Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern,

My name is Callum MacDonald, I am a 2nd year student and a computing major at Queen's. In this document I plan on outlining two requests: the first is to remove my fall 2020 grades for CISC 203 and CISC 204. The second is to late drop CISC 203 and CISC 271 in the winter 2021 term. The reasons for these requests are separate, but overall share difficulties with my mental health.

Since before my arrival on campus in 2019, I have been battling clinical depression, which is the result of many things, but most particularly the death of my father due to cancer, when I was young. I have found myself, over the past 3 years, undergoing through depressive episode after episode, since the fall of my grade 12 year, until today as a 2nd year university student. I have been in and out (and now back in) therapy as a result.

At the start of this Fall term, I was doing well. Despite the rising cases of COVID-19, both in Kingston and my home in Portland, ME, USA (I'm a dual citizen), I was hopeful. I just came out of the last depressive episode over the summer, and I resolved in myself to chart my path forward in Cognitive Science, and I was excited about that. Before arriving at school, my family doctor filled out the QSAS Disability Forms, and I planned on getting accommodation. But in my hubris, I put off filing my forms at QSAS.

I was having difficulties keeping pace with my classes in the fall, but It wasn¿¿t until Nov. 5, after some significant personal emergencies, that I decided to file my applications for accommodations. Shortly thereafter I met with Deb Bruce, the intake coordinator, and she promised that my application would be processed and I would get the accompanying documentation in order to work with my professors to make a plan to complete my courses.

Unfortunately, due to the volume of requests for QSAS made at this time, my application was lost and it was not followed up on. I waited almost 2 months without being able to move forward with QSAS, and by the time they got around to me in late January, it was too late to address my issues with CISC 203 and CISC 204.

This situation prevented me from focusing on the classes I needed help with. I decided to focus my efforts in the classes I kept pace with, that being PHIL 111 and COGS 201, and the result was a F for both CISC 203 and CISC 204. I believe it is unfair to have these marks on my transcript when it was completely out of my control. QSAS did not step in on my behalf when I needed them most. I communicated my difficulties with depression (as well as another messy personal situation, which involved the breakup of a relationship that got in the way) with my professors at the time, but they were not able to help me with the extensions I needed without the QSAS documentation I should have received in the first place.

I have made an agreement with the professor in COGS 201 to complete the work I was unable to in the fall term, and I plan on having that grade finalized before the winter term ends.

The reasons for wanting to late drop CISC 203 and CISC 271 this 2021 winter term are simpler. Due to starting the winter term at home, completely isolated from the learning environment I was used to, my depressive episodes were exacerbated, and much more punishing for my class progress this winter term. I work much better if I am able to stay connected with faculty and other students, and the online barrier has made it much more difficult to get the support I need. These two classes have limited ability to give extensions, and I find myself in a similar situation academically to Fall 2020. I¿¿ve fallen behind on 2 major assignments and missed quizzes for these classes and due to the structuring of the classes, I am unable to work retroactively for credit, or take these missed quizzes, and the time taken in order to do something like that would negatively impact the classes I have kept pace with (CISC 204, and PHIL 111). I believe the smartest thing for me to do in this situation is to drop CISC 203 and CISC 271 and retake them at a later time. Furthermore, Professor Randy Ellis, my instructor for CISC 271, has given his support for my decision to late drop his course due to my circumstances.

I would rather have a DR on my transcript for these Fall and Winter term courses than an F. If those making a decision would like to call me or meet with me via Microsoft Teams, I can go into further detail for the reasons for the requests to help explain the situations I¿¿ve faced.

All the best,

Callum MacDonald
20144348