Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Emma Mackinnon
20026749
16ejm@queensu.ca

Dear Associate Dean (Studies),

Please accept this letter in appeal for a CR standing in HLTH 205 and MUSC 289, and a late drop in BIOL 205 and KNPE 251 due to medical extenuating circumstances.
The medical circumstances impacted my academic performance in the following ways: extreme anxiety, insomnia, troubled eating, isolation, irritability, lack of motivation, lack of concentration, and memory problems. These effects greatly contributed to my lowered academic performance as I ultimately found it too much to balance my academics despite my best efforts.
I have provided medical documentation from both my therapist Carrie Watson, as well as my doctor, Helen Bai. Despite seeking help in the first semester, I do not believe I prioritized my mental health as much as I needed to, and as a result, I continued to find it near impossible to focus on my academics, causing me to fall behind in my classes, and perform poorly on assignments and exams. Seeking help was a fairly new option for me during the first semester and I did not fully comprehend the severity of my personal issues, how important it was for me to pay more attention to them, and the effect they would have on my academics.
My academic plan as of the second semester was to take a less intense course load, which I have accomplished this semester by taking four courses that are a little less time consuming and that I have a stronger ability in, compared to my courses in the first semester. Also, 3/4 of the courses I took this semester were online, so that I could have more time to see my therapist in Kingston and to return home more to seek additional help. I will be retaking KNPE 251 this Summer to try to succeed in the course the second time around, with a new mindset. With this initiative I took to focus on my mental health this semester, I feel confident that I will succeed in my academic and personal life in the future.

Sincerely,

Emma Mackinnon