Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Whom It May Concern,

My name is Olivia Dibua. I am a 4th year Arts & Science student.

I am writing to respectfully request consideration of my academic petition. Specifically, I am requesting to drop HLTH 101 from Summer 2024 and HLTH 101 from Summer 2025. Additionally, I am requesting an extended incomplete in the following courses from Fall 2025: SOCY 225, SOCY 205, and GNDS 211; and then from winter 2026: GNDS 312, GNDS 311, BLCK 320, and BLCK 220.

For the courses that I have requested an extended incomplete, I respectfully ask that I be granted the opportunity to complete the outstanding academic requirements for these courses so that they may be graded. My academic performance during this period does not reflect my abilities, work ethic, or commitment to my education. Rather, it reflects the cumulative impact of years of progressively worsening health challenges that were ultimately diagnosed as Fibromyalgia.

Throughout my four years at Queen's University, I have been committed to balancing the demands of being both a full-time student and a varsity student-athlete on the Queen's Women's Rugby Team. I understood the commitment required to succeed academically while competing at a high level and willingly accepted those responsibilities. Although balancing academics and athletics has never been easy, I have always taken pride in working hard to be successful in both.

Unfortunately, over the course of my university career, I began experiencing chronic pain that progressively worsened each year.

During my first year at Queen's, I sought medical care through Queen's Sports Medicine because of persistent back pain. Following an X-ray, I was diagnosed with scoliosis. At the time, I believed this diagnosis explained the pain I had been experiencing. However, despite ongoing treatment, rehabilitation, and continued medical care, my symptoms continued to worsen throughout the following years.

Rather than accepting that this was simply something I had to live with, I continued searching for answers. I worked closely with physicians, specialists, physiotherapists, athletic therapists, mental health professionals, and my healthcare team while continuing to pursue my education and compete as a varsity athlete. Although I lived with chronic pain daily, I remained committed to attending classes, completing coursework, and competing because I believed that, with the right treatment, I would eventually regain control of my health.

By the end of the 2024–2025 academic year, I finally felt that I had found that balance. Academically, I was doing well, and athletically I was competing successfully. For the first time in several years, I felt optimistic that I had regained control over both my education and my health.

During the summer of 2025, however, everything changed.

In an effort to finally manage my chronic pain, my healthcare team began trialing different medications. Because these medications require several weeks before their effectiveness can be properly evaluated, I remained on each medication despite experiencing significant side effects. Unfortunately, instead of improving my quality of life, these medications caused overwhelming fatigue, excessive drowsiness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and a complete loss of motivation and energy. I no longer felt like myself. I was unable to work for much of the summer and stepped away from rugby while trying to determine whether these treatments would eventually become effective. These same circumstances also significantly affected my ability to succeed in HLTH 101 during Summer 2025. I had re-enrolled in the course with the goal of replacing my previous unsuccessful grade and demonstrating my academic ability. Unfortunately, because I was undergoing medically supervised medication trials and experiencing severe side effects throughout the course, I was once again unable to perform to the best of my ability.

When those medications ultimately proved unsuccessful, I discontinued them. Unfortunately, stopping the medications meant that my chronic pain returned with the same severity as before. I found myself caught between debilitating pain and debilitating medication side effects. Neither allowed me to function academically or personally at the level I was accustomed to.

Despite these challenges, I entered both the Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 semesters determined to succeed. At the beginning of each semester, I attended classes, completed readings, participated in discussions, and began my coursework with every intention of successfully completing the year. However, as the semesters progressed, my health continued to decline. The combination of chronic pain, medication side effects, fatigue, disrupted sleep, frequent medical appointments, and increasing cognitive difficulties made it progressively harder to attend classes consistently, remain focused during lectures, study effectively, and complete assignments on time.

Whenever I fell behind, I believed I would catch up once my health improved. I continued telling myself that the next medication, the next appointment, or the next specialist would finally provide answers and allow me to return to the level I knew I was capable of. Unfortunately, that improvement never came during the academic year. Instead, I found myself trapped in a cycle where I was constantly trying to recover academically while my health continued to deteriorate. Throughout this entire period, I never stopped seeking medical treatment. I continued working with physicians, specialists, physiotherapists, my psychiatrist, mental health supports, and other healthcare professionals while undergoing medication trials and other treatments in hopes of identifying the cause of my symptoms. This spring, I was referred to a rheumatologist.

