Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: July 6, 2026

Associate Dean (Academic)
Faculty of Arts and Science
Queen's University

Name: Patrick Oseghale Osezua
Student Number: 20409474
Program: Bachelor of Science (Honours), Major in Chemistry

Dear Associate Dean,

I am petitioning to drop three courses from the Fall 2025 term after the drop deadline: BIOL 103 (Fundamentals: Organisms to Ecosystems), CHEM 311 (Mechanistic Organic Chemistry), and CHEM 313 (Quantum Mechanics).
Beginning in early October 2025, I was affected by an unexpected mental health issue that developed quickly and continued through the end of the term. From around October 5 onward, I was unable to get through an ordinary academic day in the ways I had been able to before. I was unable to attend my classes and labs consistently, and when I did attend, I was unable to concentrate or retain what was being taught. I was unable to keep up with my assignments, and I began falling behind on deadlines I would normally have managed without difficulty. Reading and studying, which would normally take me a set amount of time, either took much longer or resulted in little retention of the material. As the term progressed, the impact on my work increased. I was unable to adequately prepare for or sit tests and exams, as they required a level of sustained focus and recall that I could not achieve while unwell. By the end of the term, my results in these courses no longer reflected my usual ability or the effort I would normally put in.
I was enrolled in five courses that term: the three courses I am petitioning, CHEM 312, and the year-long lab course CHEM 397. In my impaired state, I directed my limited capacity toward CHEM 312 and maintaining my lab responsibilities, as these were the only commitments I was able to keep up with at the time. The other three courses were ones I was unable to engage in with sustained focus, consistency, and academic involvement, and I failed all three of them; their grades reflect the impact of my illness that term rather than my academic ability.
I did not drop these courses because I was not mentally fit at the time to make appropriate decisions about my studies. When the health issue began, I kept telling myself I could adjust and still get through the exams, so I remained enrolled rather than dropping any courses by the Week 8 deadline. I was not well enough to step back and assess how much I was struggling, and I convinced myself I could catch up. It was only later that I was able to recognize how impaired I had been throughout the term, and by then the drop deadline had passed.
During the term itself, I did not reach out for formal help because I was not in a state to recognize that I needed it. I also believed I could still pass my courses since they were heavily exam-based. After the term ended and I began recovering, I was able to reflect on how seriously my performance had been affected. I developed an academic plan to support my progress, and my work improved in the Winter 2026 term.
I can now return to my studies on a more stable footing. To succeed going forward, I plan to retake BIOL 103, CHEM 311, and CHEM 313 in an upcoming term, carry a reduced course load that I can realistically manage rather than a full load, and stay connected with Student Wellness Services so that any recurrence is identified and addressed early.
I respectfully ask that BIOL 103, CHEM 311, and CHEM 313 be dropped from my Fall 2025 record considering the circumstances described above and the attached documentation. Thank you for taking the time to consider my petition.

Sincerely,
Patrick Oseghale Osezua
Student Number: 20409474