Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Dr. Jenn Stephenson,

I am appealing the One-Term deadline set on appealing for Credit Standing (CR). Additionally, I am appealing for a CR on my transcript for the courses BIOL 102 (Fall, 2016) and BIOL 103 (Winter, 2017). Furthermore, I am appealing for CR on my transcript for the course MATH 121 which spanned the 2018/2019 school year.

In July 2018, I met with the Andrea Labelle, the Academic Advisor & Assistant to the Undergraduate Chair in the Department of Psychology, to discuss pursuing further education post-graduation. Ms. Labelle informed me then that I may be eligible to appeal for Credit Standing for these courses given my previous experiences with illness that were ongoing throughout the duration of these courses. Previously, I was not aware that this was an option, and therefore was unable to appeal closer to the completion date of these courses. Despite lack of awareness of such an option afforded to students, I believe that my health condition would have prevented me from submitting such an appeal sooner, should I have known about it. Since speaking to Andrea Labelle, in addition to keeping up with my course load, extenuating circumstances related to my ongoing health condition have prevented me from completing my appeal sooner. Most significantly, anxiety related to my condition has hindered my ability to fully prepare and submit my appeal and documentation.

Throughout the 2016-2017 academic year, extenuating circumstances, beyond my control, prevented me from achieving a mark in BIOL 102 and 103 that I believe to be indicative of my work ethic or dedication to my studies. An illness in the family, which was accompanied by a great deal of stress, resulted in the exacerbation of my pre-existing illness and greatly impacted my ability to function in an academic setting. These events interfered with my capability to successfully complete these courses by impeding my ability to physically attend class, as I was required to return to my home town more often in order to be with my family. This was problematic, as a core component of both BIOL 102 and 103 requires one¿¿s attendance to labs, which I was frequently unable to do as a result. Additionally, due to the resulting stress and the negative effects on my health, my ability to keep up with class material was greatly impeded, mostly accounted for by my lack of available psychological, cognitive, and emotional resources that were required for keeping up with such material and completing course requirements. When I was able to do so, my efforts were focussed toward completing work for my upper-year courses. I saw fit to prioritize such courses above BIOL 102 and 103, given that they will have greater implications beyond my undergraduate degree, and are weighted more heavily in the post-graduate programs that I am considering completing in the future.

My health concerns, notably significant depression and anxiety, continued to impact my ability to function academically throughout the 2018/2019 year, specifically in my MATH 121. As a result of these conditions, I found it increasingly difficult to keep up with my course requirements. Anxiety hindered my ability to attend ¿Live Sessions¿¿. Anxiety and depression also hindered my ability to appropriately prepare for exams and term tests, impacting both my memory capacity and level of fatigue. These same symptoms crucially impacted my ability to keep up with important deadlines, and as multiple assignments are due every week, these extenuating circumstances had dramatic effects on my success within the course. Once again, when I was capable I focussed my efforts on the completion of my upper-level courses, given that the grades I achieved in those courses are likely to have greater implications outside of my BScH.

Despite such obstacles, I was still able to pass both BIOL 102 and 103 as well as MATH 121, however due to the unfortunate circumstances, I feel that the grade that I received does not appropriately reflect my scholastic capabilities. Indeed, I believe that my grades in all other courses during the 2016/2017 and 2018/2019 school year are far more indicative of my academic potential. I am therefore requesting that I firstly be permitted to submit an appeal for Credit Standing in BIOL 102 and 103. I am in addition respectfully requesting that the grades that I received in BIOL 102, BIOL 103, and MATH 121 be converted to Credit Standing on my transcript.

Regarding documentation, Tess Grant, the Occupational Therapist with Student Wellness Services, will be submitting a letter on my behalf confirming counselling and health concerns throughout the 2018/2019 school year. Furthermore, I am in contact with my General Practitioner, letters from whom I will be submitting through the portal as they become available to me. I have also, with this letter, submitted supplementary documentation which further supports the role that these extenuating circumstances played in impacting my ability to perform in an academic setting throughout the aforementioned time periods.

I greatly appreciate your time in reviewing my letter and documentation.

Thank you for your understanding,

Laura Katie Radford
10137881
laura.radford@queensu.ca
(226) 200 0490