Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I am petitioning the decision that I must withdraw from the faculty for one year. The decline in my academic performance over the past few semesters was influenced by significant personal and health-related problems. I kindly request the faculty to either waive the one-year withdrawal requirement or consider allowing me to be withdrawn for only one semester.

I have been experiencing symptoms of gastroenteritis since mid-April 2023. These symptoms include nausea, stomach pain, and severe diarrhea. The nausea and stomach pain often worsen during times of stress or tension. I felt very week due to these symptoms. From late April to early May 2023, I had final exams and many paper deadlines. My revision and dissertation writing were often interrupted by my physical discomfort. During the exams, I had trouble thinking clearly because of the nervousness-induced stomach pain and nausea, which led to poor performance. While writing my essays, I could not focus because of the stomach problems and fever, so I failed to submit good-quality essays by the deadlines. As a result, I received a lower grade in FILM110B and failed SOCY122B and PSYC100B in 2023 winter.

On 30 November 2023, my grandfather passed away. This event affected me deeply. Growing up, I spent every holiday and weekend at his house. His death left me feeling lost and sad. I also felt deep regret for not seeing him one last time. It was difficult to move on from my grief, and my emotions negatively affected my daily life and studies. From early December to 20 December, I was preparing for my final exams. However, my grief and low mood made it hard to focus, and I struggled to study effectively. During the exams and assignments, I could not perform at my usual level due to emotional instability and a poor mental state. In the end, I failed FILM236, FILM226, FILM217, and FILM200 in 2023 Fall.

In March 2024, I got a scam phone call from someone pretending to be a police officer. The caller said I was suspected of a crime and threatened to arrest me if I told anyone, including the university. The scammer contacted me every day through Zoom and watched my behavior. For nearly two months, I was under pressure and threat, and I developed symptoms of depression. I could not sleep well at night. I felt restless and desperate. By mid-April 2024, the scam was still happening, and I had to prepare for important essays and exams. I could not study well or finish assignments due to my depression. When I was doing my assignments, I was full of fear from the threats, so the quality of my work was affected. During exams, I was often very anxious and could not answer the questions calmly. These problems caused me to fail FILM220, FILM218, and FILM201 in 2024 winter.

I am sorry that I did not report my situation to the faculty in time to ask for an exam extension or other adjustments. During 2023 winter, I suffered from recurring episodes of gastroenteritis. I felt very weak and spent most of my time resting. Since the symptoms came and went, I underestimated the seriousness of the illness and its impact on my studies. I thought I could recover gradually by changing my diet and routine. I did not realize how much it would affect my exams. The physical discomfort used up most of my energy, so I had little strength left to communicate with the faculty.

In 2023 fall, my grandfather passed away suddenly. I could not accept his death, and I did not want to talk about it or share the incident with others. Because of this, I did not seek help from the university in a timely manner. In 2024 winter, I became a victim of scam phone calls. The scammers’ threats made me too scared to tell the university or anyone else. I was constantly afraid for my safety and felt unable to ask for help.

The university sent me a withdrawal notice in May this year. At that time, I had gone back to my home country to get treatment for my severe depression. At that time, I lost my laptop and was unable to check my university emails promptly. In my home country, I needed a VPN to access my university email, but I did not have the energy to purchase a VPN or a new laptop due to my poor mental state. I put all my energy into my therapy, and I did not see the university's withdrawal notice in time, so I missed the deadline to submit a petition. My medical certificate confirms that my symptoms continued until September. I did not have the courage or ability to submit a petition until my mental state improved.

Now that I have recovered from my depression. Please find my attached study plan. I kindly request that the faculty approve my request.