcript for this course as I was unable to drop the course before the deadline for this option. The reason I was unable to drop before the deadline was that I had my petition open and they told me if I was to drop the course that my petition would no longer be active, and by the deadline there was not a decision reached about my petition. Since there was no decision made and I was hopeful that my petition would be approved, I obviously did not drop out of the course before the April 4 deadline. With that being said, I am hoping that since dropping out was not an option for me at that time that I could be approved to not have an F on my transcript. I'm going to teachers college in September which I've already excepted, however having an F on my transcript will greatly affect me. All my other grades for the semester are excellent and I am a good student, I understand my petition was denied however I am hoping that since dropping the course was out of my control within the designated time. That someone would be able to adjust the F on my transcript. I think my level one petition got confused as they were saying how I had pneumonia for two months of the course but that was at the end of first semester beginning of second semester and that did not affect my ability to drop out of the course on time, however that was not what I was trying to say. That was just a contributor to me not being able to pass the course. Thank you in advance for your time.
Appeal Letter
Appeal Letter: I am writing to formally request a review of my Level One appeal, which was recently denied, and to submit a Level Two appeal regarding the grade of F on my transcript for ENGL 349. I believe that the circumstances surrounding my inability to drop the course before the deadline were not fully considered, and I hope to provide further clarification.
During the period leading up to the April 4 deadline to drop the course, I had an active petition that was still under review. I was informed that if I dropped the course, my petition would no longer be valid. As a result, I chose to remain enrolled in the course, hoping for a favorable decision on my petition. Unfortunately, no decision was reached by the deadline, leaving me unable to drop the course in time.
I understand that my petition was ultimately denied, but I believe that the unique situation I faced should be taken into account. The inability to drop the course was beyond my control, and I was acting in good faith based on the information provided to me at the time. Additionally, my performance in all other courses this semester has been excellent, demonstrating my commitment and capability as a student.
I am scheduled to begin teachers college in September, and having an F on my transcript will significantly impact my future academic and professional opportunities. I respectfully request that the grade of F be reconsidered and adjusted, given the circumstances that prevented me from dropping the course before the deadline.
Furthermore, I would like to clarify a point that may have caused confusion in my Level One appeal. While I did experience pneumonia for two months during the end of the first semester and the beginning of the second semester, this illness did not affect my ability to drop the course on time. It was merely a contributing factor to my inability to pass the course, not the reason for missing the drop deadline.
I appreciate your time and consideration of my appeal. I am hopeful that you will understand the unique situation I faced and grant the adjustment to my transcript.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Heather Milligan
20301835
During the period leading up to the April 4 deadline to drop the course, I had an active petition that was still under review. I was informed that if I dropped the course, my petition would no longer be valid. As a result, I chose to remain enrolled in the course, hoping for a favorable decision on my petition. Unfortunately, no decision was reached by the deadline, leaving me unable to drop the course in time.
I understand that my petition was ultimately denied, but I believe that the unique situation I faced should be taken into account. The inability to drop the course was beyond my control, and I was acting in good faith based on the information provided to me at the time. Additionally, my performance in all other courses this semester has been excellent, demonstrating my commitment and capability as a student.
I am scheduled to begin teachers college in September, and having an F on my transcript will significantly impact my future academic and professional opportunities. I respectfully request that the grade of F be reconsidered and adjusted, given the circumstances that prevented me from dropping the course before the deadline.
Furthermore, I would like to clarify a point that may have caused confusion in my Level One appeal. While I did experience pneumonia for two months during the end of the first semester and the beginning of the second semester, this illness did not affect my ability to drop the course on time. It was merely a contributing factor to my inability to pass the course, not the reason for missing the drop deadline.
I appreciate your time and consideration of my appeal. I am hopeful that you will understand the unique situation I faced and grant the adjustment to my transcript.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Heather Milligan
20301835
Documentation
History
Originally submitted April 2, 2025 at 2:36:17 PM.
| Field | Reference | Old Value | New Value | Note | User | Date/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| status | N/A | Received | Incomplete | Kerri Andrews | 2025-04-11 4:42:28 PM | |
| status | N/A | Incomplete | Withdrawn | Kerri Andrews | 2025-04-14 11:12:24 AM | |
| status | N/A | Withdrawn | In Review | Kerri Andrews | 2025-04-25 2:53:04 PM | |
| professional_letter | N/A | Scanned_from_a_Lexmark_Multifunction_Product11-19-2024-130617.pdf | Kerri Andrews | 2025-04-25 2:53:29 PM | ||
| appeal_category | N/A | Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses | Drop a course after the academic deadline | Kerri Andrews | 2025-04-25 2:53:29 PM | |
| appeal_category_per_course | ENGL 349 | Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses | Drop a course after the academic deadline | Kerri Andrews | 2025-04-25 2:53:29 PM | |
| status | N/A | In Review | Denied | Kerri Andrews | 2025-05-05 1:10:14 PM | |
| associate_dean | N/A | Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D. | Kerri Andrews | 2025-05-05 1:10:14 PM | ||
| decision_letter | N/A | N/A | Decision letter sent | Kerri Andrews | 2025-05-05 1:11:14 PM | |
| new_appeal_level_2 | N/A | Level 2 | Level 2 Appeal ID: 319 | 21hmm5 | 2025-05-13 12:51:15 PM | |
| status | N/A | Received | In Review | Kathrine Scott | 2025-07-31 10:28:55 AM | |
| status | N/A | In Review | Denied | Kathrine Scott | 2025-09-10 2:15:04 PM |