Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Stephenson,
I am petitioning to drop PHIL 204 (winter, 2023). From January 20th to around February 8th I dealt with streptococcal pharyngitis. I began feeling mild throat pain during the 20th of January. I tried to alleviate my pain with salt water rinses, plenty of warm liquids and lozenges (Halls), though my attempts were unsuccessful and my symptoms worsened. I was in immense pain, my lymph nodes were very swollen and I had difficulty swallowing as well as a fever. On January 24th, I contacted a nurse practitioner through Dialogue (virtual healthcare service). I then picked up antibiotics on the 25th of January and took them for 10 days. My symptoms continued to persist after the full antibiotic treatment but eventually subsided during the following week. I understand that I should have sought further medical attention because my symptoms persisted but I was overwhelmed with figuring out how to get back on track with my schooling. It was suggested by the nurse that I stay home in order to get plenty of rest, I also had side effects from the antibiotics (nausea and diarrhea); all of which made attending class and doing work very challenging. The first assignment in PHIL 204 was due on February 2nd and as a consequence of being sick I was not completely aware of this. I applied for a 3-day extension on February 7th as I also had a meeting with an academic advisor that day and It was recommended. The extension was not granted as pictures of my prescription were not considered valid documentation. During this time I attempted to catch up on other courses whilst working on completing the PHIL 204 assignment. I handed in the assignment much later and emailed the professor about what I could do to make up for it or how I should move forward but I did not get a response. I have been dealing with school related anxiety and depression which exacerbated the consequences of being sick. I was very nervous and worried about my schooling which sent me into a depressive spiral around this time, making it even more challenging to catch up while sick. I met with my therapist on February 2nd and 15th in order to gain some support and direction. I was able to catch up in the other courses more easily than PHIL 204 due to the fact that the first projects in the other classes were either minor or due later. My marks did suffer in my other courses but I am hopeful that I will be able to succeed in completing them. I did not drop this course earlier as I was hopeful I could catch up but realized that it was not possible, too much content was already missed. For the future, I hope to take this course again as the content is something I am very much so interested in. My therapist has recently recommended trying anxiety medication as they feel my anxiety has become much more severe this semester. I believe taking medication would benefit me and my academic career next year. I am also in the process of applying for QSAS accommodations so that I am better prepared for the future. I was transitioning to only speaking with my therapist bi-weekly, sometimes every three weeks but seeing as how my mental health has declined I will be seeing them every week. They help me create structure, approach work in ways that will be effective and ensure I am conscious of my mental health, all of which will help me be successful at Queen??s University. Thank you for your time and consideration, I truly appreciate it.


Kelly Rollo