Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dr. Johanne Benard, Associate Dean (Studies),

I am appealing to drop the courses MATH 387, MATH 413, MATH 421, PHYS 216 (winter 2017), MATH 311 and MATH 401 (fall 2016) after the academic deadline. I am also appealing to waive the 21-day deadline for these appeals.

I am a concurrent education student. I also currently have a Not Eligible For Honours Degree¿hold. In order to continue into teacher's college next year, I will need to graduate with an honours degree. It is my hope that if my appeal is supported, I may be able to continue with my Honours degree in Mathematics, register in courses for the fall semester, and continue into my B.Ed year next year.

In 2014, I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, as well as depressive symptoms. My mental health can often make it particularly difficult for me to succeed in participation-heavy courses (such as those with weekly assignments, self-driven study projects, etc.). I specifically struggle with executive function, managing time, and getting tasks done. When my mental health is at a particularly low point, I can find myself unable to leave my home. This obviously makes attending and passing classes a difficulty. I also experience anxiety attacks when studying, as well as when taking exams.

I have been at a low point mental health-wise over the past 10 months. Over this period of time, I often experienced depressive episodes, which leave me with very little mental energy. I was often in the episodes for several weeks at a time, which meant I was almost never in a state of mind to assess my academic situation. For the most part, I was concerned with doing what I could to continue in the classes I was passing, and taking care of myself.

In the past, talking to a therapist on a weekly basis has proven useful in keeping my mental health from interfering with my studies. I intend to begin therapy again as part of my future academic plan. I will also be re-registering with accessibility services, and taking full advantage of any accommodations they can offer me.

Sincerely,

Lucas Scholbeck