Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean,


I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Amanda Preston-Walker and I am in my third year with the Arts and Science faculty. I am writing to appeal for a late drop of the course FREN 343 in the Winter 2021 semester.

I have been struggling with mental health issues for the past couple of years; I have specifically had difficulties dealing with anxiety and depression. This past semester, my mental health has gotten much worse. I have been experiencing low to almost no motivation to do my work due to my depression, as well as high stress and poor concentration due to my anxiety. Both of these conditions have also resulted in varying degrees of over or under sleeping which has affected my ability to attend my classes. While I do have accommodations with Student Wellness, my mood has been affected to the point where, occasionally, I did not have the motivation and I was too anxious to discuss them with my professors.

While I have managed to keep up with the rest of my courses, I have fallen very behind in my course FREN 343. Considering this, I feel that it would be beneficial for me to drop this course so that I can finish my other courses to the best of my abilities. I have the support of my family doctor who has been the one treating my mental health since my diagnosis. I additionally have the support of the professor who has been teaching this course. This course is compulsory for my degree, so I plan to re-enroll in the course as soon as it is next offered.

My doctor has been monitoring my mood and adjusting my medication dosage accordingly. She has also recommended that I seek out counselling services, and I plan to do so. In the meantime, I have made an account with Wellness Together Canada where I complete online self-assessments of my mood, well-being, and my overall functioning. Within this support site, I have also signed up with one of their suggested self-guide tools called WellTrack which includes courses on improving my anxiety and depression. I also have a meeting with my academic advisor in early May to discuss any necessary adjustments to my accommodations.
I appreciate you taking the time to read over my letter and the attached documentation. Thank you for your consideration.


Sincerely,

Amanda Preston-Walker (She/Her)