Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Jenn Stephenson,

I am writing to kindly petition for an extension of the Incomplete standing (IN) in IDIS 199 (Summer ‘24) and in CISC 203 (Fall ‘24) due to the extenuating circumstances outlined below.

Just before the Summer ‘24 term, my dad, who is our family’s sole financial provider, lost his job. Given that myself and my sister are both pursuing post-secondary studies, the financial burden is quite significant. Unfortunately, my dad has still been unable to find work, partly due to his limited educational background. This financial instability caused a great deal of stress and worry for myself and my family, making it difficult to focus on my studies. Prior to IDIS 199 ending, I reached out to the instructor, Dr. Simone Cunningham, and I explained that my personal and mental health challenges impeded on my ability to complete some of the coursework. My professor was willing to grant me an IN grade by submitting a request on the Academic Considerations Portal. However the portal would not allow me to upload documentation, as I had previously requested a Short-Term Consideration request for another course earlier that term. To rectify the situation, I had email exchanges with both my professor and the Academic Considerations Office, but by this time the term had ended so I could no longer upload documentation to the portal. Additionally, I was provided conflicting information on how to proceed. The Academic Considerations Office expressed that my professor could provide an IN grade at their discretion without a verified Academic Considerations request based on Academic Regulation 10.3.4., which Dr. Cunningham was initially receptive to. However, after speaking with the department she said that the decision was instead at the department's discretion. After seeking further assistance from an Academic Advisor, it was recommended that I submit a petition for an IN grade extension in this course based on my professor's willingness to provide the IN grade and the Academic Consideration Portal error, which prevented me from submitting the IN request at the time. I have attached the email exchanges with Dr. Cunningham and the Academic Considerations Office as well as the error messages from the portal to provide further clarity on this situation.

During the Winter ‘25 term, my grandmother had been in and out of the hospital for several months due to her fluctuating condition, with my family being her main caretakers. The sadness and uncertainty surrounding my grandmother’s health led to increased anxiety and depression. Additionally during this term, I unintentionally failed to meet the terms of my OSAP agreement, thus OSAP restricted me from receiving funding for the Winter ‘25 term. As my father still does not have a stable job, I was heavily relying on OSAP assistance to cover costs related to my education, such as rent. I was truly blindsided by this situation and was frequently in contact with the OSAP office to see if the situation could be rectified. This further contributed to my stress and anxiety during the semester. Due to these barriers, I was unable to complete the coursework for CISC 203 and therefore kindly request an extension for my IN grade.

These challenges had a ricocheting effect on my academic participation during the Summer ‘24 and Winter ‘25 terms, as the resulting stress, anxiety, and depression was debilitating, often feeling as though I was just surviving. In addition to my family circumstances, I have been struggling socially at Queen’s due to some mistreatment by peers, which contributed to my mental struggles even further. Consequently, I began to self-isolate and did not seek professional mental health support during this time. Although I tried my best to complete coursework, I found it increasingly difficult to focus on my studies, as I was constantly overwhelmed by the emotional toll of my circumstances.

Moving forward, I have been taking actions towards managing my mental health and studies. As of December 2024, I started seeing Dr. Arunima Khanna, a psychologist at the Queen’s Student Wellness Services, who has also provided a letter of support on my behalf. I have found my weekly sessions with her to be helpful as they provide me with an outlet to talk about and manage difficult emotions, enabling me to prioritize my academic responsibilities more. Additionally, I am committed to improving my academic performance by seeking further assistance from my professors.

My CISC 203 professor, Dr. Meger, is supportive of this petition and has agreed to grade the coursework, if approved. I have contacted my IDIS 199 professor, Dr. Cunningham, regarding my petition and am waiting to hear back. Given my extenuating circumstances, I hope you can consider granting an extension for my IN grade in IDIS 199 and CISC 203. If granted, I hope to have them both completed by the end of August ‘25 (end of Summer ‘25 term). Thank you for your time and consideration.

Kind regards,

Lacshmi Ganeshananda
Student Number: 20363406