Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean,

My name is Kathleen Nower and I am appealing to return to my studies after having completed the Requirement to Withdraw for 3 years as well as requesting that the following grades dropped:

ENGL 272, WRIT 195 (F 2013)
COMM 251, ENG 231, ENGL 237, ENGL 290 (W 2014)
PHAR 100 (Summer, 2016), ENGL 200 (Summer, 2016), ENGL 281 (Summer, 2016), ENGL 259 (Winter, 2016), ENGL 237 (Winter, 2017), HIST 252 (Winter, 2016), FRST 290 (Winter, 2017), FREN 107 (Winter, 2017)

In February of 2013, I was sexually assaulted. This unforeseen and uncontrollable event greatly affected my ability to academically perform as it caused mental health issues such as extreme anxiety. Being raped was a very serious event in my life that impacted my ability to function on a daily basis. After this traumatic assault, it was very difficult for me to come to terms with what had happened and the effect it had on me. I was unsure of how to handle this event and how to move forward.
My debilitating anxiety after this event made it very difficult for me to make sound decisions about dropping courses and my academic future. I continued to enrol in courses even though I was emotionally and mentally struggling because I hoped I would be able to heal faster than I actually was. The anxiety I was experiencing was heightened by the the thought of having to leave school and was the driving force behind my continued enrolment. I thought it was better to be enrolled in classes, rather than know that this event is what caused me to leave school. As I was unaware of the true emotional repercussions of this event, I hoped the emotional issues I was facing would dissipate and I would be able to succeed.
I was unable to attend classes and perform basic homework due to my high anxiety. I was emotionally distraught and confused as to how to proceed with my personal life, academics, etc. I was unable to handle my course load, became easily stressed. As I was processing the sexual assault, my emotional well-being was at a low as I dealt with feelings of unworthiness, guilt, fear and shame.
I did not feel comfortable sharing this event with anyone at the time. It took from Winter 2013 until I saw my personal counsellor in February of 2017 for me to have the courage to talk about what had happened to me and try to heal, which is why my grades were so low during this time.