Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

I am appealing for credit standing for the grade I achieved in MATH 280 (Fall, 2021). I am specifically appealing this course because it was the most challenging and time demanding course I took last semester. I did not drop this course before week 8 because I was adamant I could work harder to achieve the grade I wanted, which now, looking back, was unrealistic given my health and well-being.

Throughout the first semester, I struggled greatly with an eating disorder which I believe impacted my ability to succeed in this course. I came into university struggling with this and did not receive help from a psychologist until recently. Throughout the duration of the semester, the illness progressively worsened. I was constantly lightheaded, fatigued, and unable to concentrate all of my energy on the things I wanted to, specifically this course. As I was struggling with this mindset and it was severely impacting my mental health, my parents flew me home for a week in November. Over this week I saw a doctor who informed me I had bradycardia the symptoms of which are fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and dizziness. This specifically impacted this course as it was harder to concentrate in class and get the energy to study. As I am a motivated student who enjoys working hard in my classes and seeing the results, so this dip in performance was disappointing for me. As you will see on my transcripts, last year when I was healthy, my focus and drive were strong which allowed me to thrive.

I am dedicated to improving mentally, physically, and academically. To improve mentally I have recently been seeing a therapist. On the physically front, I have been seeing my doctor once a month. I believe both of these things will improve my academic success, as health is the greatest determinant of one??s ability to succeed. I have been creating goals, building atomic habits, attending all my lectures, and planning my weeks, all of which I believe will help me succeed this semester.

Moving forward with the information I have gained from my course load last semester and about myself, I have come to two solutions. The first is changing programs. I need to revaluate if I would like to pursue a math degree. Last semester I enjoyed Basic Human Nutrition 230 so I would like to explore a health-related academic path. Moving forward, I am going to focus on raising my GPA and then applying to switch majors to Health Studies. I am meeting with an academic advisor soon to further discuss this as well as explore any other options. The second solution is taking a lighter course load this semester as I am still recovering. I am taking four courses, all of which I am confident in my ability to succeed.

I appreciate the time you took to read this.
Thank you very much.

Sincerely,
Anjali Choudhury