Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Good Afternoon,

Thank you for considering my appeal. I am seeking an extension of IR status for DEVS 494 and DEVS 492 to permit my professor to change my grade for a currently completed assignment and to give me more time to finish the second seminar paper before the end of this semester. The appeal I am raising surrounds the two Major research papers, that I had to complete for Professor Soederberg. I have taken a number of steps to address the workload left over from that semester such as reducing my class load to one or two classes and remaining in constant communication with my professors for help and advice. I was able to complete a number of other courses within the prescribed timeline but found these specific papers challenging due to their size, requirements for originality and analysis. These papers were difficult also due to their continuing symbolic meaning as a test to prove that I have overcome my challenges and that I am fit for academic work. They are the papers I was working on, before I had to stop working on them due to my mental health. They are the reminder of how messed up I was and still am. The paper I have already completed was a challenge requiring a month of exclusive focus and help from a number of people. The work of writing that paper, made me want to end my life several times. The thought of working on the second is directly triggering similar emotions.

The reason I had not conducted the appeal before this date is due to the terror that thinking about this paper brings me. It took me over two months to contact my professor about the second paper due to a fear that she possesses some kind of hatred of me and my situation. Dr. Soederberg never technically filled out the paperwork for the IR mark and has never informed me of any possibility of any deadlines for these papers. When I learned about the fact that her alteration of my mark would not be accepted my mental health has greatly declined. I have spent several weeks since in and out of almost constant panic attacks. Writing this letter took longer than I could have anticipated but it has come down to either me writing this letter or killing myself.

Currently I am off campus seeking treatment and finishing up a final French course that is required by my program. I hope to be able to graduate this June and take a year off to further recover before applying to graduate school thereafter I hope to be able to obtain a Phd in my field.