Petition Letter
Dear Associate Dean (Studies),
Faculty of Arts & Science
I am writing to request an appeal for a credit standing for the ASTR 101 credit that I hold. This is a credit that I earned in the Fall semester of 2016, with a final grade of a D. I feel that this is not an accurate reflection of my academic capabilities, nor of the effort that I put in to the course, given a personal and extenuating circumstance that I experienced during this time.
During this semester, around beginning-to-mid-October, I began having physical symptoms that were then accompanied by associated mental health effects upon receiving a diagnosis that I do not feel comfortable disclosing. I have attached a scanned verification of illness from this time, that describes my situation on November 14, 2016 as an ongoing and severe circumstance. Prior to this note however, the symptoms I was experiencing were keeping me from attending lectures, which I feel deeply hindered my potential for success in this course. Upon receiving this verification of illness, I chose not to pursue action in this course because I did not feel comfortable sharing information about the situation. However, I recently met with an academic advisor who shared that it is still possible to appeal for a credit standing in an extenuating circumstance, which is why I am now choosing to pursue this path. My symptoms did not subside until after classes had ended, therefore my circumstance persisted through the majority of the semester. I did, however, in an effort to achieve a passing grade, complete all assignments, quizzes, and exams. So, I feel that I put in an effort that could not be reflected by my grade because of my inability to attend most lectures.
This course is one that I struggled with more than others, as you can see on my transcript. This is not only because I was unable to attend many of the lectures given my situation, but I also did not have any background knowledge of the subject (like I did in my other courses), or know anyone who I felt comfortable asking for notes or assistance from. Two out of my four courses from the semester were in my discipline of geography, which I had enough background knowledge on to be able to achieve the grades that I did, while dealing with my physical and mental symptoms. My fourth course was a beginner¿¿s French course, which was completely online, therefore I was able to work from home, when I felt physically and mentally capable, and I was not required to attend any lectures in order to succeed.
In this astronomy course it was crucial for me to have been able to attend lectures to succeed with a mark that I would deem as representative of my capabilities and of the effort I put into the course. Since this time, the issue I was dealing with has been long resolved, and I think you will notice from my grades since the Fall 2016 semester, that I have consistently maintained much higher grades than is represented by my ASTR 101 grade. As you will notice, I have attached grade statements from Athabasca transfer credits that also better demonstrate my academic capabilities since my circumstance was resolved.
If there is any other information needed or requested for this appeal, I would be happy to answer them.
Thank you for your consideration,
Mary Claire Kartner
(10095732)
Faculty of Arts & Science
I am writing to request an appeal for a credit standing for the ASTR 101 credit that I hold. This is a credit that I earned in the Fall semester of 2016, with a final grade of a D. I feel that this is not an accurate reflection of my academic capabilities, nor of the effort that I put in to the course, given a personal and extenuating circumstance that I experienced during this time.
During this semester, around beginning-to-mid-October, I began having physical symptoms that were then accompanied by associated mental health effects upon receiving a diagnosis that I do not feel comfortable disclosing. I have attached a scanned verification of illness from this time, that describes my situation on November 14, 2016 as an ongoing and severe circumstance. Prior to this note however, the symptoms I was experiencing were keeping me from attending lectures, which I feel deeply hindered my potential for success in this course. Upon receiving this verification of illness, I chose not to pursue action in this course because I did not feel comfortable sharing information about the situation. However, I recently met with an academic advisor who shared that it is still possible to appeal for a credit standing in an extenuating circumstance, which is why I am now choosing to pursue this path. My symptoms did not subside until after classes had ended, therefore my circumstance persisted through the majority of the semester. I did, however, in an effort to achieve a passing grade, complete all assignments, quizzes, and exams. So, I feel that I put in an effort that could not be reflected by my grade because of my inability to attend most lectures.
This course is one that I struggled with more than others, as you can see on my transcript. This is not only because I was unable to attend many of the lectures given my situation, but I also did not have any background knowledge of the subject (like I did in my other courses), or know anyone who I felt comfortable asking for notes or assistance from. Two out of my four courses from the semester were in my discipline of geography, which I had enough background knowledge on to be able to achieve the grades that I did, while dealing with my physical and mental symptoms. My fourth course was a beginner¿¿s French course, which was completely online, therefore I was able to work from home, when I felt physically and mentally capable, and I was not required to attend any lectures in order to succeed.
In this astronomy course it was crucial for me to have been able to attend lectures to succeed with a mark that I would deem as representative of my capabilities and of the effort I put into the course. Since this time, the issue I was dealing with has been long resolved, and I think you will notice from my grades since the Fall 2016 semester, that I have consistently maintained much higher grades than is represented by my ASTR 101 grade. As you will notice, I have attached grade statements from Athabasca transfer credits that also better demonstrate my academic capabilities since my circumstance was resolved.
If there is any other information needed or requested for this appeal, I would be happy to answer them.
Thank you for your consideration,
Mary Claire Kartner
(10095732)