Petition Letter
Attention: Office of Associate Dean (Studies)
I would like to appeal the mark of 0 that I received on my final Early Middle Ages (HIST 225) exam.
I will first explain why my professor, Professor Agresta, did not receive my appeal. I first became aware of a problem on December 31st when my stepfather checked my OnQ for my exam mark and found that I had received a 0. He then went to my school Office 365 email and realized that I had received an email dated December 20th from Professor Agresta advising me of the breech of academic integrity. I immediately prepared an appeal and sent Professor Agresta my appeal by email on the January 1st. This email did not get delivered because my NetID was compromised and all outgoing emails were being blocked. On January 2nd, Professor Agresta emailed me advising that as she had not received any communication from me she had sent her findings on to the office of the Associate Deans. I re-sent my appeal to Professor Agresta by way of my step-father's email, but learned that she had already made her decision and had sent the material on to the Office of the Dean (Studies).
The mark of 0 was given to me because I was found with my cell phone after I took a bathroom break. No one is saying I used my cell phone in the exam hall during the exam, nor did I use it during the exam. Is it being suggested that I used Wikipedia during the exam Such was not the case. To suggest that I searched Wikipedia during the exam or before I went to the bathroom is wrong.
I would like to explain what happened. I want to emphasize that I did not cheat nor did I use the cell phone at all for any purpose.
I wrote the exam on December 18th. I know that students are not supposed to have a cell phone with them, but I stupidly forgot that I had it in my pocket. I was not paying attention to the announcement prior to the exam telling us to put our phones under the table. If I had been paying attention, the announcement would have reminded me to put my phone under the table. However, my mind was preoccupied.
I sat to write the exam. With about one third of the exam time left, I had to use the washroom and it could not be put it off until the end of the exam. I hailed the proctor and she escorted me to the washroom. She asked me how the exam was going, and I told her that I was pleased with the way it was going. I was not asked by anyone if I had a cell phone. I did not tell the proctor--or anyone--that I did not have a cell phone. I don't know why they are saying this. I used the toilet, and ended up accidently blocking the toilet with toilet paper and poop, such that it could not flush. I advised the bathroom proctor of this fact and he looked into the blocked toilet.
I was then escorted back to the exam room where I was taken aside by another proctor and asked to empty my pockets. My phone was in my front pocket. It was shut down. This proctor took my student card and then allowed me to return and finish the exam. This has never happened to me before so I had no idea what was going to happen. They did not tell me anything and they allowed me to finish the exam, so, at worst, I thought that maybe I was only going to be docked a few marks. I didn't think any more about it as I knew that I wasn't cheating. If the proctor had prevented me from completing my exam at that time, then I could have been evaluated on the answers that I had already completed.
The presence of the cell phone in my pocket was totally accidental and a mistake. I did not use it for any reason. I knew the exam material thoroughly.
I would ask you to look at my exam and see how much I have written and how well I knew the course material. It is clear that I could not, in any way at all, have used my cell phone to obtain answers to the questions that I completed on the exam. They say I went to the toilet and returned in only 5 minutes That is not time enough to cheat and be penalized for the entire exam. I had already finished the 10 questions and the first essay, and I had already started my second essay before going to the washroom. I was only in the washroom for no more than three minutes.
I finished my exam and left about 20 minutes before the end time.
I believe that Professor Agresta will agree that I have done well in this course prior to the exam when you view my document analyses and my final essay. I believe that I would have done just as well or even better on the final exam. But for my stupid mistake about the cell phone, which I swear I did not use, I would have received a good mark on your course.
I did not cheat. I did not need to cheat on this exam. I am not stupid enough to cheat with a cell phone (if I was a cheater) and still carry the phone in my pocket Furthermore, I have no reputation for cheating.
I am asking that you review this matter and give me credit, or some credit, for the work that I did on the final exam. Thank you for your consideration.
If you want to question my knowledge of the course, I can see you or Professor Agresta and answer any question orally or in writing, just to prove that I know the course.
