Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Studies),

I am appealing for aegrotat standing in PHYS117 (Fall and Winter 2018-2019), by which the final examination, accounting for the outstanding 35 of my course work, be excluded from the term mark. Professor Topper confirmed that I have met the learning objectives of the course.

I have a diagnosed mental health condition that is known to occur episodically. Going into my first year at Queen's, my condition was very well-managed. I felt confident about the school year and was weaning off medication, believing I had control over my health. Due to a noticeable lack of campus-wide awareness, I didn't think mental health resources were easily accessible. Due in part to this, and also my confidence about my health, I did not connect with any on-campus resources and I did not apply for accommodations. I had a strong first term - my marks were good and I was on top of my workload. There was a period when, due to a multitude of factors but mostly because I didn't feel at home at Queen's, I had considered transferring but decided to persevere because of a lease I had already signed for second-year. This feeling of discomfort persisted and I started to become isolated, focusing only on my academics. Schoolwork was an escape from my social and emotional isolation and I worked late into the night in the basement of my residence every day, substantiated by my strong academic performance in the first term. During finals season, these work habits intensified as I was rarely taking breaks, if only to eat and sleep. This massive increase in stress and urgency caused a severe and acute health episode on April 23rd. I was escorted to Kingston General Hospital by campus security which, in itself, was a traumatic experience. I spent hours in the emergency room alone, realizing that I couldn't write the physics exam. I had no way of predicting this impairment to my health because I had completed the rest of my final exams - explaining why PHYS117 is the only course affected by this incident. This was well past the drop deadline, and I was doing well so I had never considered dropping the course. I was prepared for the exam but I overworked myself to the point of debilitation and even the thought of discussing my situation with my professor would only worsen my symptoms. I had deferred the exam to September thinking that I would use the summer for recovery and preparation, but the attack on April 23rd was a trigger for a much longer health episode that has only deteriorated throughout the past few months. Any attempt to study for the exam is derailed by my mental state and subsequent physical symptoms, and I am having difficulty concentrating and focusing. I was so stressed about the pending exam that I broke down on the phone with the student resource assistant at the arts and science office because I did not know what else to do - or who else to contact . He directed me to the proper resources and to the appeal process. Currently, my health is at a very low point, and the pending exam is only worsening my symptoms. Ultimately, having to write this exam will have negative effects on my current and future mental health. I am not in a position to defer the exam again because the longer this process becomes, the worse my mental health will be. I won't be able to start my recovery with this issue remaining unresolved. Furthermore, I can't financially afford to late drop the course. I have a strong mark in the course without the final exam because of the effort and hard work that I put into it during the school year, a fact that I don't want to be tarnished due to a health issue out of my control. The exam is now associated with my traumatic experience in April, and having the exam discounted from my final mark would allow me to fully recover without anything weighing on me. Additionally, acting on the advice of my psychiatrist, I will be starting medication again. This can cause short term increases in symptoms and greatly affects thoughts and behaviour which would make it impossible to effectively prepare for the exam. Currently, my family's and my biggest concern is my mental health, and I need to take the time to ensure that my health does not worsen, to properly recover, and prepare for the new school year in September. Recovery is a process that needs commitment, and all my energy needs to be directed to that, rather than stressing over and preparing for this exam.

To ensure that I will be able to return to school at my full potential in September, I will complete my treatment plan over the summer with my psychiatrist, start medication, register for academic accommodations, and meet regularly with on-campus support. Additionally I will participate in more extracurricular activities to provide healthy outlets. I will set goals and regularly self-regulate to ensure that I am healthy and well-balanced.

Thank you for considering my appeal.

Sincerely,
Savie Edirisinghe