Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean,
My name is Jack Othen, I will be entering my fourth year this fall. I am petitioning to drop the following courses, SOCY 201, SOCY 225, and SOCY 226 (Fall, 2023).
Due to extenuating circumstances my academic performance was impacted. Specifically, over the summer, before the fall semester of 2023, my family experienced several emergencies. Three of my grandparents became ill and hospitalized, and most impactful, my younger brother, who has been suffering from mental health issues had a severe escalation all of which affected my ability to function at school. My brother’s illness was the main catalyst for what became a calamity for me academically this fall. My brother and I lived together in student housing and as things got worse for him, our apartment became unlivable. The situation got progressively worse as I tried to help and support my brother while also focusing on my academics. He was volatile and aggressive at times and I struggled to manage. I was unable to leave my house fearing something could happen to it or to my brother. This eventually led to me being diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and it completely interrupted my academic progress, as I was unable to take care of myself and living with my brother became unbearable. I left Kingston for home at the end of November and from that point on my courses were abandoned in favour of a focus on my health. Because of the anxiety and depression my confidence and self-worth plummeted, and I could not force myself to go to class, I did not feel my assignments were good enough. During these extenuating circumstances I reached out to family but felt unable to explain the toll it was taking on me, in fact I wasn’t fully aware of how bad things were until I finally left. I should have dropped my courses and gone home much earlier. I know that now. At the time, I felt responsible for taking care of my brother even if it was grinding away at me. Shortly after I left school, my brother also returned home to get the help that he needs.
Taking the time off to be home with my family, seeing my doctor regularly, and taking medication have helped me to deal with the last few months. I am now in good health and excited to continue my education. I look forward to coming back to Kingston and to starting fresh.
In closing, I have taken steps to better manage my health and wellbeing, particularly when adversity inevitably strikes. At this time, my family, my physician and I believe I am ready to make a successful return to my studies.
Attached please find my physician’s note. Please feel free to reach out to me at any time. I appreciate your consideration and look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Jack Othen