Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Studies),

I am appealing to drop MATH 221 (Fall 2014) after the deadline to drop a course. I understand the high volume of requests you are receiving, so thank you in advance for the time that I am spending you and whoever else it may concern.

Due to an unforeseen traumatic event that occurred in the last week of August, I developed symptoms of Acute Stress Disorder. This caused me to have more troubles with my academics than I had ever had before. Flashbacks of this event were occurring often, causing my concentration while in class to be very impaired. I had a lot of trouble sleeping, which was also affecting my concentration as well as my general mental well-being. I developed symptoms of anxiety and depression, which made motivating myself very difficult. Due to these reasons, my academics have been at risk all semester and I have been struggling with the decision of whether or not to reduce my course load by dropping the course that I am struggling with the most, MATH 221. To respond to the obvious question which is why I did not drop it sooner, I will begin with the fact that coming to this decision was not easy. Within a few days of the deadline, I realized how imperative it was that I dropped the course, based on my low academic standing. However, instead of dropping it right away, I decided to wait until I spoke with my therapist about it. The appointment with her (Emma) was on Friday, October 31st at 3pm. Later that evening, after speaking with her, I attempted to drop the course but was denied this request because of certain co-requisites, essentially stating that I could not drop MATH 221 without dropping its' co-requisites. However, I am not enrolled in the co-requisites listed on Solus, but I could not consult with the Department of Arts and Science since their offices were closed at this point. It was not until the offices re-opened on Monday morning that they informed me that although not listed on Solus, one of the courses I am enrolled in is a co-requisite. I had gone to an Academic Advising appointment the week prior, and the woman with whom I had an appointment mentioned nothing of this co-requisite being an issue, and stated that I would have until midnight on the 31st to drop it, and there would be no issues. All this is to say that if Solus and the Academic Advisors had had the complete and correct information, the entire process would have been much simpler and less stressful.

My symptoms of Acute Stress Disorder due to the traumatic event I was faced with at the end of August have lessened in severity, but I am still currently plagued with bouts of anxiety and depression. As stated earlier, I have been seeing a therapist weekly who has been giving me many tools to manage my symptoms. I do not want one unfortunate event to have long-standing effects on my Undergraduate career or future, so I do plan to complete my Math minor and take MATH 221 in the fall term of 2015. I believe that with my normal level of motivation and well-being, I will be able to succeed in the course. I am taking the necessary steps to achieve the levels of motivation and well-being that I need by going to therapy. Time heals all, so I am hoping that with not only time, but also the help I am receiving from my therapist and the support that I hope to receive from the Faculty of Arts and Science, this hiccup in my Undergraduate career will be resolved.