Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: October 21th, 2019

Dear Associate Dean (Studies)

I am writing to you in order to appeal for an extension of incomplete grade to complete the coursework and exams for: CHEM211, STATS263 from 2017 Fall semester and CHEM212 and CHEM222 from the 2018 Winter semester. Additionally, I am also appealing for an incomplete grade for courses: ENIN301 from Fall 2017 semester and WRIT125, PHYS-20, FILM240, ENIN140 from the Winter 2018 semester, in order to complete the final assignments and finish the remaining coursework. The next part of the appeal will be to appeal for a drop course after the academic deadline regarding courses ENIN301 (Fall 2017), ASTR101 (2018 Summer), PHAR100 (Fall 2018), MICR221 (2018 Winter) and BCHM270, CLST103, GPHY207, PHGY216 from 2019 Winter due to the same circumstances outlined below.
The past two years have been the most difficult of my life. I have been struggling with severe depression, severe anxiety and panic attacks. Although I was able to learn the material and complete the work, I struggled to fight the anxiety and panic attacks I had felt before the due dates for assignments and before the exams, multiple times (as my professors would recall from my emails to them). We had set up for me to finish the last of the course assignments for CHEM222, CHEM211, STAT263, WRIT125, ENIN340 and ENIN140 over the summer of 2018 and for me to complete the course assignments and write the final exams at the beginning of the 2018 fall semester. I would have dropped these courses earlier but due to the mental health struggles I was dealing with, I had a false sense of where I was and how I was doing in the courses. I felt as though I was prepared to submit the work and write the exams, but I misjudged the place I was in. I thought I was doing better, but the stress and undiagnosed mental conditions took its toll and I was not able to write them. This coursework, combined with the anxiety and panic attacks that I had been trying to deal with over the summer lead to the additional failure of ASTR101 over the 2018 summer. This lead to a backlog of courses I had to finish combined with the 2018 Fall semester new courses. Unfortunately, the weight of all these courses caused me to shut down. I was panicked and scared and was not able to keep in communication with the professors and the courses were graded as failures. The result was that I was not mentally able to hand in the required assignments and write the exams for PHYS-20, PHAR100, CHEM212 and the repeated ENIN301 course (Fall 2018) even though I had done the required work.
This further lead to the inability to drop courses BCHM270, CLST103, GPHY207 and PHGY216 during the Winter 2019 semester. These issues talked about above, coalesced and I was not able to handle, nor adequality understand my knowledge in the classes causing me to not drop these courses and get the help I needed to get on the right track.
Fortunately, Over this past summer, working closely with a therapist, I have been able to understand what was wrong. I have received a diagnosis of depression, anxiety and panic attacks and the treatment is starting to help me feel better. I have been guided by my therapist and other professionals that it would be beneficial for me to return Queens this fall, as well and their notes have been attached as supporting documents.
My academic plan for the future is to continue to get help from the professionals I am working with, who are helping me get to the state of mind I need to be in to complete the courses as soon as possible. I have emailed the professors of the courses I am appealing and they are aware of the situation. If this appeal is approved, I plan to drop all of the courses I am currently enrolled in; in order to dedicate this upcoming semester to successfully completing the courses I am appealing. I believe that by focusing on the outstanding courses and not starting any new courses will help change previous patterns. Over the past 2 summers, I had arranged to write the exams during the first week of the semester and it has led to piled up coursework for that semester that snowballed into the situation I am currently in. I truly believe that I can finish the course work over this fall semester (I have already started studying for the exams and most of the assignments have been completed over this past summer), with the help I have been getting from the doctors treating me and helping with my mental health. Additionally, I will utilize the on-campus resources such as SASS and registering with QSASS, as well.
If this appeal is approved, I believe that I will be able to complete the remaining assignments for courses: WRIT125, PHYS-20, FILM240, ENIN140, and ENIN301, with access to the course material, within a week of approval. There is very little left to complete on these assignments. As for the remaining exams in the courses: CHEM212, CHEM222, CHEM211, STAT263 and PHAR100, I have been studying and feel that I will be ready to write one exam per week over a 4-week period beginning 2-3 weeks after a decision is made on the appeal. I think spacing out the exams will help me feel less anxious and able to write them.
My educational goals are to complete all of these courses that I have worked hard in over the past two years. I want to have the opportunity to demonstrate that I have learned the material and earned passing marks, which would then remove me from academic probation. This would allow me to move forward towards my long term objective of graduating from Queen¿¿s University.


Thank You for taking the time to review this complex appeal. I appreciate your time and I am able to clarify any uncertainties and provide any further information you need.

Yours Sincerely,
Charles Madeira-Shapiro