Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I am appealing to drop the following courses: CHEM 281 (2016 Summer), WRIT 125 (2016 Fall), and PHYS P20 (2017 Winter). The basis for my submission is that I suffer from severe Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression. I previously received treatment for these disorders throughout 2014 and 2015 with psychologist Dr. Mary Ross. I made the mistake of prematurely stopping treatment prior to the 2016 winter semester, allowing for relapses of these mental health conditions that had extremely detrimental effects on my academic performance.

The following is a summary of what occurred with respect to the courses I seek to drop. After ceasing treatment, the problems I experienced due to anxiety and depression escalated over time. This is reflected in the gradually worsening grades I received from the 2016 winter semester to the 2017 fall semester. If I would miss an assignment or due date I would spiral into severe anxiety induced avoidance of the class itself, avoidance of accessing and completing online coursework, and avoidance of communication with professors and peers. This led to me once again developing feelings of depression and mental unwellness similar to those that I had experienced several years prior. I felt lost and overwhelmed and would experience intense feelings of dread and anxiety when attempting to access or deal with courses that I felt I was no longer in control of. The prospect of reaching out for help filled me with further anxiety and a deep sense of shame, largely due to my failure to truly accept my previous struggles with mental health. As a maladaptive coping mechanism, I eventually would completely avoid even thinking about these courses in order to minimize the depression and anxiety that would be triggered upon addressing them. This explains the largely polarized distribution of grades that I achieved over the past three years, and why I was able to perform well in some courses but not others during the same term. Courses that I managed to stay on top of and become established in would be mostly unaffected by my anxiety and depression due to the fact that I was entirely avoiding the courses that I felt I had lost control in.

CHEM 281 began well. I received near perfect marks on the first few assignments and felt comfortable with the course material. I miscalendared the due date of one assignment and began to feel very anxious about accessing the course. I grew increasingly avoidant of accessing the course and proceeded to miss several more assignments, including the submission date for the lab assignment (worth much more than the regular assignments) despite having almost most completed the lab assignment. I began to feel overwhelmingly anxious when even thinking about the course and was unable to study for the exam.

WRIT 125 also started well. I completed the first assignment and the first and second learning activities. I was close to completing the second assignment, but was unable to complete the assignment on time. I told myself I would submit the assignment the next day after editing, but instead found myself too anxious to access the assignment. My inability to submit the nearly completed assignment resulted in a characteristic pattern of avoidance that ultimately caused me to quit accessing the course on onQ altogether. The prospect of contacting the professor or TA without current documentation or support from my psychologist or QSAS was too anxiety inducing to attempt. I completely gave up on the course and did not attempt any of the subsequent three assignments.

I initially planned to drop PHYS P20, as I did not find the course to be interesting upon enrolment, but missed the add-drop deadline. As two weeks had already passed in the course, I was extremely anxious that I had already potentially missed an assignment and was unable access the course. I resolved to still drop the course and pay the requisite fee, but instead avoided accessing SOLUS due to the shame and depression I felt from having to pay for a course that I did not even attempt. I eventually missed the financial penalty drop deadline. Even thinking about the course left me so depressed and anxious that I did not attempt a single assignment or attend the final exam.

All of the aforementioned circumstances resulted directly from the cognitive limitations outlined in my current QSAS Documentation Form. These limitations include:

1. ¿¿Completing scheduled academic tasks on time when given advance notice.¿
2. ¿¿Organizing, sequencing, and prioritizing academic tasks.¿
3. ¿¿Planning and setting goals to meet deadlines.¿
4. ¿¿Complete all scheduled academic tasks on time.

Since reinitiating treatment with Dr. Ross, my grades have improved significantly. With her encouragement and assistance I have rebuilt my support network, which includes my family and QSAS. I am in regular contact with my QSAS advisor and have sent updated accommodation forms to each of my professors at the beginning of the each semester. I have almost completed my degree at Queen¿¿s, but I am committed to continuing treatment with Dr. Mary Ross in the long term to ensure that my mental health continues to improve.