Petition Letter
Dear Dr. Adams,
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing today to formally submit a petition regarding my final grades in the courses BCHM 310 and PGHY 350. I kindly request your consideration in granting me credit standing in these courses as a result of extenuating circumstances that resulted in lower grades than otherwise anticipated.
During the Winter 2024 term, I faced significant challenges that severely impacted my studies, resulting in an academic performance that is unrepresentative of my true capabilities. At the beginning of February, a close family member began exhibiting abnormal mood and behaviour. The situation escalated dramatically, causing immense stress and worry as I had to maintain daily contact with my family and the individual’s friends. The episode led to a lot of family conflict, leaving me feeling helpless and distressed. The crisis persisted until the middle of May, at which point a psychiatrist diagnosed and began treatment. My family member was experiencing a type of hypomania. I was stressed and scared for her safety, as well as trying my best to manage everything while being three and a half hours away at school.
Additionally, I experienced a debilitating injury which further impacted my studies and mental health. As a member of the Queen’s Women’s Football team, I had the opportunity to play during our Championship tournament on March 23rd-24th at Laurier University. Unfortunately, I suffered an excruciatingly painful injury to my left knee and required immediate medical attention, resulting in a 12-hour stay at Kitchener’s Grand River hospital. I underwent various testing, however, was unable to get a diagnosis until an MRI appointment on April 18th. The injury severely limited my mobility and necessitated that I remain at home in Orangeville, as I could not perform daily tasks independently. I had upcoming appointments with my orthopedic surgeon in Waterloo and spent a great deal of time travelling. Consequently, I missed the remainder of in-person classes and was in a splint and on crutches for the rest of the term. The injury and subsequent isolation led to significant depression as it put the brakes on my active lifestyle and rendered me immobile and isolated from my friends. On April 23rd, I was diagnosed with a torn ACL and meniscus, necessitating immediate physiotherapy to become a candidate for reconstructive surgery. I was greatly appreciative of the academic consideration that provided me with extended deadlines for my assignments, however, it resulted in limited time to study for my exams, prompting me to request a deferral. However, the ongoing physical pain, limited mobility, and mental strain made it extremely difficult to study for the upcoming exams.
The main courses affected by my circumstances were BCHM 310 and PGHY 350. I obtained decent marks in the first half of BCHM 301. However, despite my effort, the second half of BCHM 310 proved challenging, and I was unable to stay focused on my studies, resulting in poor performance on my midterm and final exams. This significantly impacted my final grade, marking it the lowest in my university career. I understand that BCHM310 is a full year course, nevertheless, I hope that 310A and 310B could be marked separately, as my extenuating circumstances only affected the second half of the course. Similarly, PHGY 350 was heavily impacted due to the substantial weighting of exams, with the midterm worth 48% and the final worth 32%. The timing of my family crisis and injury left me unprepared for these assessments, resulting in a considerable drop in my grade. I was unable to drop this course before the week 8 drop deadline because our midterm was scheduled four days prior, leaving me unaware of my standing in the class. My other courses were not significantly affected. PHGY 355 and PHAR 380 consisted of many assignments and did not include final exams, making them more manageable. Moreover, MICR 221, a course I was retaking, was also easier to maintain due to my previous familiarity with the material.
These circumstances have since been resolved. My family member is receiving appropriate psychiatric care, and the family conflict has dissipated. Additionally, I received ACL reconstructive surgery and a partial meniscectomy on May 23rd. My summer is dedicated to intense physiotherapy, and I have obtained a custom brace to prevent re-injury. Recently, I was cleared by my physiotherapist to wean off of my crutches, allowing me to walk independently again. By the start of the 2024-2025 school year, I expect to return to full daily physical activities, and to resume my academic responsibilities with complete focus.
I sincerely hope you will consider granting credit standing for BCHM 310 and PHGY 350 to limit the impact on my GPA. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
Alyssa Trushinski
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing today to formally submit a petition regarding my final grades in the courses BCHM 310 and PGHY 350. I kindly request your consideration in granting me credit standing in these courses as a result of extenuating circumstances that resulted in lower grades than otherwise anticipated.
During the Winter 2024 term, I faced significant challenges that severely impacted my studies, resulting in an academic performance that is unrepresentative of my true capabilities. At the beginning of February, a close family member began exhibiting abnormal mood and behaviour. The situation escalated dramatically, causing immense stress and worry as I had to maintain daily contact with my family and the individual’s friends. The episode led to a lot of family conflict, leaving me feeling helpless and distressed. The crisis persisted until the middle of May, at which point a psychiatrist diagnosed and began treatment. My family member was experiencing a type of hypomania. I was stressed and scared for her safety, as well as trying my best to manage everything while being three and a half hours away at school.
Additionally, I experienced a debilitating injury which further impacted my studies and mental health. As a member of the Queen’s Women’s Football team, I had the opportunity to play during our Championship tournament on March 23rd-24th at Laurier University. Unfortunately, I suffered an excruciatingly painful injury to my left knee and required immediate medical attention, resulting in a 12-hour stay at Kitchener’s Grand River hospital. I underwent various testing, however, was unable to get a diagnosis until an MRI appointment on April 18th. The injury severely limited my mobility and necessitated that I remain at home in Orangeville, as I could not perform daily tasks independently. I had upcoming appointments with my orthopedic surgeon in Waterloo and spent a great deal of time travelling. Consequently, I missed the remainder of in-person classes and was in a splint and on crutches for the rest of the term. The injury and subsequent isolation led to significant depression as it put the brakes on my active lifestyle and rendered me immobile and isolated from my friends. On April 23rd, I was diagnosed with a torn ACL and meniscus, necessitating immediate physiotherapy to become a candidate for reconstructive surgery. I was greatly appreciative of the academic consideration that provided me with extended deadlines for my assignments, however, it resulted in limited time to study for my exams, prompting me to request a deferral. However, the ongoing physical pain, limited mobility, and mental strain made it extremely difficult to study for the upcoming exams.
The main courses affected by my circumstances were BCHM 310 and PGHY 350. I obtained decent marks in the first half of BCHM 301. However, despite my effort, the second half of BCHM 310 proved challenging, and I was unable to stay focused on my studies, resulting in poor performance on my midterm and final exams. This significantly impacted my final grade, marking it the lowest in my university career. I understand that BCHM310 is a full year course, nevertheless, I hope that 310A and 310B could be marked separately, as my extenuating circumstances only affected the second half of the course. Similarly, PHGY 350 was heavily impacted due to the substantial weighting of exams, with the midterm worth 48% and the final worth 32%. The timing of my family crisis and injury left me unprepared for these assessments, resulting in a considerable drop in my grade. I was unable to drop this course before the week 8 drop deadline because our midterm was scheduled four days prior, leaving me unaware of my standing in the class. My other courses were not significantly affected. PHGY 355 and PHAR 380 consisted of many assignments and did not include final exams, making them more manageable. Moreover, MICR 221, a course I was retaking, was also easier to maintain due to my previous familiarity with the material.
These circumstances have since been resolved. My family member is receiving appropriate psychiatric care, and the family conflict has dissipated. Additionally, I received ACL reconstructive surgery and a partial meniscectomy on May 23rd. My summer is dedicated to intense physiotherapy, and I have obtained a custom brace to prevent re-injury. Recently, I was cleared by my physiotherapist to wean off of my crutches, allowing me to walk independently again. By the start of the 2024-2025 school year, I expect to return to full daily physical activities, and to resume my academic responsibilities with complete focus.
I sincerely hope you will consider granting credit standing for BCHM 310 and PHGY 350 to limit the impact on my GPA. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
Alyssa Trushinski