Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Studies),

I am appealing to drop the following courses: BIOL 102 (Fall, 2013); BIOL 102 (Summer, 2014); GNDS 125 (Summer, 2014); PHAR 100 (Summer, 2014); and BIOL 103 (Summer, 2014). I realize that there is normally a 21-day limit to drop courses and I may have exceeded that limit for most of these. However, as a first-year student, I was not aware that this limit existed, or even that I could drop the courses after the drop deadline. As such, I am appealing to drop several courses at once.
I am appealing to drop these courses due to extenuating circumstances. For the past several months, including the time in which I was taking these courses, I have been suffering from major depressive disorder and chronic anxiety issues. These psychological conditions have prevented me from performing up to the academic standard I used to pride myself on.
During the Fall 2013 term, I often found myself unable to go to class because of these issues. This prevented me from taking notes in lectures and listening for key material I would have otherwise glanced over. I also found lab reports extremely difficult to complete on time due to poor concentration and a lack of motivation.
During the Summer 2014 term, a lack of concentration and motivation was a key factor in my poor academic performance. Additionally, while I resumed treatment via medication, the side effects of resuming that treatment were for a time almost unbearable. Despite having more direct support from my friends and family, I felt as though I was doing everything on my own. My condition psychologically causes me to shut people out and refuse to ask for help, even when I desperately need it.
I took several steps to try to mitigate the worst of my mental illness, but was unsuccessful. During the Fall 2013 term, I frequented Health, Counseling and Disability Services. I spoke with a counselor and also acquired a peer mentor, who gave me strategies to succeed academically. My peer mentor was also excellent at providing advice on coping with my mental health problems. Sadly, away from supportive friends and family, the connections I made at HCDS were not enough to keep me stable.
During the Summer 2014 term, I resumed treatment with my psychiatrist, Dr. Gabrielle Ledger. While Dr. Ledger is very helpful, she has many patients and I am only able to see her every two or three weeks, which is less frequent than I would like it to be. While I now have more direct support from friends and family since I am living at home, my condition causes me to push them away and I find it extremely difficult to ask for help when I am in need. It is often overwhelming to feel that I am doing everything on my own.
Should my appeal be granted, I plan on taking several steps to succeed in the future. I am going to continue to take online courses, but for now I am only going to take one at a time. In the future, I plan on switching programs to a BA in English, so that I can complete my degree while living at home. My goal academically is to finish my degree, so taking on a lighter course load and switching to a degree I am better suited for will help me accomplish that goal. I will also maintain regular meetings with Dr. Ledger and continue to follow her advice on medication. Additionally, I will do my best to learn to communicate with my family more effectively so that they can help me when I am in trouble.
I sincerely hope that this appeal will be granted. It would be tragic if I were unable to finish my degree because of my mental illness. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Sara Aldsworth