Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: May 8, 2026

Dear Dr. Naaman,

I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Nathan Lackman-Caplin, and I am a second-year biochemistry specialization student. I am writing to you today to petition for credit standing in CHEM 223, which was taken during the winter 2026 term.

I previously petitioned for credit standing in CHEM 212, BCHM 218, and PHGY 215 in the fall semester. This was due to the onset of a chronic medical condition and a multitude of sudden personal losses that caused me great anxiety and sadness, all of which affected my academic performance in those three courses. Since being diagnosed, I have gone on treatment for my chronic disease and started medication to help deal with my mental health issues. I additionally noted that these three courses had heavy exam components with tests occurring around the dates of my extenuating circumstances.

While there was initially some improvement in my conditions, both my mental health and chronic disease severely worsened throughout the winter holiday break and beginning of the winter semester. With respect to my chronic disease, the initial medication did not work as intended. I therefore required invasive testing in the middle of the winter term to assess the state of my condition and to change treatment accordingly. The test occurred shortly before the first midterm in CHEM 223, which impaired my ability to adequately prepare for the assessment and led to a decline in my performance. I started on a new medication for my medical condition during the midterm break. This treatment required an IV infusion once a month for the loading doses, which occurred in February, March, and April, often around assessment times. While adjusting to this medication, I experienced side effects including fatigue and infection-like symptoms, which impacted my ability to focus on my schoolwork.

Regarding my mental health, I continued therapy throughout the winter term and started on medication in late January. However, there was no improvement in my condition, and it actually worsened due to the stress of my medical disease and poor academic performance in CHEM 223. I thus followed up with my family doctor during the midterm break and increased the medication dose. During the adjustment period, I noticed side effects including fatigue and insomnia.

My mental health issues and decline in my chronic health state led to a poorer academic performance in CHEM 223. My other courses that term were HIST 241, HIST 246, CHEM 222, MICR 270, and during the first half of term, PHGY 216. Due to the increased stress of my extenuating circumstances, I elected to drop PHGY 216 during the winter term. I additionally designated HIST 241 as a personal interest credit so that the impact on my GPA was minimized by that class. I am not petitioning HIST 246, CHEM 222, and MICR 270 because those courses were not memorization heavy. Due to the fatigue and insomnia, I was unable to memorize all the dense content in CHEM 223. HIST 246, CHEM 222, and MICR 270 all had less dense content and more application-style questions that allowed me to integrate the content of the course rather than simply repeating knowledge. Additionally, both HIST 246 and MICR 270 were not exam heavy and relied more on written assignments, allowing me adequate time to apply my knowledge and complete the tasks without the struggle of recalling simple facts in a shorter time span.

Since the change in treatment and overcoming the adjustment period for my new medications, there has been noticeable improvement in both my chronic disease and mental health. The new medication for my chronic disease is working extremely well. I continued to be followed by a specialist, who is monitoring and adjusting my treatment as necessary. I also contacted my QSAS advisor to adjust my accommodation plan to account for any fatigue or insomnia I may experience in the future. The increased dosage of my mental health medication is also working as expected, and my mental state has improved dramatically. I continue to follow up with my family doctor to monitor and adjust my medication as needed. I also continue to see a therapist to work on skills that will help me overcome any unexpected challenges. Regarding my academics, I am taking PHGY 216 this summer. It is the only course will be taking so that I can fully focus on its material and understand what I am learning so that I may succeed on all assessments. I continue to be in contact with my SASS advisor to create study plans to minimize stress and to develop my studying habits. I am in contact with academic advising in the faculty to develop academic plans tailored to my needs that still fulfill my program requirements, and I meet with my CARE advisor to discuss updates to my condition and discover resources both within and outside the university that can aid in helping me. With these updates and my constantly improving physical and mental health, I believe that I will be able to continually focus on my academics and improve results in future semesters. Thank you for considering my petition.

Sincerely,
Nathan Lackman-Caplin
20456788