Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Janice Halabi
Student 10208937
105-286 Major Mackenzie Dr E
Richmond Hill, Ontario
L4C 8T3
15jh43@queensu.ca
(647) 871-1719


August 8, 2019

RE: Aegrotat Appeal


To the presiding Associate Dean,

I am writing in regard to two courses for my Certificate in Law program that I would like to request an appeal for.

The content of these are as follows:

1. Aegrotat Appeal for LAW 205 (Public and Constitutional Law). I am requesting a final estimated grade of the aforementioned course as I am unable to complete the course due to unforeseen circumstances.

2. Aegrotat Appeal for LAW 204 (Corporate Law). I am requesting a final estimated grade of the aforementioned course as I am unable to complete the course due to unforeseen circumstances.

Due to extenuating circumstances, I am unable to complete the above-mentioned two courses. The past two months I have struggled physically, mentally and emotionally due to illness that is unrelated to my foreknown disabilities which are registered with Queen¿¿s Student Accessibility Services. I was constantly ending up in the hospital without knowing what the issue was. After plenty of physical suffering and emotional distress, most recently, I was informed that I will have to undergo an urgent Mastectomy, and further informed that there is also an autoimmune disease circulating in my body along with a possible infection. My entire bodily systems have been impacted (since the commence of classes) and till now are being affected. I managed to get through the majority of my courses, but it has not come without struggle. Unfortunately, it was only up till recently that I started to get answers as to what is going on in my body. As a result, I will not be able to complete the two aforementioned courses.

Even throughout my difficulties, I have made it my duty to be as responsible and considerate as I can be towards my professors. I have updated them constantly and provided them with medical documents whenever I fell ill and/or was hospitalized etc. as I feel that it is the right and proper thing for me to do, to remain as responsible as I can be despite my trials and tribulations. Despite all this, I rarely requested extensions on assignments and worked through my difficulties. In addition, I have even shared what has recently occurred with my health with my professors as I believe that it is only fair for my professors to be aware of the situation and for us to work together in order to find the best possible solution during this time. I value their opinions greatly, and I have done my absolute best to always think about their position and tried my best to not inconvenience them as I am aware that they also have a lot to deal with during the semester. After reaching out to my professors, we discussed possible options and we mutually agreed that the decision to proceed with an Aegrotat standing for a final estimated grade is the best course of action to pursue. After looking into this option further, I was informed that if my professors also support this decision, I can apply for graduation for the Certificate in Law before undergoing surgery (with the Aegrotat for a final estimated grade option). Therefore, after consulting with both Mr. Shanks (LAW 205 Public and Constitutional Law) and Mr. Hurley (LAW 204 Corporate Law) both were very sympathetic and considerate about the situation that I am in. Further, both professors looked into the matter as well and informed me that after inquiring about the Aegrotat for a final estimated grade, they were also told that it could be done and that they can submit an estimated final grade as long as I complete 60 of the course work (which I have). Both professors told me to mention their support for this decision in my appeal and to further mention that if a letter is required from them, they will provide one for me to submit. Or if they are contacted directly, they stated that they will directly mention their support for this decision.

This has been a very discouraging time as I had high hopes of finally graduating after many setbacks (from both my degree and certificate). However, it is moments like this that help to restore my faith and remind me that with every unwanted journey there are still many positives that can come my way. When I was 18 years old, I completed two years at York university. My health started to decline, and they refused to accommodate me. I lost all hope in being able to obtain my degree. In 2015, I enrolled with Queen¿¿s after years of feeling like I will never be able to pursue a degree due to my disability and surgeries. At the time, universities did not offer distance studies. Queen¿¿s was one of the first universities to do so and through this university I gained back the much-needed hope that I felt I lost for so long. And here I am again, while in this case, the support from my Law professors is what left me speechless and in tears. As my ability to hopefully graduate from the Certificate in Law program this semester is largely due to the measures of their help, their encouragement and their support. My words of appreciation are modest compared their doings. Therefore, although I have managed to apply for graduation for my degree, I am hoping for an approval of an Aegrotat standing for a final estimated grade on the two aforementioned courses so that I will be able to also graduate from the Certificate in Law program. This will allow me to just focus on my health and the long battle I have ahead, as I would be devastated if I lost all my efforts and hard-work knowing that I was so close to the finish line.

Thank you so much for your time and for allowing me the opportunity to explain my circumstances and the reasons for my request.

Please find attached medical documents to support my forgoing statement. If you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,
Janice Halabi