Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean,

I am applying for credit standing in the following courses: Math121B (Winter 2018), Phys117B (Winter 2018), Biol201 (Fall 2018), Biol205 (Fall 2018), and Biol243 (Fall 2018).
I am appealing the aforementioned courses due to a medical condition. I have been struggling with depression for over seven years, with my condition worsening with each year. Consequences of my depression include extreme fatigue, lack of motivation, and the inability to get out of bed. During the Winter semester of my first year (2017/18) I struggled with both depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This resulted in me missing two full weeks of class as I struggled to get out of bed to eat, let alone attend my morning lectures. The extreme fatigue forced me to miss a number of important classes, severely impacting my grades as I relied on notes from outside sources. As you can understand, this experience is not as conducive to my learning as attending vital classes. After two weeks of missing class, I was not confident that I was safe in my dorm due to depression and SAD. I was given information regarding off-campus services that I could access in the case of an emergency.
The reason for my appeal in the fall semester is very similar. As winter approached, I felt crippled by Seasonal Affective Disorder as it came back even worse than before. I reached out to student wellness services where I was put on a two-week wait list and told to use the walk-in clinic to see a doctor right away. At walk-in, I was repeatedly turned away even after expressing the urgency of my mental health concerns. This experience left me with little hope that Queen's had sufficient services to provide the support I needed. I did not reach out again until a friend told me about the walk-in counselling service. While my experience was largely positive, at this point it was simply too late. To preserve my safety and ensure my grades were not further impacted by my condition, I decided that I needed to leave Queen's for the semester. I was only informed of my option to appeal a course during my visit at the walk-in services. At this point it had already been long past the 21-day deadline, but I was informed because of my circumstances I would be able to send in the appeal when I felt ready. The reason for the delayed submission is that tole writing this letter took to write. Attending Queens has been a great source of pride for me, taking time off was one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make. I tried my hardest to stay in school, even dropping two courses to make my workload more manageable; however, the stress made my depression flare up once again and I realized that without access to a helpful medical professional it was not safe to remain at Queen's. It is unimaginably difficult to prioritize my studies when my main priority is survival. Being suicidal does not just affect your outlook on life, but it comes with physical consequences. The unrelenting pain and fatigue made it difficult to walk to my lectures or remain awake during three-hour labs.
I am very passionate about my studies, consistently showing proficiency in the sciences during my time as a student. Even during some of the most difficult periods of my life, I was able to rely on my natural capabilities for courses such as psychology and chemistry, while relying on previous knowledge for courses like Spanish and first-year biology. However, when courses advanced beyond the realm of my natural ability and previous knowledge, I was simply unable to succeed without the ability to attend lectures and in the absence of necessary medical attention. The math, physics, and second year biology courses mentioned at the beginning of this letter proved to be too difficult. I am appealing these grades because I sincerely believe that my depression hindered my ability to reach my full potential.
Since leaving Queen's I have been registered at CAMH where I am receiving treatment that involves medication and cognitive behavioural therapy. I am confident that between the new coping strategies I will be able to return to Queen's in the fall and meet the academic standards that I have set for myself. I understand that students generally only request to strike grades of C of lower from their record; however, given my circumstances and previous performance, I believe that it is reasonable to strike a grade of C+. After maintaining an average of above 90 in high school, I know that with a suitable support network I can be the same calibre of student in my post-secondary studies. While the content of university courses is certainly more challenging that previous levels of education, my depression and experience combatting Seasonal Affective Disorder have been the most difficult part of my transition to University. If given the proper support to cope with my condition, I will surely succeed in my pursuits at Queen's.

Thank you for your consideration and understanding.

Sincerely,

Ciara Casalino.