Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: 11 May 2016

Dunning Hall - First Floor,
Queen¿¿s University
99 University Avenue
Kingston, Ontario
K7L 3N6

Attention: Assistant Dean (Studies)

Re: Request for Credit Standing
Aaron Luke Kennedy
S/N 10143314

Dear Assistant Dean:

The Request
I am writing to request a credit standing for Physical Activity, Fitness and Health (KNPE 255) class from the winter 2016 semester. My current grade in this course is D- however I believe that there are extenuating circumstances that resulted in this extremely distressing score.

Explanation of Extenuating Circumstances
In order to ensure that you are fully informed, I must report that I have a disability for which I am accommodated through the Queen¿¿s Student Accessibility Services. One critical element of this disability is that I am prone to experience high anxiety when, despite intense preparation, I am presented with an unforeseeable situation that is beyond my control. I have been successfully managing, but during the 100 final exam for the noted course I experienced an episode that triggered a flare-up and completely disrupted my exam effectiveness. I often use the strategy of acronyms and mnemonics when preparing for exams and on this date, even these strategies failed me because of the fluctuations that were caused by the unforeseeable content. On checking my exam paper, one would find that I attempted to record these mnemonics at the bottom of certain pages but even these escaped me because of the sudden anxiety I experienced.

My normal exam strategy is to read through the entire exam before providing any answers. This process provides me with a sense of confidence as I begin the exam. This confidence coupled with the preparation that I enter the exam with, usually results in a quite favorable result.

My preparation and studying for this exam was based on course documents that were posted on Moodle prior to the commencement of term, and revised at least once during the term. These course documents identified the textbook chapters that the class was required to know for the exam. Chapter 4 was not included as one of these chapters of responsibility. Despite this, exam content included material that was derived from Chapter 4. In one particular instance where Chapter 4 content was examined, the actual title of the chapter ¿¿Sedentary Behavior and Inactivity Physiology¿ was even included in the wording of the question. My anxiety flare-up occurred immediately on reading through the exam when I discovered the material of concern. For the entire exam and beyond, I was completely unable to shake the feeling of high anxiety that I experienced when I discovered this situation. I recognize that the omission of Chapter 4 in the course documents as posted on Moodle may be perhaps due to a clerical error but it remains a fact that it resulted in a situation of which there could be no reasonable expectation of awareness as I prepared for the exam.

My abilities to focus and attend during a flare-up are extremely impaired to the point where I cannot function anywhere close to my normal ability. Please understand that I am not one to complain, but the situation that I was presented with really threw me. Although I was truly prepared for the exam, the incident resulted in a ¿fluctuation¿¿ from my normal level of performance due to my disability. The mark I scored on the exam is not in any way indicative of my commitment and abilities (my grades this year average over 80, independent of KNPE 255). I must say that the situation triggered a reaction that resulted in underachievement that I had no real control over.

Because I was so deeply distressed with these circumstances, I contacted my professor both by e/mail and by appointment about this situation. In addition, I contacted my accessibility counsellor and my Arts and Science academic advisor. I took direction from them and followed much of their advice, eventually leading me to this step in my procedure.

Future Plan
I have had success in following study and exam preparation habits as suggested by my Learning Strategist/A.S. advisor so I will continue to incorporate these strategies as I go forward. In addition, I will continue to liaise with my academic and accessibility advisors and incorporate any additional suggestions they may have. I believe that continuing these regular contacts, especially with my accessibility counsellor, will help avoid these potential predicaments. As a further strategy, I will continue to participate in individualized programs like the Queen¿¿s M2 program and Q-Success, both of which I attended during my first year of university. Finally, I will continue to prepare for exams using strategies that have resulted in high grades in all my other courses this year by connecting with my TAs and Professors. Using these collective strategies, I will be able to prepare for exams so I approach them with confidence and an attitude of efficacy.

Thank you for considering this very distressing situation.

Aaron Kennedy
s/n10143314
Attachments: KNPE 255, Accessibility Letter of Support, E-Mail Log