Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Dorit Naaman and Members of the Petitions Committee,

I am writing this petition regarding the Faculty’s Requirement to Withdraw from Studies for One Year.

I have experienced chronic depression since my first year at Queen’s (2021), which has increased in severity over my six years of enrollment. This has impacted my ability to find motivation for studying, to attend classes, and to participate in graded assignments, tests, and exams. Most importantly, it has obstructed my ability to reach out for help, or to acknowledge even to myself the true damage my depression is afflicting on my academic success. Often I would begin a term with an optimistic and hardworking attitude, but over time my depression would manifest in a sense of hopelessness that I could succeed. I would stop attending classes, miss tests, and be in a state of denial over my chance of passing the course becoming unlikely. I would avoid looking at my email or onQ grades as I was in a state of paralyzation and illogical belief that if I ignored my problems they weren’t real. Therefore, even when it would have been advisable to drop a course given my inability to handle my workload, I wouldn't do so, because it felt like admitting to my inevitable failure. As my academic standing worsened over the years, so did my confidence, and I entered into a positive feedback loop where my depression affected my academics, which then heightened my depression, and so on.

I have met with my doctor and discussed these ongoing symptoms with her, and she advised me to start taking medication and to seek counselling. Given my state of denial, this visit was helpful in forcing me to acknowledge all of the problems which I have been avoiding, and giving me a sense of hope that this medication can alleviate the impact my depression has had on my grades. I have now begun taking my medication, which takes about a month to start seeing effects. By September I hope to see significant changes in my motivation and ability to regulate my emotions of depression.

If this petition request is to be granted, that would be extremely helpful for me to prove that my current academic standing is no reflection of what I am capable of without these extenuating circumstances. While my depression has been out of my control, what I do to manage it is in my control. Admitting to myself that I have this chronic mental illness has served as a wake-up call for me to start finding ways to help myself and to reach out for help.

I plan to start counselling, as talking to a professional regularly will encourage me to confront my depression and my academic progress instead of reverting back to old habits of minimizing my problems. As I continue taking my medication, my doctor and I will be meeting regularly to discuss how it is working for me, and to make adjustments if necessary.

I strongly believe that a major contributor to my academic issues was an underlying fear that I was stuck in this cycle, but seeing my doctor and getting the help I need has given me a hope that I haven’t felt since I entered University that things will change if I take the steps to change them. This new hope is something that I plan to foster in the future if I do get to return to my studies, which will feed into a positive feedback loop where my success contributes to my confidence, and my confidence gives back to my success.