Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern, I hope this letter finds you well,

I am writing this appeal to plead that I may be granted approval to drop my winter term courses after the deadline of March 3rd, 2023.

This circumstance is not one I am proud to share, In fact, until recently I have gone to lengths to hide it. Since the start of my attendance at Queen's university, I have been in an ongoing battle with my mental health. This is not the first time my mental health has affected my studies at Queens, last year I found myself falling into a severe depression and decided to take a leave of absence from the 2022 winter semester. When I returned to my studies at the beginning of this year, I thought I was better. But then I started slipping into the same depression I did last year, only instead of trying to fight my way out of it like I did last time, it got the best of me and I just gave in. In the 2022 fall semester, I started slipping back into my depression. I dropped a few courses to try and lighten the stress and anxiety I was experiencing. Over the 2022-2023 winter break, I continued to struggle with my mental health, however, I thought when I returned to Queens for the 2023 winter term I would be able to turn things around. This was not the case. I continually slipped into depression and had growing feelings of anxiety about my social life and my studies. As a result, I mentally checked out from my studies for the last month, letting coursework and assignments pass me by, along with the academic drop deadline. No matter how much I wanted to, I mentally couldn't bring myself to stay on top of things. I had every intention of dropping my winter term courses before the deadline, but I didn't even have the mental strength to open my laptop. I realized this past weekend that I had missed the drop deadline and missing it made me conclude that it is time for me to give all I have to fix my mental state. I tried to set up an appointment with an academic advisor to discuss my best course of action before submitting this appeal, however, I was unable to do so as there seem to be no appointments available. Therefore I am writing this appeal because I owe it to my future self to try and salvage the situation I have created. It would be hard to forgive myself knowing I screwed things up for a more dedicated, mentally tougher, and hopefully happier me down the road. I am currently seeking outside counsel to help me with my mental health, something I felt I was too proud to do until recently, and my hope is that I can return to my studies in the Fall of 2023 winning the battle with mental health and fully dedicated to succeeding here at Queens.

My situation is not unique, and it doesn't merit different treatment than any other Queens student. However, I am asking that you grant me permission to drop my winter term courses so I can focus on beating my depression and giving myself a better chance for success at Queens in the future. I know this is much more than I deserve to ask of you, but your compassion in my situation would assist me greatly in taking back control of my life from mental health issues.

Thank you for your consideration,

Samuel Logan