Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern:
I am appealing to drop STAT263, taken in the winter of 2015. I realize that I've passed the usual timeline for dropping courses from that term but I hope the following letter will explain why I am requesting a late appeal.
When I took STAT263, I was a first year Computing student looking to get ahead in my courses. Unfortunately the stress of first year (a new environment, being away from my usual support network, and extra responsibilities) caught up to me. By the beginning of the second semester, I already felt anxious and panicked on a daily basis.
Though I worked together with a few other classmates in STAT263, I fell behind on my studies and did poorly on the midterm. I used reading week to catch up on the other courses I was taking (the first year ones that I felt more confident in) but the sheer amount of material I didn't understand in STAT263 overwhelmed me. An upper-year friend and TA offered to help me review before exam period, but unfortunately other circumstances ruined my study plan.
I have a weak immune system and as a result of this I have re-occurring strep throat infections, about every six months. I became sick at the very beginning of April, as I was studying for exams. (I've attached records of my visits to a local clinic last year. I tested negative for strep, but the doctor said that it was certainly a false negative since I had all the symptoms.) I'm more affected by illness than most people (it causes me trouble breathing, severe exhaustion and inability to focus or think coherently, and often lasts at least two weeks.) It's an impossible state to study in. The frustration I felt in April at not being well enough to go over my notes only added to my stress, leaving me panicked and terrified of upcoming exams. I contacted Professor Molson and made plans to write STAT263 later in April, as it was scheduled early on in the exam period and at that time I was still well below my full mental capabilities. My other exams I wrote while still highly feverish but my term marks were high enough that it wasn't a major problem.
A few days before I was scheduled to write my delayed STAT263 exam, I had an emotional breakdown while studying with my upper-year friend. Since we could not find Professor Molson at the time, we went to speak to another math Professor that knew me well. He said I was clearly overwhelmed by stress and suggested looking for other solutions. With his advice, and Professor Molson's later support, I planned to write the exam this September, leaving me with the summer to recover and resume studying. I fully expected to follow this course of action, which is why I did not appeal within the deadline for the winter term. Over the summer my health continued to decline despite many trips to the doctor. We still haven't been able to determine exactly what's causing my poor health but in late August I began treatment for the symptoms and it's working well enough that I can function day-to-day as long as I don't overwhelm myself. Unfortunately because I didn't start recovering until very late in the summer, I still wasn't prepared enough to write the STAT263 exam this September.
I've since spoken with Professor Molson and we decided that my best plan would be to drop the failed Winter 2015 course and retake STAT263 in Winter 2016. I believe I will be successful this time around because I'm watching my health closely to prevent illness and I'm more open to speaking to mental health professionals to manage my stress (which I did not do last year because social stigma prevented me from admitting I was suffering.) Professor Molson fully supports my decision and our plan is that now that I already know some of the course material, I will be able to spend more time on the material that gave me trouble the first time around and be less stressed by it. I've been a dedicated, hard-working student for many years now and now that my health is improving I want to continue that reputation. I'm committed not just to finishing this course but to doing well in my entire program and I think this appeal will be the first step in achieving that so I can start 2nd year off fresh. Thank you for your time.