Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to request a late appeal for Credit (CR) standing in a course that I completed in the Winter Term of 2019. I understand that it is well past the one-term appeal deadline, but the extenuating circumstances that hindered my academic performance persisted well into this school year, too.

Since starting at Queen¿¿s, I have struggled to manage the impacts of severe mental health and family issues on other aspects of my life, including academic performance. Unfortunately, I was uncomfortable reaching out for the extent of help I now know I needed when trying to adjust to life as a first-year student, which I recognize as my mistake. These issues consumed a lot of my time and affected my ability to attend all classes, as well as my motivation to do well in school. The course in question is MATH 121 Differentials and Integral Calculus, which I finished with a D+ at the end of first year. Comparing this grade to my stronger performance in second year, when the course load was much more demanding and fast-paced, or even to my University level high school math grades, I think it is clear that a D+ is not indicative of my regular work ethic and abilities as a student.

In terms of documentation, I have attached my unofficial transcript and my letter of accommodation from Queen¿¿s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS), which I registered with in February of 2020 after my situation deteriorated quickly in first semester. These accommodations are valid until August of this year, at which point I plan to renew them to ensure my continued success at Queen¿¿s. If needed, I can provide further documentation from several Student Wellness appointments over the past two years, both with counsellors and physicians, that aimed to improve my overall wellbeing and performance in school by discussing different possible medications and accommodations.

I certainly regret not registering with QSAS earlier in my undergraduate career at Queen¿¿s, as their help has been paramount to my further readjustments for success. Upon further reflection of my future goals after completing second year, I worry about this grade¿¿s potential to impair my four-year GPA and, as a result, my attractiveness to professional post-secondary programs, which are competitive as it is. I hope you will agree that this course mark is not a true reflection of my capabilities after reviewing the dramatic difference in my transcript between first and second year, which I attribute to QSAS accommodations and recent improvements and stability in my health, and I respectfully request that you consider approving my late appeal for Credit standing. Up until recently, I was unaware that this was an option and would have been preoccupied with resolving my aforementioned challenges. Now that I have established a healthier balance, I am looking at my experience at Queen¿¿s as a whole, and wish to address and take responsibility for the times that I was not operating at my full faculties.

Thank you for your time and assistance, and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Best,

Myriam Oliver