Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean Bénard,

I am appealing for permission to take more than 6.0 units outside of Queen's University (12.0 units exactly) in the Fall-Winter terms of 2018-2019, my final year of study, for reason of extenuating circumstances. I have been managing severe and long-standing mental illness with medication and ongoing psychiatrist visits. Because my psychiatrist is in Toronto, and for mental health reasons, I have been making weekly commutes between Toronto and Kingston. This is very time consuming and has taken a toll on my health and academics. My illness worsened in the form of increased panic attacks, insomnia, and an inability to focus; because of this, I was required to defer one of my exams last semester. In addition, due to a recent tragedy in the family, my mental health situation has worsened, and I believe that the added stress of being away from home and the constant travelling back and forth will adversely affect my academics the upcoming term. For these reasons, I believe it would be beneficial to both my health and my academics to take my final year of university closer to home, in Toronto. Should I be allowed to do so, I would have easier access to treatment and my mental health situation would be ameliorated, living at home. In a better state of mental health, my academic performance can only improve.