Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dr. Jill Atkinson,

I am appealing to drop CHEM 281 taken in Fall of 2017 with the professor John Carran as well as PSYC 251 also taken in Fall of 2017 with the professor Elizabeth Kelley. I am also appealing for a credit standing in PSYC 202 taken in Fall of 2017 with the professor William Nelson.

The reason behind this request is that I have been dealing with severe psychological issues over the past semester. While I have been trying to get help over the semester it was still very difficult for me to concentrate on my schoolwork or even muster up enough energy and motivation to get out of bed. My circumstances started off at the beginning of the semester and progressively got worse even though I was getting help, I saw the doctor and counsellors at the student wellness services and after an emergency room visit I was referred to the ITTP program at the hospital to help me better cope and to be able to actively participate in my own life. Because I have been getting help my circumstances have started to improve but I cannot make up for all that I have missed during the time of my severe depression and anxiety this semester. I was hoping to be able to pull myself back up but I needed to focus on my mental health and getting better this semester which lead to my inability to preform and the level that I know I can. Due to my severe anxiety, I was unable to attend lectures and tutorials for both classes which lead to a loss of a lot of marks as well as me falling behind in the classes, the severe depression also factored into my inability to do anything because I could not get out of bed or leave my room due to the intense exhaustion as well as the suicidal thoughts. After a trip to the emergency room in September and in October as well as seeing a counsellor and a psychiatrist I could get to a position of being able to function slightly but still not at my full potential.

Moving forward I will continue to see a counsellor on a more regular basis as well as continue my medication which helps to give me energy and I am going to continue with the ITTP program at the hospital as it is quite helpful. I plan to take summer courses to get back on track and maybe an extra semester if need be. After reflection, I have also concluded that trying to go to medical school isn't for me and I have a genuine interest in psychology and would like to become a psychologist. Being honest with myself about what I am capable of and what I want in life allowed me to take a lot of the pressure off.

I feel that I have the correct support system and the plans in place to be able to move forward strong but the past semester was very difficult for me. Being able to drop these 2 courses will be beneficial for me since I was not able to perform at my full potential due to my mental health problems. I don't want to be held back by these courses that I was not able to complete or perform well in due to psychological issues that I have outlined which interfered with my ability to perform.


Thank you,
Gursimran Khaira
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