Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Studies),

I am writing an appeal to get Credit Standing for HIST 222, CLST 200, ENGL 292A/B and to drop CLST 201, GREK 112A/B, LATN 209A/B from my transcript. Although I made the Dean¿¿s Honour List in my first year (2015-16), extenuating circumstances related to my mental health prevented me from completing my coursework to the best of my ability this past year (2016-17).

I have received support with mental health issues since secondary school. This included seeing a psychologist at home during grade 12 and then a therapist, Kate Hanton, when I arrived at Queens. I was also prescribed medication during first year to help me cope. Despite a very successful first year, near the beginning of this past academic year (2016-17) my mental health deteriorated and my anxiety in particular became paralyzing. I was unable to leave my room most days and suffered panic attacks. As a result, my course work suffered, particularly in my languages classes where attendance was vital to success. At the start of second term, I spent more and more time in bed and found it increasingly difficult to function, which resulted in incomplete work in most courses and two missed final exams, specifically in GREK 112 and LATN 209. Due to my inability to function effectively, I also was unable to fill my anxiety medication after Christmas, further affecting my ability to cope.

My mental health problems culminated at the end of July when I was hospitalized on a psychiatric unit in Stratford. Since my hospitalization I have been taking steps to move forward. I work with a counsellor in my home town and have been improving communication with my support network. I have decided to take some time off to heal and put coping strategies in place. However, my love of learning remains and I intend to return to studies eventually. Mostly likely I will initially return with reduced course load to ensure I continue to use techniques to manage my anxiety. I hope that through the appeals process my transcript becomes a reflection of my genuine academic ability, as evident in first year, and that my mental health struggles this past year have less impact on my academic future endeavours.

Sincerely,
Bronte Cronsberry