Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Whom It May Concern,
I’m writing this letter to explain how the strike this past semester, along with some personal challenges, had a serious impact on my academic performance, especially in CHEM 222 and CHEM 223. I’m hoping you’ll consider these circumstances when reviewing my grades or academic standing.
For CHEM 222, the strike caused some major issues with how the course was graded. Due to the strike, one of the TAs refused to return a few of our assignments and quizzes, as well as our midterm, resulting in them being dropped from the final grade. I feel that I did well on the mid term and assignments that were not graded. As a result of the omitted grades, the final exam was reweighted from 40% to 65%. This made me very anxious. I’m registered with QSAS due to severe anxiety, so having that much pressure on me for the final really affected me and my performance, and I feel that it took a great toll on my overall ability to do well and excel in my learning. Also, I started feeling very physically ill walking into this exam and as a result I could not stay for the duration. I know I didn’t do nearly as well as I could’ve in this course. I did pass the course, but the final grade I received doesn’t reflect the work I put in throughout the term.
In CHEM 223, once the strike began, all tutorials, labs, and assignments were stopped, and this change really impacted me and my learning style. Having those components in place had given me a sense of routine and structure, they were a consistent part of how I learned and stayed engaged. As a hands-on, visual learner, I depended on that consistency to stay on track. Without this consistency, I felt lost, and honestly, my motivation dropped a great deal. It was extremely difficult for me to organize and plan my studying without this support in place. I know a large part of that is on me, but it was just extremely challenging to stay focused and motivated. Additionally, we weren’t told how much the final exam was worth going into it. My professor had mentioned that labs could be worth as much as 60%, but that didn’t end up being the case as my classmates and I received much lower grades than we anticipated. Not knowing how much the final exam was worth, raised my anxiety level and caused me a tremendous amount of stress. This uncertainty made it even harder for me to concentrate. It really shifted my mindset. I started to believe that even if I didn't do my best on the final, my overall mark would still be okay.
In addition to everything else, I lost a close childhood friend unexpectedly during the semester. I went home to be with my family, and it was an incredibly hard time for me. I was in complete disbelief, and for a while, I struggled to process what had happened. My focus completely shifted, and my mental health took a major hit. Getting back into a routine was a key part of helping me stay on track, it gave me a sense of purpose and something to hold on to when everything else felt uncertain. But with the strike taking away the usual structure of labs, tutorials, and assignments, I lost that sense of consistency just when I needed it most. The combination of grief, anxiety, and the lack of academic structure made it extremely difficult to stay motivated or perform the way I know I’m capable of.
I realize that many students were impacted by the strike, and I take full responsibility for the grades I earned. However, between the academic disruptions, the weight of my anxiety, and the pain of personal loss, I felt like I was constantly trying to stay afloat while everything around me was shifting. I’m not someone who gives up easily, and I truly did everything I could to keep going, even when it felt impossible. I recognize where I fell short, but I also know that my final grade doesn’t reflect the effort I put in or what I’m capable of under more stable circumstances. I’m asking for thoughtful consideration of these factors in light of my failing grade for CHEM 223, I believe I would have not failed this course if it were not for the strike. For CHEM 222, I am requesting a fair evaluation of my grade, one that reflects the original grading scheme that was presented in the syllabus.
I truly appreciate your time and understanding in reviewing this petition. I look forward to your response.
Thank you
Sincerely,
Olivia Violin
20396388
Queen’s University