Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern,

I am petitioning to waive the deadline to waive my requirement to withdraw for a year. I failed several courses due to a physical and mental injury that I sustained in an accident that was out of my control, and was thus required to withdraw on the grounds of my academic probation. I am requesting this deadline to petition the requirement to be waived.

On December 13th, 2019, I was hit by a car while riding my bike. The accident left me with significant physical injuries, including a traumatic head injury, that required extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, and therapy that is still ongoing. In addition to the physical injuries I sustained, the accident also left me with severe mental trauma that impacted my ability to focus and concentrate on my studies, while also affecting my ability to complete everyday essential tasks. A concussion specialist that I was seeing for a short time after the accident, explained to me that head trauma like what I experienced, can, and will, lead to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. The specialist was correct, and I have been struggling with these issues ever since.

When I began to experience a severe decline in my studies, I sought help from my doctors and QSAS. Unfortunately, I was unable to keep up with my coursework and ultimately failed my Physics course in the second term. There were several instances when I just did not complete any of the work because of the overwhelming fear and guilt I felt as a result of being depressed and consumed by all the appointments related to my recovery. This guilt and fear I was experiencing managed to bleed into all aspects of my life, including not submitting this petition by the deadline. I would stay in my residence room for weeks at a time, leaving my room only to eat once a day at dinner for my first meal. I returned home at Christmas break hoping for some change as I had the first of six surgeries to fix the physical injury to my face. Unfortunately, things did not get better. I began therapy with a clinical psychologist (Dr. Schell) and as a family, we decided to put all things related to my physical recovery on hold. I returned to school in September of second year with hope and better control of my choices. However, in the second semester of second year, I became severely depressed again as my physical and mental appointments became overwhelming to negotiate. I experienced suicidal ideations constantly, had crippling anxiety, and was not in a place to complete my studies to the best of my ability. Everything to do with my academic studies, health, and/or nutrition was actively ignored. At one point, my mother initiated a wellness check from the Kingston police department because of my withdrawn behaviour. I could not get motivated or focused enough to even let people in on the truth of my decline.Ultimately, I ended up failing the second semester of my second year because I didn??t ask for the help I so desperately needed. When I received the email outlining to me that I was required to withdraw for a year because of my academic shortcomings, that extreme guilt and overwhelming fear took over, and I buried the email in my inbox so that I did not have to face the issue head on. As a result of the mental and physical injuries I sustained December 2019, I failed to meet the June 14th deadline to waive this requirement to withdraw.

This traumatic accident impacted all areas of my life and continues to, even now. Underlying problems I??ve dealt with my whole life were amplified. I have severe ADHD, and after the accident, the disorder was impacted in a way that my friends and family have ever seen before. I understand that, under normal circumstances, this failure to meet the petition deadline would be taken as such, and I would be unable to make a petition. However, I believe that the extenuating circumstances of my accident warrant a departure from this policy. I am committed to getting back to my academic career, and I am determined to make a full recovery from my injuries. After the events of my second year, I decided that enough was enough and that I needed to focus fully and completely on my recovery. I started medication for anxiety and depression in April 2022, and was diagnosed officially with ADHD and prescribed medication for it in the July of this past summer. I plan to continue taking this medication during my return to studies, whilst keeping regular visits and meetings with my doctors. I also plan to continue my weekly therapist sessions, while being honest and forthright about the possible feelings that I might feel again during my return to studies. I want to prevent the recurrence of another very serious depressive state. In addition to my plan to continue seeing these professionals, I am hoping to have most of the surgical procedures required for my physical recovery complete before returning to Queens in September. I am eager to get back to my studies, and I am confident that a normal life, and a new version of a capable, and honest Sebastian is within reach. With the support of the university and the professionals I am currently seeing, I know that I will be able to bounce back and succeed in my future courses. I am respectfully requesting to waive the petition deadline of my requirement to withdraw from my studies. I would be grateful if you would consider my petition and allow me the opportunity to move forward with my education.
Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Sebastian Wolfs