Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Members of the Academic Petition Committee,
I am writing to respectfully request approval for a late withdrawal from my course due to extenuating circumstances that had a significant impact on my academic performance.
In January, my father suffered multiple seizures, creating an unexpected family emergency. As a result, I took on a caregiving role and additional responsibilities at home while supporting him through his recovery. Queen's University reviewed these circumstances at the time and approved my request for extenuating circumstances.
While the seizures occurred in January, their impact extended well beyond the initial incident. The ongoing responsibility of helping care for my father, along with the stress and uncertainty surrounding his health, continued throughout the term. During this same period, I was also balancing my responsibilities in a senior role with BGC South East, a non-profit organization in Kingston. Between my work responsibilities, caregiving responsibilities, and my course load, I found it increasingly difficult to keep up academically.
I continued to complete and submit work whenever I could because I wanted to finish the course successfully. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I fell behind on assignments and reached a point where I was no longer able to recover academically. The quality of my work and my overall performance were directly affected by the circumstances I was managing outside of the classroom.
Since then, I have taken steps to better support my academic success. I am registered with Queen's Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) and have been working to make use of the supports available to me. I have also reflected on how to better balance my academic, professional, and personal responsibilities moving forward.
I respectfully ask the Committee to approve a late withdrawal from this course. I remain committed to my education, and I believe a late withdrawal is the most appropriate outcome given the documented circumstances that affected my ability to complete the course successfully.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my petition and the supporting documentation. I appreciate your consideration.
Respectfully,
Zakkary Gould