Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern,

I am writing to formally submit a petition requesting to drop a class after the last official deadline for dropping classes. The class I am requesting to drop is Honours Thesis in Kinesiology (KNPE 595), under the supervision of Dr. Jean Côté.

While I was motivated to complete this class, unexpected mental health challenges that I have been encountering since mid-November have significantly interfered with my ability to complete the required projects.
In November, I sustained a nasal septal hematoma as a result of a sports injury. This complication led to a very severe sinus infection, which caused fainting spells, breathing difficulties, pressure headaches, and sleeping difficulties. Although this situation was relatively minor and acute, the recovery was longer than anticipated and triggered very irrational and catastrophic health-related worries. As these worries festered, more began to surface about my future plans, health history, family life, and other personal circumstances. Eventually, these worries became so obsessive that I lost all ability to remain present in anything I was doing and found myself experiencing a severe depression, which led to feelings of hopelessness. When the physical symptoms of these anxieties got so severe that I could no longer execute basic tasks, including cooking, basic hygiene, and going to work or class, I ultimately decided it was time to seek help and decided to go to the hospital.

At the hospital, emergency doctors confirmed I was in good physical health; however, they identified a significant underlying mental health condition. Accordingly, I was referred to my family doctor, who advised me to begin a medication to help address some of the symptoms. Commencing the new medication has been a large adjustment for me and has caused a lot of fluctuation in mood, anxiety levels, focus, and energy. Since beginning the medication, I have also been evaluated by a Psychiatrist and received a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder and social anxiety disorder. In addition to the medication, I have been referred to a cognitive behavioural therapy specialist, with whom I have had three sessions to date. Luckily, the combination of these treatment modalities seems to be helping me; however, progress can be slow, and fluctuations are unpredictable and continue to interfere with academic work.

While my hope has returned that I can get through this, I do not have the capacity to direct my energy towards my academic work. Subsequently, I have fallen far behind in my research projects and continue to struggle to produce any meaningful work. Accordingly, I think that it would be best to hand over my projects to others in my research group and take the time to focus exclusively on my rehabilitation to prevent further academic or personal harm. While I am extremely disappointed that I have to do this, I take confidence in the decision, knowing it is supported by medical personnel and my support network. However, I hope this doesn’t affect my academic standing, as it is something I have worked very hard for and take great pride in, having earned a cumulative GPA of 4.10 and received multiple scholarships and other awards related to my academic success.
I request that this petition be considered with empathy and that my withdrawal from this course will not negatively affect my academic standing. I am grateful for the time and consideration taken to review this letter.

Sincerely,
Adam Doyle