Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean,

I am writing to you today petitioning to drop COMM612, DEVS220, FREN118, GEOL106, and LLCU213 late. Please accept this letter as my formal request.

During my first year of Queen??s in March of 2021, I was admitted to hospital following outpatient testing for surgery and discharged hoping to return to residence and school. I managed to return school for 3 days, but then had to return home, too ill to continue with online classes or live independently in residence. All due to symptoms from a new chronic disease that required further testing and investigation. This let to multiple ER visits and eventually a 3-week isolated hospitalization (during peak COVID-19 restrictions), a major surgical intervention leaving me weak physically, emotionally and mentally, requiring assistance to complete my activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living. I was eventually able fully complete the semester with extensions and consideration after meeting with a QSAS advisor and establishing a plan.

Second year, I was able to take steps to complete a majority of my business certificate however could only maintain two courses a semester while learning to live with my chronic illness. Learning to deal with fatigue, poor concentration, and isolation, along with feelings of being overwhelmed and physical symptoms, including pain. Over the summer I attempted to complete 2 courses but was overwhelmed, dropped one and successfully completed the other. I informed my Management Accounting professor that I was dropping the course not knowing that there was an official process for late withdrawals. My lack of knowledge of the process came from a lack of information, which I attribute to almost all of my experiences at Queen??s being remote since beginning my studies during the peak of the pandemic in 2020. I struggled to get connected with proper academic advising as a result.

My third year, beginning in fall 2022, started with me continuing to wrestle with the physical impacts of my chronic illness, which ultimately affected my mental health. I experienced a debilitating mental health episode. I was unable to comprehend the consequences of missing classes and deadlines. Unable to find ways to cope and manage the stress, this led to another hospitalization for 2 weeks, where I missed and was incapable of managing any course work. Subsequently, missing the official drop deadline. After an exacerbation of symptoms, I was unable to complete assignments or write deferred exams by the deadlines that were offered to me through my registration with QSAS. Medication changes have caused symptoms of light headedness, headaches, difficulty sleeping and lack of concentration. I have made difficult decisions in order to improve my mental and physical health and as a result I withdrew from my winter semester classes.

This semester has not been academically fulfilling, but it has allowed me to focus on my mental health. I have been regularly seeing medical professionals, as well as a counsellor, to support me and my return. Moving forward, in order to complete my degree, I will be taking a reduced course load to return to academic life and will gradually return to the average course load size. I plan to retake COMM612 to complete my certificate in business as well as the other 4 to satisfy my degree requirements. My goal is to successfully complete my Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies with a Certificate in Business. This petition allows me to continue to move forward in achieving this goal.