Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 14397
Submitted: May 24, 2026 at 8:49:15 PM
First Name: Audrey
Last Name: MacNeil
Pronoun: she/her
Preferred Name: Audrey
Student Number: 20400123
Email: 22bplp@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: LLCU
Level of Study: 3
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the 21-day or one term deadline
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Audrey MacNeil
20400123
Associate Dean
24 May 2026
Dear Associate Dean,
I hope this letter finds you well.
I am writing to petition for the waiver of the one year limit in regards to dropping courses after the deadline (late drop) and altering course standings to credit/no credit. This applies to the following eight courses: MUSC 114, PSYC 271, LLCU 110, LLCU 111, SPAN 111, PHIL 260, PHGY 170, and PSYC 221. I have just completed my third year of studies for my undergraduate degree here at Queen’s University. In this letter I will discuss why my grades reflected my mental health struggles, and what was impacted in each course, throughout my three years of studies.
In late October to early November 2025 I was hospitalized due to significant struggles with my mental health. Shortly after my hospitalization I received a diagnosis of Bipolar II Disorder. I have suffered from symptoms of major depression and general anxiety since I was a teenager, but was not aware of my hypomanic episodes until I received my diagnosis. During my time at Queen’s I struggled with both depressive and hypomanic episodes. During my first two years of my undergraduate degree I was not appropriately accommodated for my medical condition along with previous trauma, which deeply affected my participation, motivation, and ability to learn. This has been reflected in my grades throughout all three years of my studies.
In fall of 2023, my first semester of studies, I failed MUSC 114 “Teaching Music to Children”. I would like to request to late drop this course because I was not appropriately accommodated. This course required active participation and full attendance. I was at an A during midterms but experienced a depressive episode during the second half of the term into winter of 2024. The combination of exhaustion and managing the adjustment to living away from home worsened my anxiety and aggravated my depression at the time. I stopped attending classes frequently, which led to me feeling confused and overwhelmed, and thus not turning in assignments. My other three courses were 6 credit courses so I was only in midterms and had time to come back from my poor grades, later in the winter term of 2024.
I also request to late drop PSYC 271 “Brain and Behaviour 1” from fall of 2024. The exams in this course were heavily weighted and required a lot of studying because of the dense material. This contributed to increased anxiety which led me to fail both exams. At this time I was also not accommodated to have extra time and a separate room for writing my examinations.
Throughout my first two years at Queen’s I suffered from a handful of both hypomanic and depressive episodes. The courses that were most significantly impacted by these episodes are as follows; LLCU 110, LLCU 111, SPAN 111, PHIL 260, PHGY 170, and PSYC 221. I received a C or below for each of these courses, once again with the lack of accommodations over my first two years. I request to change these to credit/no credit standing on my transcript.
Since my hospitalization I have been connected with Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) where I have received the appropriate accommodations, a case manager at CARE Support Services, Student Academic Success Services (SASS), as well as a counselor outside of Queen’s. I have utilized all of these services while adjusting and changing medication over the past seven months. I am also currently working through past trauma and anxiety management with my counsellor. I have regular check-ups with my doctor and have made significant progress in mood stabilization. This is reflected in my grades where I received primarily A’s and B’s during the fall semester of 2025 and winter semester of 2026.
I plan to continue reaching out for support and utilizing my accommodations for the rest of my studies. I have also found that taking time to discuss my accommodations and build relationships with my professors makes it easier to reach out for help when needed. I plan to take an additional year to complete my four year program so that I may take a reduced course load. This will help me manage anxiety, allow for more focus on details in courses, and prioritize time to take care of myself.
I do have ambitions to continue my education after my undergrad, by applying for a Masters degree. I truly believe I am capable of finishing my degree stronger than I started it. Any help to improve my transcript and Grade Point Average, and thus create a better chance for me to have the future I wish for, would be greatly appreciated. I would be happy to discuss this further, and I thank you for your consideration.
Best regards,
Audrey MacNeil
20400123
Associate Dean
24 May 2026
Dear Associate Dean,
I hope this letter finds you well.
I am writing to petition for the waiver of the one year limit in regards to dropping courses after the deadline (late drop) and altering course standings to credit/no credit. This applies to the following eight courses: MUSC 114, PSYC 271, LLCU 110, LLCU 111, SPAN 111, PHIL 260, PHGY 170, and PSYC 221. I have just completed my third year of studies for my undergraduate degree here at Queen’s University. In this letter I will discuss why my grades reflected my mental health struggles, and what was impacted in each course, throughout my three years of studies.
In late October to early November 2025 I was hospitalized due to significant struggles with my mental health. Shortly after my hospitalization I received a diagnosis of Bipolar II Disorder. I have suffered from symptoms of major depression and general anxiety since I was a teenager, but was not aware of my hypomanic episodes until I received my diagnosis. During my time at Queen’s I struggled with both depressive and hypomanic episodes. During my first two years of my undergraduate degree I was not appropriately accommodated for my medical condition along with previous trauma, which deeply affected my participation, motivation, and ability to learn. This has been reflected in my grades throughout all three years of my studies.
In fall of 2023, my first semester of studies, I failed MUSC 114 “Teaching Music to Children”. I would like to request to late drop this course because I was not appropriately accommodated. This course required active participation and full attendance. I was at an A during midterms but experienced a depressive episode during the second half of the term into winter of 2024. The combination of exhaustion and managing the adjustment to living away from home worsened my anxiety and aggravated my depression at the time. I stopped attending classes frequently, which led to me feeling confused and overwhelmed, and thus not turning in assignments. My other three courses were 6 credit courses so I was only in midterms and had time to come back from my poor grades, later in the winter term of 2024.
I also request to late drop PSYC 271 “Brain and Behaviour 1” from fall of 2024. The exams in this course were heavily weighted and required a lot of studying because of the dense material. This contributed to increased anxiety which led me to fail both exams. At this time I was also not accommodated to have extra time and a separate room for writing my examinations.
Throughout my first two years at Queen’s I suffered from a handful of both hypomanic and depressive episodes. The courses that were most significantly impacted by these episodes are as follows; LLCU 110, LLCU 111, SPAN 111, PHIL 260, PHGY 170, and PSYC 221. I received a C or below for each of these courses, once again with the lack of accommodations over my first two years. I request to change these to credit/no credit standing on my transcript.
Since my hospitalization I have been connected with Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) where I have received the appropriate accommodations, a case manager at CARE Support Services, Student Academic Success Services (SASS), as well as a counselor outside of Queen’s. I have utilized all of these services while adjusting and changing medication over the past seven months. I am also currently working through past trauma and anxiety management with my counsellor. I have regular check-ups with my doctor and have made significant progress in mood stabilization. This is reflected in my grades where I received primarily A’s and B’s during the fall semester of 2025 and winter semester of 2026.
I plan to continue reaching out for support and utilizing my accommodations for the rest of my studies. I have also found that taking time to discuss my accommodations and build relationships with my professors makes it easier to reach out for help when needed. I plan to take an additional year to complete my four year program so that I may take a reduced course load. This will help me manage anxiety, allow for more focus on details in courses, and prioritize time to take care of myself.
I do have ambitions to continue my education after my undergrad, by applying for a Masters degree. I truly believe I am capable of finishing my degree stronger than I started it. Any help to improve my transcript and Grade Point Average, and thus create a better chance for me to have the future I wish for, would be greatly appreciated. I would be happy to discuss this further, and I thank you for your consideration.
Best regards,
Audrey MacNeil
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: NO DOC