Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: April 18, 2024
Queen's University
Faculty of Arts and Science
Dunning Hall - First Floor,
94 University Avenue
Queen's University
Kingston, ON Canada


I am writing to you with an appeal request and petition.
I would like to request a late drop for the following courses, as I am late dropping from them:

2023 Fall
PHIL 330 Investigations in Hist of Phil, PHIL 347 Contemporary Moral Philosophy, POLS 243
States, Diversity and Conflict, POLS 261 International Politics 

2023 Winter 
PHIL 275 Thinking Gender, Sex and Love
LLCU 214 Mafia Culture   
I am also asking for an extension on incomplete grades / Aegrotat standing on: 
PHIL 250B Epistemology and Metaphysics 6.00 
PHIL 257B Ethics 
 
I am asking for Aegrotat standing. If my appeal is granted, I plan submit all my missing work for those
two courses during the month of May (within two to four weeks after submitting this appeal).
I have been suffering from mental health issues, overwhelming stress and anxiety caused from family
issues, social issues and an abusive situation experienced in high school.

I used to use school as a form of escapism, but my issues have caught up to me.
I felt I had no form of escape at school, at home and in a new home at Queens with housemates, who were
not academically focused.
I have since learned that I have an underlying learning impairment (ADHD) and received medication to
help me focus.
 
I did not drop the courses early because I was completely burnt out, stuck, paralyzed with fear and I
didn’t want to admit I was depressed. Every time I had a problem I would try and act like there was
nothing wrong when things were seriously wrong. I was embarrassed and lacked the courage to admit
things were difficult after the 2023 winter semester. So, when I came back and noticed things were the
same. I stopped all that I was doing. I knew I had to get help and figure out what was going on in my
head.
During the time of these courses, I saw things very bleakly felt that the pain in my life was just part of it,
and what I had suffered was not a big deal. At the time when doing these courses, I was burnt out by the
end of the year. My final exam marks and other essays from these full year courses do not reflect my best
work, and most certainly are not to my academic standard. So, I ask for the ability to send the remaining
work to display my course knowledge. If I am granted this appeal and petition, I plan to finish the
remaining work in the first two weeks of May; and will send the papers to my Professors. These papers
were at my worst where I was unable to do much of anything always pushing it off thinking things would
be better tomorrow.
I lacked the will to do much of anything at that time. I had pretty much became seriously detached from
family and checked out of life. I was unable to write papers due to these extenuating circumstances.
The toxic relationships, trauma, and abuse in my life built up enough pressure in me where I couldn’t
function, focus, or even be happy about anything. I didn’t want to admit when I got knocked down
thinking next semester would be better but when I noticed I was going back into the same cycle of
behavior I had to stop what I was doing and address these problems in my life.
I should have addressed these problems in the moment but I was dealing with the abuse I have been going
through most of my life; and the boiling point was 2023.
I felt the need to protect my family. I felt a compulsion to be strong and act like nothing was wrong. I was
burnt out and I didn’t want to admit I was down, so every time I had a problem I would try and act like
nothing was wrong when things were wrong. I was embarrassed and lacked the courage to admit things
were difficult after the 2023 winter semester. So, when I came back and noticed things were the same, I
stopped what I was doing and knew I had to figure out what was going on in my head.
 
I was pretty much checked out at the start of my recovery journey. I had psychologically exhausted
myself through not knowing I have underlying ADHD, without any access to resources. As well, the
abuse in trauma in my life which I tried to push had not only taken a toll on my body but my mind.
 
As I progressed with my therapist and uncovered the trauma and abuse, I had been through I felt the
ability to move forward and improve aspects of my life. I opened up to my family what I had been
through, I removed myself from toxic and abusive people in my life and was diagnosed and found
treatments and tools for my ADHD.

I resolved and uncovered a lot of traumas that I experienced. Especially in understanding the severity of
my issues. This has helped me with my road to recovery, as identifying the problems in my life has made
it easier to combat anxiety. Being able to talk about my issues, has helped me get myself on track for
success.
My issues are now being addressed to ensure that I can make a successful return to my studies.
At home, I have made a breakthrough with past trauma and addressed it head on. Confronting this
allowed me to remove anxiety and depression in my life.
At school, I have removed myself from very toxic relationships with last year’s house mates.
I moved into a house with friends that have a similar value system.
Last year I started seeing a therapist and since the last quarter of 2023 I started to see him more regularly
in 2024. I am also taking medicine (Vyvanse) for ADHD.
School is everything to me. I like learning and defining myself through academic challenge. I will
continue with therapy and medicine to help me be successful at school. I am also signed up the QSAS to
use tools and techniques to deal with ADHD.
My plan also includes making adjustment for success by having my family and an ADHD specialist track
my success at university, so my work and deadlines are in check.
 
I have eliminated and addressed the problems holding me back in my life and plan to continue to move
forward and use the resources provided by QSAS for my ADHD.
Dr. Stephenson, please let me know if you require any additional information. I pray that you please
accept my appeal and petition for a late drop of courses, and an extension on incomplete grades / Aegrotat
standing.
Sincerely,
Christian Luchin