Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Studies),

I am writing to appeal my final grade in HLTH 595: Honours Thesis in Health Studies with Dr. Latimer-Cheung during the 2018 Fall and Winter terms. In addition, I am requesting an exception to Reg. 3.3.5 to permit a grade appeal after the 21 day limitation period and an extension to the deadline for completion of the course pursuant to Reg 3.3.6.

The grounds of my appeal are:
1) At no time was I advised that an incomplete grade would automatically be converted into an F if the coursework was not completed by the end of the following semester;
2) I received inaccurate advice about the grading procedure for an incomplete in the course, which I relied on to my detriment in determining not to take further action regarding enrollment in the course; and
3) I was not notified that a grade conversion had occurred until after the expiration of the appeals period, which prevented me from filing a timely appeal pursuant to Reg 3.3.5.

For the reasons that are elaborated below, it was not possible for me to complete my thesis by the end of the 2018 Winter term. Accordingly, I met with Dr. Latimer-Cheung on November 8th, 2017 to discuss a revised timeline for its' completion. Dr. Latimer-Cheung was extremely supportive and accommodating. After explaining my extenuating personal circumstances, Dr. Latimer-Cheung advised remaining enrolled in HLTH 595 for the Winter semester to avoid having to re-enroll. She further advised that an incomplete would be recorded on my transcript, which would later be changed to a letter grade once the coursework was completed and evaluated. On this basis, we came to an agreement to postpone work on my thesis until the Summer semester.

It was not until December 11th, 2018 that I was informed by Melody Monte, an academic advisor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, that the IN had been recorded as an F on my transcript.

In view of the authorative advice I received about how the incomplete would be recorded and because the grade conversion policy does not follow the same notification procedure as the one used for communicating deadlines for adding/dropping courses (where students are sent reminder emails by the Faculty of Arts and Science, as well as the Kinesiology department), I had no reason to question the accuracy of the information. Significantly, there is no equivalent notification procedure for conversion of an incomplete to a failing grade, which has considerably more severe consequences.

Because I was not notified about receipt of an F until December, I was unable to submit an appeal within the prescribed 21 day period.

There are several extenuating factors that prevented me from completing the course by the end of the Winter term, which I respectfully ask you to consider in reviewing my appeal; 1) the sudden and unexpected passing of my mother; and 2) health challenges I was experiencing, including anxiety and insomnia.

In early July 2017, my mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and she passed away on August 31st, 2017. My mother's passing has been emotionally devastating. I continue to struggle with her loss.

Despite this traumatic event, I resolved to return to Queen's for the Fall 2017 semester. However, I took a reduced, four course load on account of the difficulty managing the grief I was experiencing. Additionally, I received academic accommodation for my pre-existing health conditions which had been exacerbated by recent family events. Please see the attached letter from my therapist, Sandra Bradley.

Resuming my studies in the Fall was significantly more challenging than I had anticipated. Midway through the semester, it became evident that the added stress from my mother's passing had worsened my insomnia and anxiety, making completion of my coursework on time unachievable. Because my ability to concentrate was significantly hindered, I could not perform at a level that was consistent with my past academic achievements or reflected my ability.

On account of the demands of other coursework and the cognitive impairment I was experiencing, I was unable to dedicate sufficient time to my thesis. After seeking my father's guidance and meeting with Dr. Latimer-Cheung, I suspended work on my thesis. At the same time, however, I remained committed to completing a thesis because I believed it would be an invaluable experience, especially given my intention to pursue graduate studies.

In December 2017, I started seeing a grief counsellor to assist me in managing my anxiety and insomnia, as well as work through the feelings of despair I was experiencing.

The Christmas holidays were particularly difficult as my mother's absence was profoundly felt. The emotional distress that I was experiencing informed my decision to take a reduced, three course load in the 2018 Winter semester. However, in an effort to remain involved with my dissertation research, I performed work as a Research Assistant in the Revved Up Research Group Lab.

At the beginning of the Summer semester, I resumed work on my thesis with the intention of completing it by the end of the semester. Unfortunately, the insomnia and anxiety I was experiencing at the time made doing so impossible.

This past Fall, I enrolled in the three outstanding courses needed to fulfill my degree requirements, which were completed in December, with the exception of HLTH 595, which I am now focusing on.

Shortly before receiving notification of the failing grade in December, I developed a virulent infection which was particularly debilitating. For approximately 6 weeks, I had a persistent fever, made several visits to urgent care, was prescribed antibiotics, and had an ultrasound performed to investigate the chronic abdominal pain I was experiencing. These factors prevented me from submitting an appeal earlier. Attached is a letter from my family doctor, Meredith Harbinson, regarding my illness.

An F is completely inconsistent with my past academic performance. I have been on the Dean's Honour List for the past three years. Maintaining a high GPA and excelling academically is extremely important to me and I have worked diligently to achieve this.

An F on my transcript will have a deleterious effect on my academic standing. Additionally, it will have a pronounced negative impact on my academic future, specifically admission to a competitive graduate program.

I respectfully submit that I should not be held for a grade procedure that I was not aware of and actually received inaccurate advice about, which I had no reason to question.

Had I known about the grade conversion policy, I would have dropped the course in the Winter term and re-enrolled when I was able to resume work on it. It would have not been reasonable for me to remain enrolled if I was aware of the consequences, since I had already notified my advisor well in advance that I would not be able to complete the course by the end of the term. I respectfully submit that this matter falls within the scope of the academic accommodation I received in the Fall 2017.

I do not believe that the ability to accurately chronical the circumstances leading to the matter under the appeal have been compromised adjudicating this matter after the appeal period. Nor do I believe that Regulation 3.3.5 is intended to punish students who are experiencing personal health or emotional challenges.

Given circumstances that were beyond my control, denying my appeal would be punitive and unjust.

Thank you for taking the time to review my request.

Sincerely,

Sara Sitarski