Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean Benard,

I am appealing for a late drop of the following courses from my transcript: CHEM 112 and STAT 263 (taken in the 2013/2014 academic year), PSYC 100 (taken in the 2014/15 academic year), and DEVS 220 (taken in the Fall of 2016). Below, the grounds for this request are described.

As noted in the attached Psychiatry Consultation Report, I have experienced significant, recurring, and ongoing symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder for much of my life, most notably during the last six years. These disorders have greatly impacted my mental health and my academic performance throughout my time at Queen's University. They have also required me to take medical leave since Reading Week of this year to continue to properly and fully address them.

From my academic history it can be seen that I entered Queen's University with Academic Excellence, earning both the Queen's University Excellence Scholarship and the Robert B. Peterson Entrance Scholarship, but that I have struggled to perform at this high level since. This deviation from my past academic performance is directly due to the circumstances that have arisen and the symptoms that I have experienced from the aforementioned disorders. In this letter I will focus on the significant and negative impacts that these disorders have had on my academic performance, specifically within the above-mentioned courses.

When I am experiencing the symptoms caused by these disorders, I find that they affect my ability to concentrate, memorize and recall information, form ideas, read, write, solve problems, make decisions, feel motivated, and cope with stress. In my experience, these effects are often significant in nature, unpredictable, and inconsistent in pattern. In other words, these disorders create circumstances in which I am unable to complete course work on a consistent basis, perform to my full academic abilities, or meet personal and course-based goals and deadlines. Please see the Functional Impairments and Limitations section of the attached Queen's Student Accessibility Services Intake Form for confirmation of the above academic and functional impairments.

CHEM 112 and STATS 263:
During my second year at Queen's University, I struggled immensely with my mental health, and the above-mentioned effects on my academic capabilities were very severe. As can be seen on my transcript, I did not perform very well in my courses during that academic year, particularly within CHEM 112 and STAT 263. I believe that these two courses suffered because they require a large amount of recall, problem solving, concentration, and motivation for successful completion. Throughout the year my mental illnesses were not yet diagnosed, but I worked to the best of my ability to understand and manage the symptoms that I was experiencing. In 2014, I sought out professional help at Student Academic Success Services and Student Wellness Services. This included attending almost all of the Academic Success workshops, one-on-one appointments with both the Writing Centre and Learning Strategies, and utilizing their online resources. I also saw a counsellor on a regular basis for a short time in the Winter 2014 Semester, but I unfortunately had little progress. I consider this to be due to the severity of my mental health issues at the time and how much they had already affected my academics by that point. Consequently, my many efforts to manage the symptoms that I was experiencing and to perform well in my courses were not successful and I did not pass these courses.

PSYC 100:
In the 2014/15 academic year I continued to use Student Academic Success Services to improve my skills in time management, stress management, concentration, and problem solving. I did not utilize the counselling services at Student Wellness, because my previous experience was very discouraging and ineffective. Some of my efforts in the 2014/2015 academic year were fruitful though, as I improved on many skills and successfully passed STAT 263 that time around. Unfortunately, I was unable to pass PSYC 100. Success in this course is largely based on memorization, the formation of ideas and arguments, and the ability to maintain focus and motivation. As stated, my capacity for such was greatly impacted when I experienced the symptoms of my mental illnesses. It should be noted that my Anxiety Disorder was very severe from approximately November 2014 to January 2016, which included a large majority of the time that I was enrolled and participating in PSYC 100. This significantly influenced my performance in the course, and my ability to keep up with it throughout the year. Over this period of time, I experienced more frequent and very debilitating anxiety attacks. This eventually required the need for a deferral of my PSYC 100 exam from April 2015 to September 2015 (see attached documentation). Although I continued to take steps to improve my mental health throughout the summer, my Anxiety Disorder was still very severe in those months and in September. This significantly affected my ability to properly prepare for and write the PSYC 100 Final Exam, as my mind was still in distress when it came time to study for and write it. As a result, I did not pass the exam or the course. From there, I have worked on a continuous basis, with significant time taken away from my academics (including a reduced course load), to learn about my personal mental illnesses and effective ways to manage them. However, this failed grade still hangs on my transcript.

DEVS 220:
Finally, in the fall of 2016, my mental illnesses were still very severe, so I decided to seek professional help at Student Wellness Services again. Since the beginning of September 2016, I have been working with a doctor and a counsellor from Student Wellness Services and have had much better results. Upon advice from Janet Roloson, I also registered with Student Accessibility Services to help minimize the effects of my mental illnesses on my academics. Attached you can find a copy of my Intake Form, which includes information regarding the effects on my functions and academic abilities during that time. In March 2017, I began to finally feel as though my efforts and work began to be somewhat effective. This was largely due to a greatly reduced course load, my work with Dr. Willms and Janet Roloson (Senior Counsellor), and the significant time that I have taken away from my studies over this academic year to improve and manage my mental health/illnesses. Though this has been extremely beneficial for my overall health, this was not conducive to staying on top of and completing my course work for DEVS 100 and DEVS 220. In the attached documentation, I have provided a copy of a short-term accommodation request form from Student Wellness Services in which it was advised that my essay deadline for DEVS 220 be extended. This was the first of many accommodations that Professor Lovelace provided me with for DEVS 220 because of the evident effects of my mental illnesses on my ability to complete my work. Unfortunately, I eventually had to end my attempts to complete both DEVS 100 (dropping this course in December) and DEVS 220, receiving an Incomplete in result.

I hope that this letter has helped outline the impact that these health disorders have had on my academic career at Queen's University and how they have specifically influenced my performance within and ability to complete the courses discussed above. Attached you will find supporting documentation from Janet Roloson (received in office), Dr. Willms, and Dr. Hamer.

If this appeal is approved and I am granted a late drop for CHEM 112, STAT 263, PSYC 100, and DEVS 220, it would allow me to pursue my academic and professional goals without the weight of my mental health issues and the difficulties that I have overcome. I hope to complete a full Change of Plan into a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Health Studies and to build a career within the public health field. If this appeal is approved, realization of these goals will be much more probable. My academic record would be looked upon much more favourably, and I would reach the GPA requirements for this Change of Plan.

My short-term future plans include spending the next academic year away from Queen's and my courses, so that I may further address my health issues with the professional support of my family doctor and a counsellor. Upon my return to Queen's, I will continue to see medical and mental health professionals on a regular basis to ensure that any remaining mental health issues do not negatively impact my transition back to Queen's University or my academic performance.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Highest regards,


Lily Helmer-Smith
Student Number: 10075287