Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,
My name is Sheilagh Newland. My student number is 20012052, and I am currently enrolled as a first-year undergraduate.
I am applying to withdraw from my classes; RELS131, DEVS100, POLS110 and FILM110.
During first semester on Thanksgiving weekend, I was diagnosed with strep throat and prescribed antibiotics. I did not recover, and on December 3 was further diagnosed with mononucleosis for which I was prescribed a month of bed rest. In retrospect, it appears likely that I was in fact suffering from mono from approximately October 8 through to the end of first semester.
No matter what I was actually suffering from, I was very sick and unable to go to most of my classes. When I learned about my diagnosis of mono, I had to take off school for the rest of the semester and write my exams in the new year.
In the new year, I was determined to work as hard as possible to get caught up. However, due to the amount that I missed while sick, which was almost three-quarters of first semester, I found it very difficult to study for many of my courses as I had to teach myself the majority of these subject matter, while still trying to keep up to date with my second semester learnings. To further complicate matters, a little while into second semester I was then diagnosed with a ruptured ovarian cyst, which meant I had to miss more school due to the pain. Eventually I returned home for a few days in order to see my family doctor, as the ones in Kingston could not diagnose it.
Second semester has been a very difficult time for me as well with regard to my mental health. In February I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. This has been an issue that I have dealt with since first semester, but during second semester my anxiety attacks have become much worse, making it nearly impossible to leave my room at times, let alone go to class. I believe this has been caused by the snowball effect of increased stress trying to get caught up from the amount of work I missed during first semester. I am currently seeking treatment for this, however the progress has been slow.
I have included as many medical records as I have. My family doctor is currently preparing a letter in support of this application, which I will submit as soon as it arrives. I do not have any records from a visit to the emergency ward in Kingston with regard to the ovarian cyst.
I am currently not failing any courses, as my GPA is 1.6. However my goal is to major in DEVS, for which a 2.8 GPA is required. I know due to my current mental health, achieving even my current GPA will be nearly impossible.
Upon deep reflection I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that the best thing for me both academically and personally is to withdraw for the current year. These next few months I am planning on seeking more medical help in terms of my anxiety disorder back home in Toronto where my parents can help monitor my health and safety.
I am planning on coming back to Queens in the fall to continue my studies, but starting fresh and re-doing first year.
I believe that what is best for both my health and academics is for me to withdraw from these courses and begin first year again in September 2017.
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you and am available at your convenience for any questions you may have.
Yours sincerely,
Sheilagh Newland