Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Letter: I am appealing the February 23rd decision denying my petition to late drop CISC 102 (F25). While I respect the Associate Dean's decision, I believe it was made on the basis of incomplete medical documentation, and that the full picture of my extenuating circumstances, particularly those that persisted into the Fall 2025 term, was not sufficiently captured in my original petition. I am respectfully requesting that the Board reconsider this decision in light of the additional context provided below.

In April 2025, I was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome following three emergency room visits. I was hospitalized and began Prednisone treatment on April 25th, 2025, continuing until August 22nd, 2025. While the physician's letter submitted with my original petition documented my circumstances from April to June 2025, it did not fully capture the extent of my symptoms during the Fall 2025 term. I believe this was an oversight, as I had discussed my ongoing symptoms with my nephrologist, Dr. Szaky, during virtual meetings throughout that period. The cognitive side effects of Prednisone and its withdrawal, including brain fog, memory difficulties, and impaired judgment, persisted throughout the Fall 2025 semester, gradually resolving toward the end of the term. Beyond these cognitive symptoms, my attention was also focused on monitoring myself for any potential relapse of Nephrotic Syndrome, as stress is a known trigger for facilitating a relapse of the condition. Managing my health and keeping my stress levels in check further limited my ability to focus on administrative considerations during this period.

Furthermore, my extended absence from school in April and May 2025 during the final months of high school disrupted my academic momentum at a critical time. Upon returning, the focus was on ensuring I graduated rather than academic recovery, and addressing the material I had missed was not prioritized. This left me feeling disengaged from learning as I transitioned into university. Combined with the ongoing cognitive side effects I continued to experience, I entered the Fall 2025 term in a compromised academic state that affected my ability to keep pace with and accurately assess my performance in CISC 102.

The Associate Dean's denial acknowledged my medical circumstances but noted that the only Fall term documentation provided indicated I was away from school for one day in November. I want to clarify that this visit to St. Michael's Hospital in November 2025 was directly related to my ongoing medical condition and represents evidence that my health circumstances were active during the Fall term, not resolved prior to it.

I would also respectfully draw the Board's attention to the fact that a late drop petition for MATH 112 was approved under the same underlying medical circumstances during the same period. This approval indicates that the Faculty recognized my condition as a legitimate and academically impactful extenuating circumstance. I respectfully ask that the same recognition is applied to my request for the CISC 102 drop.
Should the Board require additional documentation, including formal clarification from Dr. Szaky confirming that my cognitive symptoms persisted into the Fall 2025 semester, I can reach out to the nephrology clinic nursing team and provide that.

I am already taking steps to move forward academically. I am currently enrolled in a reduced Winter 2026 course load following the Dean's recommendation after my Fall 2025 struggles, and I am on track to perform well this semester. I plan to take MATH 121 in the Summer 2026 term to strengthen my mathematical foundations, along with HLTH 101 to catch up on missed credits, followed by retaking CISC 102 in Fall 2026. I am committed to demonstrating the academic capability that my circumstances prevented me from fully showing in Fall 2025, and I am confident that with my health stabilized, I am well positioned to do so.

I respectfully ask the Board to grant this appeal and change the grade notation for CISC 102 (F25) from an F to a DR. This change comes at no academic cost to the Faculty, while providing a fair and accurate record of a student who faced a serious medical crisis and is committed to succeeding going forward.

Thank you sincerely for your time and consideration.