Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: December 11, 2020
To the Associate Deans;

I am appealing to drop the course ARTF 337 past the academic deadline, without the academic penalty. Knowing previously this year I might have problems completing all my courses, I still made efforts to take a lighter course load with this one class to see if I could manage it. However, despite all good intentions, my health complications have interfered and put strain on completing any of my work. Last year especially in the fall semester I attempted to ignore my condition and pushed through my work, but my grades genuinely suffered.

Due to my extenuating circumstances of serious mental health difficulties, they have caused a concerning amount of functional impairment. I am suffering from severe symptoms of depression and anxiety, which have worsened over these past months. Up to this point I did not want to drop my one course because it is part of my major and I wanted to again push through. Unfortunately this time I noticed my mental health has been deteriorating fast. As a result, it has been extremely difficult to care for myself, eat, do daily tasks, maintain a healthy sleep schedule, or socialize, let alone focus on class work. I have been struggling with extreme physical and mental exhaustion, recurring physical aches and pains, and low energy / motivation levels. I cannot concentrate on completing tasks for my current class, due to my constant intrusive thoughts and hopeless / empty feelings. I am aware and concerned I have been doing more harm to myself than caring for myself.

Knowing this, I have sought out medical attention and am in the process of receiving the proper treatment I need during this time. I am in contact with several medical health professionals at Queen¿¿s Wellness, as well as my family doctor and a couple therapists. I am currently on an extension for ARTF 337, but as it is a painting class, with requirements of completing at least 4 full scale paintings of 4x4 square feet, I know I will not have the mental capacity to finish my projects even on the extension. I have been recommended to take a medical leave to focus on resting, receiving the help I need, and recovering. I am hoping to return to classes next fall. As I am normally a dedicated and hardworking student, I genuinely believe that I just need the adequate time and resources for recovery, so I can continue to fully strive for my goals as a strong student in the future. Thus I have made a highly difficult decision to request for this academic appeal to drop my course. I will provide the needed medical documentation. Thank you for your kindness and understanding; time and consideration.
Sincerely,

Jodie Yu