Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Academic),

I am appealing to late drop PSYC 236 (Winter 2021) and PSYC 251 (Winter 2021).
This term my mental health made it very difficult to complete any academic work. The severity of my symptoms even made it difficult for me to meet my basic needs (i.e., sleep, eating meals, etc.), see friends and engage in leisure activities, and communicate with instructors as well as health care providers. Even writing this letter was a very difficult process, due to the severity of my symptoms.
I obtained an assessment from Dr. Erika Hilderley in December 2020 and January 2021. Prior to learning the outcome of this assessment, a lot of things were difficult and I didn¿¿t know why. The assessment was helpful to clarify things, and I continued to see Dr. Batmazian for further assessment and to implement treatment recommendations. I have also been meeting with a counsellor weekly since September 2020.
The reason why I didn¿¿t drop the courses prior to the drop deadline was that I had been experiencing these symptoms for a long time, and I thought I could catch up in my classes. Also, I had obtained the assessment from Dr. Hilderley and I thought I would be okay to continue in my classes with the treatment recommendations being implemented. I really didn¿¿t want to drop classes again this term (as I had dropped my courses in Fall 2020). Unexpectedly, my symptoms worsened over the course of the term, which resulted in falling behind in my classes. I found it very difficult to talk to anyone about it. I often feel badly when I email instructors for support or accommodations, but I was able to connect with my instructors to request extended deadlines, and thought I could meet these commitments and then it reached a point where I just couldn¿¿t do it anymore due to the severity of my symptoms. I really want to do well and I enjoy my program and what I am doing. I didn¿¿t just give up, but the severity of my symptoms made it impossible to do any work.
My plan moving forward includes continuing to see my community therapist and Dr. Batmazian for ongoing appointments. I have also recently connected with an occupational therapist and was seen by a psychiatrist on April 26th for further assessment, due to the fact that my symptoms have worsened. I am planning to enrol in a reduced course load moving forward, and I will continue to register with Accessibility Services each year. With all of these resources in place, I hope to return to academics with a stronger support network and plan for my health and academics, so that I can be successful in my future classes.

Thank you,

Ashleigh Dahl