Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Ms. Rudder

My name is Charly Griffin and I am a second-year student in life sciences. This year I chose to enroll in five courses and I also decided to continue to live in Kingston near Queen¿¿s during this difficult year. The intent of this letter is to appeal to drop Pharmacology 100 (fall 2020).

I do suffer from anxiety and depression and have for a number of years. I do see a therapist who has helped me work through my challenges. This year however, I find my life¿¿s circumstances a bit more stressful than during other times. My mother was diagnosed with cancer this year and throughout her surgeries and treatments, I have felt a heightened sense of anxiety, stress and depression. My maternal grandmother was recently diagnosed (October) with cancer as well and my mother¿¿s absence to help her has made me feel even more anxious. As a result, I find it difficult to remain focused on all my courses.

I enrolled in Pharmacology 100 along with 4 other life science courses and thought I would be able to complete all the necessary work for each course in a timely fashion. It has become apparent through the past little while that the stress from my personal life is encroaching on my ability to complete the workload for all five courses. Consequently, my anxiety and depression have worsened.

I thought I could remain focused and complete the work as necessary and I tried my best for as long as I could. I met with my QSAS advisor for advice and I continue to see support on how best to deal with my current situation. I also continue to see my therapist to help me deal with my personal issues.
My goal is to successfully complete the four remaining courses. I will re-enroll in Pharmacology 100 at a later date. At this point however, a lighter course load I believe will help me through this difficult time and allow me to succeed.

Sincerely,
Charly Griffin, 20158446