Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter:
To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to formally request a late drop for Chem 112 (which stretches across the fall and winter semesters) due to extenuating medical and personal circumstances that developed over the past year and significantly impacted my ability to complete the course and meet the withdrawal deadline.

In the fall semester, I experienced serious complications with my prescribed medication for Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. These complications led to both physical and mental withdrawal symptoms that deeply affected my daily functioning. During this time, my other diagnoses—including Social Anxiety and Panic Disorder—were also exacerbated. The situation created a recurring cycle: missing deadlines triggered intense anxiety and physical distress, which then caused me to shut down and fall even further behind. This cycle made it extremely difficult to stay on track academically and to advocate for myself in a timely manner.

A formal accommodation request was submitted by my doctor on my behalf in the fall, and in my courses, the support I received helped mitigate the effects of these challenges. However, the in-person nature of Chem 112 made it significantly more difficult to recover missed content, particularly labs and sessions that could not be made up or completed asynchronously.

In the winter semester, I encountered severe technological issues that caused the loss of multiple assignments I had completed in the fall. I was grateful for the understanding and flexibility offered by my professors at the time though I was still required to redo the lost work; Balancing that with my current winter semester coursework created an overwhelming workload and re-triggered the cycle of anxiety and distress I had been working so hard to manage.

These difficulties were compounded by the ongoing TA strike, which further limited my ability to complete key in-person components of the course. With no access to the TAs responsible for running labs and tutorials, completing essential parts of the course I had missed became out of reach.

I do not believe my final grade in this course will reflect my understanding of the material or the effort I invested under the circumstances. I am currently in contact with my undergraduate chair about enrolling in CHEM 113 and 114 over the summer as an alternative (as listed on the ENSC BSH requirements sheet), and I am working with an academic advisor to ensure that I remain on track moving forward.

I have faced significant challenges over the past few years following my diagnoses in first year, but I have also made real progress. Through therapy and various support programs, I’ve developed more effective coping tools and greater self-awareness. With this continued support and the opportunity to course-correct, I am confident in my ability to succeed.

Thank you very much for your time, understanding, and consideration of this request.

Sincerely,
Eloise MacKinnon
20259802