Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Petition Letter – Jarrod (pref. Jae) Wilson
Student Number: 20210560
Queen’s Email: 19jaw10@queensu.ca
November 17, 2023

Dear Dr. Jenn Stephenson, I hope this letter finds you well,

This letter is being submitted in hopes to petition to drop the remaining courses I have this semester, PHYS 315, PHYS 321, and PHYS 344 (Fall 2023).

Throughout the semester, since the first week attending class this year, I have been physically ill 2 to 3 days a week, significantly hindering my ability to attend class and complete assignments. When I began the semester, I was enrolled in 4 courses, the three listed above along with PHYS 316. I had spoken to each professor about plans to allow me to complete work on time while also maintaining my health, though ultimately due to the fact that I was not registered with accommodations, I was not able to receive much support from my professors (as per policy, makes sense). As I carried through the semester, I found myself in a similar position physically, though my workload had quickly become very hard to manage, and in turn I became quite stressed. I have been diagnosed with MDD and GAD in the past, and have had severe mental health problems in high school which resulted in my hospitalization.

Once the drop date (October 30th) came around, I opted to drop out of PHYS 316. I kept the other three courses on my timetable, clinging onto an impossible hope that I could pass these course despite having an average grade of around 30% per class. I also opted against dropping these courses because of underlying expectations felt from family to pursue school, and to push my mental health aside. In hindsight, this was a poor decision, as my workload increased, my stress levels increased, and my health had not been addressed yet.
I found my mental health to slowly progress to that of how it was in high school, and I decided for myself that I needed to remove my stressors temporarily to reset, and allow my brain to calm down before making further progression. I’ve also concluded that I cannot learn as effectively while my mental health is hindered, as I had been trying to complete all assignments throughout, unsuccessfully so. This is the reason I believe I cannot complete these courses, and would prefer them dropped over failed.

I have been aware of my mental health instability due to my past experiences, and have been booking appointments with Meghan Leuprecht, a Mental Health Therapist through Queen’s Counselling since September. She has helped me reach out for accommodations, though these accommodations were put into effect too late to have a significant impact on my grade or my stress levels. I have also had blood taken to a lab in hopes to determine the issue with my health that has got in the way of my academic performance.
In the future, as I know I have difficulty managing stress, I will be taking 3 courses total per semester. Although this does not coincide with the “regular” pathway students take, I’ve determined that this is what I need to be successful and manage my mental health. As well, I am planning to talk with doctors about depression or anxiety medication to help me manage my stress levels further.

Finally, I hope to extend my current accommodations (temporary) throughout my university career, in hopes to prevent my mental health from spiraling.

I have created a timetable for myself, highlighting how I will progress throughout my undergraduate degree. The courses I am currently enrolled in (ideally dropped) would be completed within a combination of next fall and the fall after, due to course availability. Regardless, I do plan to retake these courses, just in a more ideal situation.

No matter the decision made, I appreciate your time to consider my situation, and I look forward to preparing for a better, more successful winter semester.

Jae Wilson