Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Petition Committee,

I am writing to respectfully request consideration regarding the timing and format of my deferred MATH 210 and MATH 339 exam.

I understand that deferred examinations are normally scheduled according to established university procedures, and I do not make this request lightly. I take my academic responsibilities seriously, and I fully intend to complete the course requirements in good faith. However, I am currently in a difficult situation created by the combination of the health circumstances that led to my original deferral and my subsequent international travel obligations.

The original deferral arose because I was not medically fit to write the examination during the regular exam period. In the days immediately before the exam, around April 7–8, I experienced a significant decline in my health. At that time, I was already under considerable pressure and was also physically unwell with a cold. The combined effect of these circumstances made it impossible for me to write the exam as scheduled. As a result, I sought a deferred examination.

My present difficulty is that I am now in China for an internship that began on May 18. My travel had been arranged in advance: my original flight departed on April 28, and due to the length of the trip, I arrived in Beijing on April 30 after nearly two full days of travel. Because this is international travel, changing the flight is not a realistic option. In addition to the financial cost of rebooking, the travel itself is physically demanding and requires significant recovery time due to jet lag and the overall length of the journey. Returning to Kingston solely for the deferred examination during the late May deferred exam period would therefore be extremely difficult in practical, financial, and professional terms.

At the same time, I want to emphasize that I am not seeking to avoid the examination itself. My goal is to complete the exam properly and responsibly. I am only asking whether some alternative arrangement may be possible in light of these circumstances. In particular, I would be deeply grateful if the committee would consider whether the exam could be written at a later approved time, or in another approved format, if such an arrangement is permitted by university policy. I understand that an online format may not normally be available, and I recognize that there may be important procedural and academic integrity considerations involved. I am therefore not assuming that any particular alternative must be granted. Rather, I am respectfully asking whether any accommodation may be possible given the unusual combination of circumstances in this case.

I also want to acknowledge my own responsibility in this matter. I understand that once a deferred exam has been granted, students are generally expected to write within the scheduled deferred period. I regret that my situation has become more complicated than originally anticipated. At the same time, the health difficulties that led to the initial deferral were genuine, and my current inability to return to Kingston during the deferred exam period is tied to pre-arranged international travel and a professional internship commitment that I am now required to fulfill. I am therefore asking the committee to consider the full context of my situation rather than viewing the present conflict in isolation.

If an alternative deferred sitting is not possible, I would still be grateful for guidance regarding what formal options remain available to me. If there is a further petition, process, or additional documentation required, I would be fully willing to comply. I am prepared to provide any supporting information that may assist the committee in reviewing my request.

I sincerely regret the inconvenience and administrative difficulty this request may cause. I value my academic standing and would like to complete MATH 210 and MATH 339 appropriately and in accordance with university policy if there is any path available to do so. I respectfully ask the committee to consider whether an exception or alternative arrangement may be granted in light of the documented health circumstances that led to the original deferral and the unavoidable conflict that now exists with my international internship and travel situation.

Thank you very much for your time, understanding, and consideration.

Sincerely,
Alice Lin
Student ID: 20328669