Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Letter: Dear Board of Studies,

I am writing to further explain my circumstances and reasons to receive an aegrotat standing for PSYC 202, a course from Fall 2021, due to my extenuating circumstances. If in the end it all fails to work out, I will request to write my deferred exam, but I want to at least try to get this aegrotat standing.

Today, after waiting several months, they got back to me saying my request was denied because:

Academic Regulation 10.3.1. states that, Aegrotat estimated standing in a
course is reserved for situations in which a student, who has completed and
passed at least 60% of the work for a course, but because of illness or
other extenuating circumstances beyond his or her control, is unable to
complete all the work of the course (see Academic Regulation 6)?. Aegrotat
standing is only granted in cases where there are well documented and
unforeseen extenuating circumstances outside of a student???s control and
the learning outcomes of the course have been satisfied. The integrity of
Arts and Science transcripts in general would be greatly diminished if the
Faculty were to effect changes to students??? records without clear and
compelling documentation indicating that the student???s performance was
significantly compromised by circumstances beyond his or her control.

The information received from your instructor indicates that you have
completed 41.33% of the course requirements with 28.67% of the course
components (including both term tests), and the final exam worth 30% not
completed. The work you did complete it not enough to demonstrate that you
have met the learning outcomes in this course and therefore I must deny
your request for AG standing.

This is true, however, I have already worked so hard in everything else in the course, and I ran into financial difficulties at home with my family after we were all suddenly sent home from Queen's for the first half of winter semester. These financial difficulties regarding rent, tuition, and travel, all arguable placed a great deal of stress on us from December to January. My anxiety, which I am diagnosed with and registered under QSAS for, had spiked and I have had great anxious and depressive episodes that month. That is why in early February I submitted an appeal for an Aegrotat standing, because I knew that was what is best for me going forward. These extenuating circumstances were out of my control, and I definitely had learned my lessons by getting ongoing counselling support ever since I submitted the aegrotat standing. In return, therefore, I kindly request an approval of the aegrotat standing for the course way back in Fall 2021. Currently, we are at a much better place, and my mental health has been improving in spring. Therefore, I am definitely equipped to write the deferred exam should Sarah Yakimowski see the emails (as she has been very unresponsive since January so I do not know who to contact anymore) if this is once again denied, but like I said, she has been extremely unresponsive, and no one manages the intro to stats in2stats@queensu.ca email anymore, as stated by their automated message, so overall I just think it's a much smoother decision to be given an aegrotat standing. Thank you and have a good day.


Sincerely,
Grace C
20172563