Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Note: My appeal number 673 to waive the 21 day deadline was approved on January 30, 2015. No Submit a late appeal option appeared.

To the Associate Dean of Studies,

I am requesting an extension of the IN grades for DEVS 493 (Winter, 2014) and DEVS 497 (Winter, 2014).

I was unable to complete the coursework before the end of the 90 days granted for IN status.

After a very difficult time with medical issues in first year, I have been trying to maintain good health and my academics. At the beginning of last year I thought I was ready to take on five courses per term. However, during the fall term, my health issues worsened and I got behind. My anxiety causes severe lack of sleep and concentration, which makes my schoolwork take longer than usual. This caused me to take an IN grade in three of my fall courses. To avoid getting behind in my winter courses, this coursework got pushes further and further back. By the end of the winter term, I had to take an IN in three of my winter courses so that I could finish the outstanding coursework for the fall courses. During the winter term, I met with my doctor and a counselor at the Disability Services Office to help me work on my health issues, arrange accommodations, and to plan the best way to get caught up on my coursework.

In May I participated in the Queen¿¿s DEVS 305 course trip to Havana, Cuba. While I was there, I was robbed at gunpoint. While already struggling with anxiety, which was affecting my sleep and concentration, this incident drastically perpetuated it. After returning from the trip, I had to finish coursework from the school year, however my health circumstances were much worse than before. I worked hard in the summer and finished all courses except for two, DEVS 493 and DEVS 497.

Again not wanting to get behind on another term, I was not able to complete the coursework immediately. I took a reduced course load this year, acknowledging the troubles that I had last year. I finished all my fall coursework on time, and have completed the DEVS 497 assignment, which has been sent to my professor and marked. I have also met with my professor for DEVS 493, who supports my appeal, and we have agreed upon a date to have the assignment finished by. I am sure that I can finish the coursework by then, and then I will no longer be behind on any course. I have also kept in touch with the Disability Services Office and my doctor to help manage my ongoing anxiety, particularly after the traumatic incident in May.

With an extension of the IN grades in these courses, my grade for DEVS 497 can be changed immediately, and I will be able to finish everything for DEVS 493 before our agreed date, February 14th, 2015.

Attached Documents:
- Letter from Doctor
- Accommodation letter from Disability Services Office
- Police report from robbery in Havana, Cuba
- Letter of support from DEVS 493 professor, Marc Epprecht
- Letter of support from DEVS 497 professor, Dia Da Costa