Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I am writing to request the dropping of the MATH 121(2022-2023) course from my academic record due to circumstances that severely impacted my ability to perform academically during my first year at Queen's.
Throughout the last year, I faced significant mental health challenges, including Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), exacerbated symptoms of ADHD, profound brain fog, a strong lack of energy, and a lack of motivation for almost anything. These issues began to manifest in the first term but appeared strongly and progressively worsened during the second term; deeply affecting my concentration, memory, and overall ability to engage with my coursework effectively.
Despite my efforts to seek help, the process to obtain effective treatment was slow, and it was only late in the second semester that I was able to receive a treatment plan that addressed my needs. By this point, the impact on my academic performance, particularly, was severe. Whenever I would sit down to go study I would get a brutal headache and just feel this weird existential dread. This made completing coursework for MATH 121 particularly painful because of its requirement for concentration and memory. Both thing’s I lacked severely during my first year at Queens.
To address these challenges, I took proactive steps by booking an appointment with an occupational therapist and starting a treatment plan tailored to my mental health needs. This plan has proven to be effective, as evidenced by my significant academic improvement over the last two semesters, during which I have achieved an average GPA of approximately 3.55. But the treatment plan took too long to put into action(due to it taking a long time to get an appointment combined with the difficulty to catch up with the amount of missed coursework I would have had to compensate for) which meant I was unable to save my mark in MATH 121.
This improvement in my marks shows the direct correlation between my mental health challenges and my academic performance. My difficulties were not reflective of my commitment or ability but were the result of extenuating circumstances beyond my control. I have documentation provided alongside this petition including a statement from my previous occupational therapist attesting to my current state at the time and the impact it had on my academic performance during that period(though this documentation was used for dropping MATH 111 I feel the general point of the email still applies).
I respectfully request that MATH 121 be dropped from my academic record, considering these extenuating circumstances and the subsequent steps I have taken to address my mental health challenges. This action would accurately reflect my academic capabilities and the considerable effort I have made to overcome the difficulties I faced.
Thank you for considering my request. I am committed to continuing my academic journey at Queen's University with the resilience and determination that I have shown in addressing my mental health challenges.