Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Jenn Stephenson,

My name is Kaitlyn Zaragoza Ceren, and I am appealing to drop four courses: CLST 205 (Summer 2020), WRIT 125 (Summer 2020), SPAN 111 (Summer 2020), and CLST 205 (Fall 2020).

During Summer 2020, I faced difficult family problems beginning in May-June 2020. My parents were working full-time as essential workers, which brought them great stress. It did not help that they were questioning their marriage at the time. As a result of my parents' stress, I had to care for both my 81-year-old grandmother and 9-year-old sister. Every day, I would do everything to take care of my family - it felt like I was the only one holding my family together. My mental health drastically declined. I had no energy / motivation left at the end of each day, causing me to heavily neglect my courses. This difficult time lasted until August 2020 - my family dynamic began to improve when my mother submitted a leave of absence from work to focus on caring for my grandmother and sister. My parents also virtually met with a marriage counsellor. I virtually met with an academic advisor in August 2020, and they suggested that I submit an appeal to drop my summer courses and re-take them. They also helped me plan the remainder of my degree: I am now on track to take a lighter course load, and graduate in Spring 2022 rather than Spring 2021.

I re-enrolled in CLST 205 for Fall 2020. I also enrolled in ARTH 422 and ARTH 472 for Fall 2020. I managed my three courses fairly well in September 2020. On October 5th 2020, my boyfriend contracted a fever. Our families are close - we had created our own social bubble between our two houses. When we realized he was experiencing COVID-like symptoms soon after we had visited, we grew worried - my mother and my grandmother are immunocompromised. On October 10th 2020, my boyfriend received his COVID-19 test results as positive. Our families put together a timeline of contact, and realized that I was the only one who had spent prolonged time with him two days after he came in contact with a positive COVID-19 case. I went to get tested that evening (October 10th 2020, see document). It was an incredibly stressful time. I was scared for my boyfriend's recovery and our families' safety. I received my COVID-19 test results as negative on October 16th 2020. My boyfriend's family had also tested negative. After receiving this news, I was mainly concerned for my boyfriend's recovery. It was scary and stressful, as there was nothing I could do. From October 5th 2020 (when he first felt COVID-19 symptoms) to October 10th 2020 (when he received his positive result) to October 24th 2020 (when he was making a full recovery and allowed to leave isolation), I dealt with the most stress and worry I had felt in a long time. In the weeks following, I dealt with fluctuating depressive episodes. In ARTH 422, I managed to keep my grades up by attending regular Zoom seminars. In ARTH 472, important assignments were due later in the courses (around the last week of November 2020). The two courses felt easier to manage. In one, I spoke directly with my professor once a week and was marked for doing so; in the other, I did not have to worry about important deadlines right away. CLST 205 was formatted differently. The course was fully online: modules / assignments were made available through OnQ, and students were encouraged to work at their own pace. I began to prioritize ARTH 422 and ARTH 472 over CLST 205 until I would focus on only the two courses, and have no energy / motivation left for CLST 205. When I finally emailed Professor Callie Callon from CLST 205, she suggested that I look into re-taking the course again for a fresh start rather than undergo a warp speed catchup.

Regarding all four courses: I did not drop these courses earlier simply because I was stubborn and determined to ignore my declining mental health. I would tell myself that what I was feeling was just a bad day, and that I could catch up the next day. It became a vicious cycle: I would fall into a depressive episode, tell myself that I would rest today and work tomorrow, but then realize that I felt depressed every day. I could not break the cycle nor acknowledge it until it was too late.

I am now taking steps to improve myself, both academically and personally. I have planned to take a lighter course load for the remainder of my degree. I have dropped all extracurriculars to focus on academics. I have re-enrolled in SPAN 111 in Winter 2021, and I plan to re-enroll in CLST 205 and WRIT 125 in Summer 2021. I have reached out to Student Academic Success Services about booking weekly or bi-weekly academic skills appointments in Winter 2021, so that a specialist can help me organize and hold me accountable throughout the semester. I am looking into professional therapy, I hope to find a therapist who I can maintain regular meetings with. Through these changes, I hope to improve my mental health, better manage my academics, and achieve my goal of a 3.0 GPA before I graduate in Spring 2022.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Kaitlyn Zaragoza Ceren