Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dr Jenn Stephenson

Associate Dean (Academic) Arts and Science

Dunning Hall

Queen’s University


Subject: Petition to Late Drop Courses


Dear Dr. Stephenson,

I hope this message finds you well. I am a second year student at Queens with a permanent language processing related learning disability, and I am petitioning to late drop MUSC 209.



Having had no accommodations for the first year at Queens, I began this academic year with a GPA of 0.97, still without even temporary accommodations in place. My request for permanent accommodations for my permanent learning disability in 2024/25 was rejected a second time in August 2025, and I was told to appeal through the RARC procedures just as school was starting. I was offered no support for starting that language-intense and documentation-heavy process. What followed the failure of the previous year was the revocation of my scholarship, which covered both my schooling and living wages. I was obliged to apply for a tuition bursary, while I also reached out to SEO to seek support in reinstating my scholarship before the end of the year. I had to get a job working 14 hours a week to try to provide for myself. As you might imagine, these accumulated circumstances rendered the start of this school year a struggle that had negative impacts on my mental and physical health, which caused me to miss several classes. It was only at the end of October that I was afforded temporary accommodations, but it was too little, too late to make a difference in my studies and final exams. I was unsuccessful in both of the one-semester courses I took.



Fortunately, with the help and a referral from Care Support Services in the Fall, I was sent to a psychotherapist, CBT therapist, and nurse practitioner to look after my mental and physical wellbeing. The CBT therapist had written a letter asking for me to be approved for temporary accommodations, and that is why they were granted by the end of October. My scholarship was reinstated and paid out in February 2026. As well, the CBT therapist wrote a second letter in support of my January application for OSAP funding, which I was unaware that I could apply for earlier. Financial stability arrived in February, and permanent accommodations were finally granted in late March. In January, Care Services had supported me in reaching out to the professors of those first-semester courses in which I was unsuccessful; they kindly afforded me the chance to finish final projects so that I could raise my GPA and recuperate those credits. My submissions for MUSC103 and PHAR100 brought up my GPA to 1.95. In addition to completing those courses, I was successful in all of my other second-semester and year-long courses and raised my mark in PSYCH 101 from last year. My GPA now stands at 2.0.



However, due to the overwhelming workload associated with seven classes (including the coursework from first semester), and having my focus split between regaining financial and health stability, plus worry over my academic status, there was some miscommunication with the professor of MUSC 209. He was unwilling to accept three late submissions, and so, I was unable to succeed in that course. Therefore, to avoid the jeopardization of my overall improvement and forward momentum, I ask that MUSC209 be dropped.



I am grateful for the support I have received from SASS, Care Support Services, SWS and eventually, to some degree from QSAS. I am continuing to overcome hesitation to and discouragement from requesting support, and I will strive to continue to reach out to said services the moment I need help next year. I feel, for once, the future looks promising. I would appreciate your agreement to this request, so that I can pursue my goals and achieve success in the future.



Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Furaha-Safi Karubara
20416203