Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I am petitioning to request an aegrotat standing in my PHIL 301 (Fall, 2024) course, or if that is not possible, I am petitioning to drop PHIL 301 (Fall, 2024).

Between November 8-10, 2024, I was sexually assaulted in my home by a male Queen’s student. On November 10th, I emailed my PHIL 301 professor (Dr. Owen Clifton) stating that I had experienced a sexual assault and asked for an extension for an essay (the second of three essays). While this was granted, the majority of the essay was already done before the sexual assault, and having completed said assignment without major problems, I felt like I could “walk off” my sexual assault. However, the third and final essay of the course during the final weeks of the term required us to do an analysis of one of three papers; one of these papers was Butler’s essay on abortion rights and detailed the violations of a female/birthing body within it. Whenever I tried to do the assignment, the triggering content within it (abortion and the violation of a female body) made me cry uncontrollably, unable to focus for hours after, and put off writing the paper until I failed to meet the deadline. I did not reach out to my professor a second time because I felt unworthy and guilty that I was asking for help a second time. Additionally, my professor was a male, like the perpetrator of the assault, and I was terrified.

I am only petitioning for an aegrotat standing or late drop of PHIL 301 because I feel like this course was the only course directly and immediately impacted by my sexual assault. I do not feel as though I have enough of a case to petition for my other courses, though the aftereffects of the sexual assault (inability to focus, perform under stress/exams, attend class due to fear of men) continued to impact my academic performance well into the rest of the academic term/year.

If possible, I am specifically requesting an aegrotat standing because I feel as though the 2/3 essays I completed for the course reflected my academic abilities had the sexual assault not happened. I am also asking for an aegrotat standing since I am submitting this petition past the 120-day period for an incomplete grade. Moreover, I do not yet feel secure in myself to be able to retake the course or redo the assignment due to its closeness to bodily violation.

As PHIL 301 is not a mandatory course for my degree plan, but rather one of many other possible courses I need to take, I do not plan to retake it. If it is dropped, I will choose another course that fulfils my degree requirements. As of December 2025, I have been accessing the services offered at Student Wellness to better cope with my sexual assault and its effects on my academics. I am currently taking a lighter course load and have been meeting with Dr. Ireland in Student Wellness, and will continue to do so to help cope and improve my academic efforts.

Thank you,
Nichole Phua