Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean (Studies):
I would like to appeal the Faculty's deadline to drop a course, and to declare my reason for missing the deadline in 2011, during which time I was a Full Time student in Gender Studies. The courses I am referring to are GPHY 352 (Winter, 2011) and PHIL 412 (Winter, 2011). Please allow me to expand upon my extenuating circumstances.

Beginning in the fall of 2010 I began to experience mental health difficulties and presented with visible symptoms and behaviours. The mental health symptoms were quite unsettling, and caused me a great deal of distress. I have been dealing with anxiety and depression since childhood, but the symptoms of both became unbearable at this point. My social anxiety got to the point where I had difficulty with even the simplest of interactions, such as talking to the clerk at the corner store, taking the bus, and eventually with leaving the house at all. On top of this, I felt that any task I had accomplished, goal that I set for myself, or progress that I made was useless, since nothing felt truly real. I withdrew completely into myself and couldn't shake the feeling of apathy towards my life.

My symptoms were at their worst during the winter, between December 2010 and March 2011, and had become quite debilitating. For this reason, I withdrew attendance to focus on my recovery. During this time, I was unable to discuss options with an academic advisor due to the intensity of my symptoms. Neither did I seek any medical or psychiatric care during this period, mostly out of fear. Every aspect of my life was affected by these symptoms. I was no longer able to work at my part-time job, I lost touch with friends and family, I had difficulty leaving my house, and I no longer participated in activities I had previously enjoyed.

These feelings lasted for a total of about 10 months. During that time, I had let all of my responsibilities and obligations fall through, and I wasn't sure where to begin with getting my life back in order. I hadn't done my taxes, I was unemployed, and I thought I had ruined my chances of graduating from Queen's. Unsure of my options and feeling overwhelmed, I applied for a program at St. Lawrence College to regain order and routine in my life, to be able to work towards a healthy goal, and to hopefully make me more employable. I graduated that program with honours, and now would like to pursue further education and finish my degree at Queen's.

In order to ensure the success of my return to studies, I have taken several steps to create a support system for myself at Queen's. I am receiving medical and psychiatric care from Student Health Services, I am in touch with a counselor at Counselling Services, I have met with Disability Services to discuss possible accommodations, and I am considering participating in the Peer Mentoring program. With these supports available should the need arise, and with the progress I have made in my recovery since I last attended Queen's, I am confident that I can be successful in my future academics.

Thank you,
Melanie Côté