After years of searching for answers, I was finally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a chronic condition characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, severe fatigue, cognitive issues, and sleep disturbances. Receiving this diagnosis finally provided an explanation for years of unexplained symptoms and confirmed that the challenges I experienced throughout the academic year were the result of an ongoing chronic medical condition rather than a temporary illness.

Although Fibromyalgia does not have a cure, receiving a diagnosis has allowed my healthcare team and me to move away from searching for answers and begin developing an appropriate treatment and management plan specific to my condition. For the first time in years, I have a clear understanding of what I am managing and how to move forward.

One question I would like to address is why I did not withdraw from these courses during the academic year. Looking back, I understand why this question may arise. The reality is that throughout each semester I genuinely believed I would recover, catch up, and complete my coursework. I had invested significant time and effort into each course and wanted to earn those credits. Every time my health worsened, I hoped that the next medication, treatment, or appointment would provide relief. Because my healthcare team was still trying to determine the cause of my symptoms, I truly believed improvement was just around the corner. By the time it became clear that my health was not improving and that I would be unable to complete all of my coursework, withdrawal deadlines had already passed for several courses. My intention was never to abandon my studies but to complete them successfully once my health allowed.

I would also like to explain why I am requesting different remedies for the courses included in this petition. I have carefully considered each course individually and have chosen the option that I believe is most appropriate based on both my academic progress and my degree requirements.

For the two HLTH 101 courses, I am requesting to drop rather than an extended incomplete. Although I recognize the value of these courses, they are not required for my major or minors and are not courses that contribute directly toward my degree requirements. I initially enrolled in HLTH 101 during Summer 2024 in an effort to improve my GPA following the academic challenges I experienced during my first year. After receiving an unsuccessful grade, I enrolled in HLTH 101 again during Summer 2025 with the intention of replacing that grade and demonstrating my academic ability. Unfortunately, during that summer I was undergoing medically supervised medication trials to manage my chronic pain. The significant side effects of those medications prevented me from completing the course successfully. Given these circumstances, I believe that late withdrawal is the most appropriate request for these two courses.

In contrast, I am requesting an Extended Incomplete for my remaining courses because they are directly related to my academic program and degree progression. These courses contribute toward my major and minors, and I have already invested substantial time and effort into completing them. Since receiving my diagnosis and beginning to implement my treatment plan, I have already started working on the outstanding assessments for these courses. My goal has never been to avoid completing the work. Rather, I am asking for the opportunity to complete these assessments under circumstances where my medical condition is now understood, my treatment is appropriately focused, and I have the supports necessary to be successful.

To support this petition, I have attached documentation from my rheumatologist confirming my Fibromyalgia diagnosis, letters and documentation from my psychiatrist, my mental health coach, physicians and specialists involved in my care over the past several years, and the academic accountability plan developed collaboratively with my varsity coaching staff. This plan outlines, meetings with Academic Advising, tutoring support, study halls, mentorship, scheduled office hours, wellness supports, and ongoing accountability meetings designed to ensure my academic success moving forward. While I recognize that this may appear to be an extensive support plan, I have learned through my experiences that I thrive in a structured environment with clear expectations, consistent accountability, and regular check-ins.

At the time of submitting this petition, I am also awaiting a supporting letter from my Queen's Sports Medicine physician, who has been involved in my care throughout my university career. I will submit this documentation as soon as it becomes available.

I have already begun working on the outstanding assessments for the courses included in this petition. I am fully committed to completing all remaining academic requirements within any timelines established by the Faculty. My goal is to complete this work over the Summer 2026 term, before the start of my varsity rugby season in the fall. Completing the coursework during the summer will allow me to dedicate my full attention to these academic responsibilities while continuing to manage my health, without the additional demands of a full course load or in-season athletics.

I respectfully ask the Associate Dean to consider the significant medical circumstances that affected my academic performance throughout this period and grant my request for drops and extended incompletes as outlined above. I believe these remedies are appropriate given my documented medical history, the extensive evidence supporting my petition, and the meaningful progress I have made toward managing my condition and completing my coursework.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my petition and the supporting documentation accompanying it. I sincerely appreciate your time, understanding, and thoughtful consideration.

Sincerely,
Olivia Dibua 20412568