Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

I am appealing to request a credit (CR) standing of MUSC 171 (Fall, 2016), MATH 121 (Summer, 2017), FRST 105 (Summer, 2017). Since 2013 I have been dealing with severe bulimia, depression and anxiety. Last year I had a difficult start at Queen¿¿s dealing with an abortion (Sep 2016) that led to a relapse in my eating disorder. I became very depressed, and my class attendence durastically decreased which greatly affected my performance. This continued on for the duration of the year, resulting in my grades not meeting my usual standards that I predicted for a spot in the Life Science program. Therefore, I continued as an undeclared student. I proceeding by ignoring the harsh reality of my relapse at the time, and decided to enroll in summer courses out of desperation in the hopes of boosting my GPA.

My relapse in bulimia, depression, and anxiety caused me to do poorly in my summer courses. I felt such a pressure to achieve high marks to make up for the year, but the state I was in made that impossible. It was not until in August (2017), after many attempts in treating my depression and anxiety- which was the suspected cause for my eating disorder¿¿s continuous return. That my psychiatrist tested me for ADHD. I was then diagnosed and prescribed with Vyvanse. The medication resulted in my lowest frequency of symptomatic behaviors in 5 years. This newfound clarity, convinced me to return back to Queen¿¿s and continue to work toward my goals. I finally felt I wa capable of processing my rapid thoughts, and rationalizing before letting them drown me in a deep depression. Sadly, this was not until a few days before my exams so I was not capable of salvaging my current courses at the time.

Since then, I have started working more closely wiith my therapist and psychiatrist. I communicate weekly with my therapist via skype, and frequently reach out to my psychiatrist in regards to dosage and symptoms of my medications. Also, I have familiarized myself with the student wellness facilities available here at Queen¿¿s. In attempts to discover more options for support, emotionally and academically. Athough there have been a few bumps on the road when I was attempting to find the right dosage, I have continued to improve in not only my studies but my mental health as well.

If this appeal is granted, my hope is to be able to fully embrace Queen¿¿s without these past mistakes holding me back. I truly feel as though I have given my full effort in bettering myelf and moving on from first year, and I feel as though these courses are not only detrimental towards my GPA, but a constant reminder of times in my past that I wish to forget. I understand this is a large request, but I know two things about myself that will never change. Firstly, I am smart- despite what my mental illness has inhibited me from proving in my grades. Secondly, I will never give up. I genuinely believe that this improvement in my mental health and a fresh start given by these credit standings will enable me to thrive here at Queen¿¿s. Thank you for your kindness and consideration, and for taking the time to read this.

Best,

Rachel Samson

Pertaining to my documentation: I have contacted KGH and I can get access to my abortion procedure documentation that is stored in Hotel Dieu Hospital. However, it costs money so I will only proceed with that process if more documentation is necessary.