Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Hello, I'm Noor El Hussein, a first-year student at Queen's University.

I am writing this as a request to drop three of my classes past the drop date. These are BIOL102, CISC101, and MATH121.

Due to circumstances out of my control, the grades I have received in the above classes do not reflect my work ethic and knowledge. Because of this, I am requesting they be dropped so I may be given an opportunity to thrive academically given that I¿¿m working on the circumstances that caused this in the first place.

My Mental Health:
Starting from the beginning of the year, I was grieving the suicide of a close family friend. She was living with us at the time of her death and killed herself in our house. Because she lived with us, it was particularly traumatic to deal with. This has had a huge impact on me and my bereavement has not been a linear process. This circumstance, in addition to my severe social and exam anxieties, made every day a challenge. There were some days where I felt stable to do my work and duties and there were many other days when I could not. I was also unable to seek professional help due to financial issues. However, now that those financial issues have stabilized I have been regularly following up with a local therapist who is committed to helping me heal and grow. I have also updated my family doctor on my condition and with their advice, I have changed my anxiety medication and dosage. With the support of both my therapist and doctor, I firmly believe I can balance my mental and physical wellbeing as well as my academics.

My Physical Health:
During the first semester, I was doing well settling into residence, however, I was having trouble with my arthritis medication and finding someone to administer it. It is a biological medication (in injection form) and to take it someone must give it to me. I have tried doing so myself but it's a painful process that I don¿¿t feel I am qualified to do. I have tried to get in contact with the local health and wellness group at school to search for a nurse to help me, however, I received no reply. This has often left me with increased pain and symptoms, sometimes leaving me bed-ridden for days. In addition to this, when I would routinely take the medication, I had to be extra careful with my health as this medicine leaves me immunocompromised. There were a few times when small things like colds and infected cuts have left me with a high fever and extreme pain. Being immunocompromised during covid is a stressful thing as I spend more time alone than what is healthy, thus impacting my mental health even further.

In Conclusion:
Due to the above circumstances, along with the added factor of the pandemic, have put me in a position where I was not able to deal with the stressors and anxiety of my grief, existing mental health conditions and physical pain. I am incredibly grateful now to be in close contact and consistent communication with a trained mental health professional. I truly believe that with their guidance and help as well as the full support I am getting from my family and working with the Queen¿¿s Academic and Healthcare counsellors to reinstate my High School IEP, I will be able to fulfil my true potential and find success at Queen¿¿s University.

Thank you for your consideration.

Noor El Hussein
Student Number: 20218415
Attached (IEP, previous doctor notes, communication with Queen's health services with no reply to date)