To put it in simple terms, a test average of 59% is really low. It is about 15% lower than the typical end-of-the-year class average of around 70-75%. Moreover, since the test is worth 15%, this means that students who scored around the average would see a ~6% decrease in their final grade due to this mark. Even if a student scores 85% on average on everything else, they would be bumped down to 79% which means going from an A to a B+ or going from a 4.0 to a 3.3 GPA (according to the UofT grading scale. This is a big drop.

I have discussed with others and many of their morales have been shattered due to this one test. I want everyone taking CHM136 to not have to stress about the rest of the semester as it has already been a stressful enough year with COVID-19. There should be some sort of way that students can have a second chance at improving their final grades. In other classes when class averages were this low on tests, they were either bumped up or there was a grade re-distribution. I think that the latter is the more fair option as it requires the students to actually work in order to get a better grade rather than just giving away free marks. 

Hopefully this petition results in some action taken.