Sincerely
Barrett Avey
I would like to appeal the mark of 0 that I received on my final Early Middle Ages (HIST 225) exam.
I will first explain why my professor, Professor Agresta, did not receive my appeal. I first became aware of a problem on December 31st when my stepfather checked my OnQ for my exam mark and found that I had received a 0. He then went to my school Office 365 email and realized that I had received an email dated December 20th from Professor Agresta advising me of the breech of academic integrity. I immediately prepared an appeal and sent Professor Agresta my appeal by email on the January 1st. This email did not get delivered because my NetID was compromised and all outgoing emails were being blocked. On January 2nd, Professor Agresta emailed me advising that as she had not received any communication from me she had sent her findings on to the office of the Associate Deans. I re-sent my appeal to Professor Agresta by way of my step-father's email, but learned that she had already made her decision and had sent the material on to the Office of the Dean (Studies).
The mark of 0 was given to me because I was found with my cell phone after I took a bathroom break. No one is saying I used my cell phone in the exam hall during the exam, nor did I use it during the exam. Is it being suggested that I used Wikipedia during the exam Such was not the case. To suggest that I searched Wikipedia during the exam or before I went to the bathroom is wrong.
I would like to explain what happened. I want to emphasize that I did not cheat nor did I use the cell phone at all for any purpose.
I wrote the exam on December 18th. I know that students are not supposed to have a cell phone with them, but I stupidly forgot that I had it in my pocket. I was not paying attention to the announcement prior to the exam telling us to put our phones under the table. If I had been paying attention, the announcement would have reminded me to put my phone under the table. However, my mind was preoccupied.
I sat to write the exam. With about one third of the exam time left, I had to use the washroom and it could not be put it off until the end of the exam. I hailed the proctor and she escorted me to the washroom. She asked me how the exam was going, and I told her that I was pleased with the way it was going. I was not asked by anyone if I had a cell phone. I did not tell the proctor--or anyone--that I did not have a cell phone. I don't know why they are saying this. I used the toilet, and ended up accidently blocking the toilet with toilet paper and poop, such that it could not flush. I advised the bathroom proctor of this fact and he looked into the blocked toilet.
I was then escorted back to the exam room where I was taken aside by another proctor and asked to empty my pockets. My phone was in my front pocket. It was shut down. This proctor took my student card and then allowed me to return and finish the exam. This has never happened to me before so I had no idea what was going to happen. They did not tell me anything and they allowed me to finish the exam, so, at worst, I thought that maybe I was only going to be docked a few marks. I didn't think any more about it as I knew that I wasn't cheating. If the proctor had prevented me from completing my exam at that time, then I could have been evaluated on the answers that I had already completed.
The presence of the cell phone in my pocket was totally accidental and a mistake. I did not use it for any reason. I knew the exam material thoroughly.
I would ask you to look at my exam and see how much I have written and how well I knew the course material. It is clear that I could not, in any way at all, have used my cell phone to obtain answers to the questions that I completed on the exam. They say I went to the toilet and returned in only 5 minutes That is not time enough to cheat and be penalized for the entire exam. I had already finished the 10 questions and the first essay, and I had already started my second essay before going to the washroom. I was only in the washroom for no more than three minutes.
I finished my exam and left about 20 minutes before the end time.
I believe that Professor Agresta will agree that I have done well in this course prior to the exam when you view my document analyses and my final essay. I believe that I would have done just as well or even better on the final exam. But for my stupid mistake about the cell phone, which I swear I did not use, I would have received a good mark on your course.
I did not cheat. I did not need to cheat on this exam. I am not stupid enough to cheat with a cell phone (if I was a cheater) and still carry the phone in my pocket Furthermore, I have no reputation for cheating.
I am asking that you review this matter and give me credit, or some credit, for the work that I did on the final exam. Thank you for your consideration.
If you want to question my knowledge of the course, I can see you or Professor Agresta and answer any question orally or in writing, just to prove that I know the course.
Sincerely
Barrett Avey