Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: During the Fall 2022 semester, I experienced a sexual assault while attending Queen’s University. This was an extremely difficult time for me and led to significant mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, and persistent feelings of paranoia. These symptoms made it difficult to concentrate or complete academic tasks, which understandably had a negative impact on my academic progress.
I reached out to Barb Lotan, who was incredibly supportive and connected me to a counsellor at Kingston General Hospital who specialized in trauma and sexual assault. I attended biweekly therapy sessions with that counsellor for approximately nine months. Throughout that time, I developed coping strategies and gradually began working toward recovery. Eventually, I decided to try managing on my own and stepped away from therapy.
However, despite these efforts, I continued to find school incredibly difficult. I often felt blocked, overwhelmed, and unable to engage fully with my coursework. This mental exhaustion persisted and significantly affected my ability to complete my degree. As it may be shown on my transcript I felt completing the last bit of my degree extremely difficult and it was very hard for me to get out of bed much less find the motivation to go to classes and pass exams. On top of that there were also certain personal family matters that were weighing on. I had left Winter 2024 semester early as I needed to be back home and thought it’d be best to jump back in into school for the Summer 2024 semester but that did not work out. I returned to campus for the Winter 2025 semester in the hopes of getting back on track, and completing the last bit. Unfortunately, as the semester progressed, symptoms of depression and anxiety returned. I felt isolated from my housemates and peers, especially after many of my close friends had graduated. The lack of a support system on campus made the environment increasingly difficult to cope with.
Eventually, I sought help once again through Student Wellness Services and began seeing a new therapist. Although this was a positive step forward, I came to realize that being on campus was no longer conducive to my well-being. As a result, I made the decision to return home, which allowed me to begin healing in a more supportive environment.
I am currently in the process of petitioning to drop certain courses from my transcript due to the negative impact these challenges had on my academic standing. I understand the implications for my GPA and am taking the necessary steps to mitigate long-term academic consequences.
This summer, I’ve made the decision to give my degree one last meaningful attempt. It has taken time, reflection, and courage to reach this point, but I now feel more prepared to take responsibility for my future and pursue my academic goals in a healthy way.