Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Hello Associate Dean (Academic),

I am petitioning to enrol in PHIL 204 and PHIL 261 for the Winter 2023 semester past the enrolment deadline.

The reason I was unable to enrol in these courses before the enrolment deadline was due to a traumatic family incident during the Winter 2022 break. During the Winter 2022 break my younger brother had come forward about his poor mental health and multiple suicide attempts that took place both during the Fall 2022 semester and the Winter 2022 break. I was previously aware of his decline in mental wellness during the fall 2022 semester and dedicated a lot of my time to taking care of him. I was not aware of the reality or severity of his mental state until he came forward about his struggles. He made my family aware of his situation in the days following Christmas. He told us that he had attempted to commit suicide multiple times during the break but could not bring himself to do it in fear of ruining our holiday as well as admitted to constant suicidal ideation. This situation left my family in a state of shock and fear. I was unsure whether or not I would be returning to my studies for the Winter 2023 semester. I also am diagnosed with depression and anxiety and take medications in order to help with my mental well-being but, when this situation arose, I had a moment where I felt my mental health spiral and was not sure if I would be capable of returning to my studies due to how overwhelmed I was. I did not want to take on a task that I was unsure about my success in.

I ultimately decided that I would be able to return to my studies with full confidence surrounding the situation. My brother is not returning to his studies, living at home with my parents, newly medicated with antidepressants and an antipsychotic and talking to a psychiatrist weekly. My parents are giving him every type of support possible, and I no longer feel worried about this situation as they have it handled. I have now increased my personal dosage for medications and am currently seeking a therapist to help with my mental health during this time. I feel confident in the return to my studies for this semester and am prepared to discuss the missing work from the previous weeks with the professors for the courses I am petitioning to enter. I have emailed the professors of these courses and received support from Professor Dolleen Manning concerning the enrolment of her course (PHIL 204) and she has agreed to meet with me after class to discuss how to catch up on any missing work. I also have scheduled a meeting on Wednesday, February 1st with Professor Joshua Mozersky to discuss PHIL 261 and his support for me enrolling in his course. I have decided to take a partial course load this semester in order to alleviate any excess stress a full course load may provide. I am confident that I can achieve success now that the situation regarding my brother is finally being properly taken care of, there is nothing else I can do at this time to support him therefore I can return to my studies with full focus.

Thank you for your time,

Reese Murrans
20188510