Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean of Studies,

I am appealing to drop BCHM 218 (Summer, 2016). Please review my case for your consideration.

During the end of my studies in third year (2015), I had developed a serious neck problem. I received physiotherapy and other medical treatment for a few months in the months of April and May. During this time, I was resting in bed often and required the assistance of my parents to get up from and lay back in bed. Following that incident, my physical and mental health had further declined. I lost much weight, and had muscle weakness due to my inability to exercise. I had become depressed, and with the counsel of my parents, decided to take a year off from studies.

My parents decided to take me to India to see family and to travel, in hopes to cheer me up. I also received a great deal of medical help while in India; I worked with a team of acupuncturists, psychiatrists, and other medical doctors to get back in health. I returned back to Canada around the end of February, 2016.

I decided to take some summer courses, so that I could get into the routine of being a student again. Although, I cannot sit and study for extended amounts of time, I can break up my studying into bits throughout the day. My education and studies is important to me, but I have learned to make my health a priority.

Currently, I am facing the fact that I cannot handle physical stresses like I used to. I cannot sit and study continuously without the return of neck pain. I handled one of my summer courses well, but I am facing difficulties in continuing my studies in some of my other courses. As a student, this medical problem hinders my ability to perform at my best.

That being said, I still plan to return to studies and graduate from Queen's. I am requesting to drop the BCHM 218 course first, because it ends sooner than the other course I am taking. BCHM 218 is also a course that I do not require to graduate Queen's with a Life Sciences degree.
I will be submitting further documentation to support my appeal. Please feel free to contact me for further discussion.

Thank you for your time and consideration,
Vasudha Kannan
(Std. Number: 10058866)

Telephone: 613-328-7149
Email: 11vk18@queensu.ca