Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: This is my petition to request a late drop from MATH 121 due to extenuating circumstances beyond my control. Throughout the academic year, I was affected by a documented learning disability in mathematics called dyscalculia, which significantly impacted my ability to succeed in the course. Dyscalculia affects my ability to process mathematical concepts, perform calculations, retain numerical information, and apply problem-solving strategies. These challenges directly affected my academic performance in MATH 121 for the duration of the course. At the beginning of the year, I believed that with the appropriate academic accommodations and support, I would be able to manage the course requirements successfully. However, as the semester progressed, it became clear that the level and type of support I required for my disability were not adequately available to me. I sought assistance through the student athlete tutoring portal and worked with tutors throughout the course. While I appreciated the support that was offered, it was not sufficient for my specific learning needs. Students with dyscalculia often require consistent, structured instruction and frequent one-on-one support from individuals who understand how to teach students with learning disabilities. The tutoring available to me was primarily peer-based and did not provide the specialized academic support I needed in order to fully understand and retain course material. In high school, I had access to more individualized and specialized tutoring support, which helped me manage my disability more effectively. When I attempted to find similar support at Queen’s, I was unable to find tutoring with academic professionals who had experience working with students who had learning disabilities. These circumstances affected every aspect of my performance in MATH 121, including understanding lectures, completing assignments, preparing for evaluations, and independently learning material outside of class. Because of my dyscalculia, teaching myself large portions of the course content was especially difficult and ineffective. I struggled to process concepts and keep pace with the course despite the significant effort I put into seeking help and improving my understanding. Throughout the course, I attempted to address these challenges by accessing the supports available to me, seeking tutoring assistance, and continuing to work toward improving my performance. Despite these efforts, the impact of my disability continued to substantially interfere with my ability to succeed academically in the course. For these reasons, I am respectfully requesting consideration for a late drop from MATH 121 due to the documented extenuating circumstances that significantly affected my academic performance.