Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,



I am requesting the opportunity to petition for courses outside of the timeline. Based on my options, I would be grateful to receive a DR status or drop the following courses.

I am hoping to appeal the courses ENGL 223, taken in Winter 2023, ARTH 250, taken in Fall 2022, and ENGL 276, taken in Winter 2021. I was going through mental health issues during these years and was even hospitalized for some of this time. I was only taking these courses absent-mindedly because I was told by my advisor that I needed one more class to complete my general degree, which ended up not being the case. I will have documentation of a note from my family doctor and my hospitalization record, should I be allowed to petition these courses.

I know I am outside the window of when I was able to petition these courses, but I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to take these courses when I did. I lost hope with school and thought that this was it for me. But over the past couple of years, I’ve really worked on myself and have gained the drive to complete what I’ve started. I was originally enrolled in the Music Concurrent Education program, and though I only completed the general degree in music, I’ve had a lot of experience teaching music at lesson centres since this degree. With working on my mental health and gaining teaching experience, I really want to just try once more to see if I can attempt to complete my program, starting with upgrading my general degree to a B.MUS. I truly believed after 2023, there was no hope for me to continue my education, but I’ve worked on myself and just want to try to work towards what I once started. I wish I had recognized this sooner to petition the courses within the timeline, but I wasn’t mentally there or present and determined enough to return until now.

My grades prior to Winter 2021 weren’t that good either, but I know that for those courses, there was no excuse other than myself. Winter 2021 onwards, I was simply taking the course absent-mindedly and for my parents’ peace of mind, so, with what we thought at the time, that I would just complete something. I wish I had known I wasn’t one course too short for my general degree, as I had been told, as that was the sole reason I was taking these three courses repeatedly distracted. Still, past the completion of the general degree without these courses, I have returned part-time to upgrade my general degree and work towards my B.MUS upgrade, and I am very grateful to be allowed the opportunity to return.

Allowing me to petition these courses will allow me to work towards completing my original goals, as I truly got the opportunity to study and work in my dream program here at Queen’s. I am extremely apologetic for not recognizing this sooner, within the timeline, but I needed the extra time to work on myself and return with the right mindset and to be able to write this request.



Thank you very much for your consideration,

Sathoori (Tori)