Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Studies),

I am writing to request an appeal to retroactively drop BIOL103 (Winter, 2017), LLCU110 (Winter, 2017), and CHEM112, which I failed, and request CR status for PHYS104/106 and MATH121.

The basis for my appeal is extenuating circumstances involving the onset of clinical depression, which severely hindered my ability to perform academically. The direct effects on my academic performance included: profound sleep disturbance, fatigue, inability to concentrate, and overwhelming lack of motivation to study, attend classes and labs, and submit assignments. (The sleep disturbances caused me to miss my Chemistry midterm exam in December). The depression was debilitating and as I increasingly fell behind, the challenges became harder to overcome.

The symptoms began to appear in October and worsened through the year, as reflected in the deterioration of my academic record as the year progressed. During the fall semester, I was not fully cognizant of what was happening to me and thought I could deal with it on my own and ultimately succeed in my courses, which I managed to do for two of them. But when I returned for winter semester, I sought help at Queen¿¿s Health Services. In January, I was diagnosed with depression. During the term, I began taking medication, went for follow-up appointments, and saw a Queen¿¿s counsellor. I had hoped that with this help, I would be able to turn things around in the winter term. But the first-line therapy I was given was of limited effectiveness, with the resulting outcome for my academic performance. Nevertheless, I¿¿m optimistic that effective treatment will be found. I¿¿m now back in Toronto and in the care of a physician and therapist here. Supporting documents from the professionals I¿¿ve been seeing will be provided.

Should my appeal be granted, my plan for achieving academic success in the future would include ongoing appointments with medical professionals and personal counsellors or therapists. I will consult with these professionals as to when to resume my studies. Upon my return to school, I would re-take the CR-status and failed courses. I will also seek their advice as to the course load I take upon my return, as well as in future terms, in order to ease the academic strain and allow me to perform better.

I look forward to your response and thank you for your time,

Daniele Privé
20016769
15dczp@queensu.ca