Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Due to unforeseen circumstances beyond my control that affected my studies I am making a formal request to withdraw from ECON112 after the deadline for the Winter 2025 term. I acknowledge the significance of academic deadlines but I have encountered uncontrollable circumstances that seriously disrupted my academic performance and affected my future academic plans.

During the semester I consistently worked toward achieving the GPA threshold required for Computer Science program admission while maintaining dedicated focus on this goal. Taking ECON112 as an elective course has greatly affected my GPA which now jeopardizes my admission chances into the program. This outcome does not demonstrate my true academic potential because it stems from an unfortunate mix of exceptional circumstances.

I hadn't received my marks or substantial comments from other classes before the April 4th deadline to drop courses. The grading delays resulting from changes triggered by the TA strike left me without a clear understanding of my academic standing in my other courses. The lack of clarity about my academic status prevented me from making an informed choice about dropping ECON112 as I couldn't evaluate its effect on my GPA before the deadline. I understood the severity of the course impact only after the drop deadline had already expired.

The combination of grading delays and program admission pressures led to significant mental health challenges for me. My intense anxiety during this time period hindered my capacity to make clear academic decisions. I did not pursue professional psychological help but instead handled my situation by organizing my studies, contacting professors, and maintaining my academic involvement while dealing with emotional difficulties.

I acknowledge that this request is submitted past the official deadline but contend that unforeseeable events which were beyond my control led to this delay. I accept full responsibility for my academic performance yet request that consideration be given to both personal and institutional challenges this semester brought.

Withdrawing from ECON112 would give me an opportunity to better demonstrate my true academic abilities while maintaining my career path in Computer Science which I have dedicated myself to build over many years. The committee should review this petition because an elective course under these unique circumstances should not block the academic objectives I have diligently pursued.

I also want to note that I have already reached out to the course instructor for ECON112 regarding my situation. Unfortunately, the Primary Instructor, Professor Ugurhan Berkok, has not responded to my message. However, I did receive a reply from Instructor Brant Abbott, who kindly directed me to Student Services for further help. With the final exam only two days away, and no resolution or confirmation regarding my request, I am left in an extremely uncertain and stressful situation. Given this urgency and the lack of response from the primary course instructor, I am respectfully asking the committee to consider granting me a late drop under these exceptional circumstances.



I appreciate the time you spent on this matter and your careful consideration.