Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I am writing to respectfully request academic consideration for my final grade in CISC-102, in the form of Aegrotat standing or an administrative adjustment, due to extenuating medical circumstances that significantly impacted my performance during the Fall 2024 semester.

On July 2, 2024, I underwent surgical removal of all four wisdom teeth. Unfortunately, I developed a rare, antibiotic-resistant infection that spread to the bone in my jaw. According to my oral surgeon, Dr. Robert Klein, this was one of the most severe cases he had seen in his 40 years of practice.

This infection resulted in multiple follow-up surgeries (on August 20 and October 18), continuous monitoring, and prolonged treatment involving IV and high-dose oral antibiotics through late December. These medications caused ongoing side effects including fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and impaired cognitive function, which directly affected my ability to attend lectures, study effectively, and complete assessments.

Between September 29 and October 22, I was required to stay in Toronto under my surgeon’s care and missed 9–10 CISC-102 lectures (3 per week), in addition to other lectures later in the term due to illness related to the antibiotic treatment. In total, I missed 17 CISC-102 lectures and was unable to complete the final project. Despite these setbacks:

• I completed and earned 100% on all weekly check-ins I was able to submit.
• I earned 62.5% on the first test and 67.11% on the third test.
• I secured academic consideration for the second test during my medical leave.

I made every effort to stay engaged with the course material despite significant health challenges. However, due to the timing and compounding nature of my illness, I was unable to recover fully before the semester ended. Retaking CISC-102 would create a scheduling conflict with other mandatory second-year courses and would delay my academic progress.

I respectfully request that you consider my situation and grant an academic exception that would allow me to continue to CISC-203 without retaking CISC-102 (CISC-203 requires a C- in CISC-102, but I received a D+). I am confident in my ability to succeed academically and am eager to continue my studies on track.

Thank you very much for your understanding and consideration.

Sincerely,

Benji Sokalsky
Student ID: 20442653