Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Atkinson,

My name is Zoe Norman, student number 10101773. I am hoping to complete my online BSc in Life Sciences within the next three semesters.

I am writing this appeal to ask for a late withdrawal from all my 2019 Fall courses (CANC 380, DRAM 251, PSYC 370), all my 2019 Summer courses (CHEM 281, PHAR 270, PSYC 271), and possibly a failed course from 2019 Winter: PHGY 216.

I have struggled with mental illness for many years. I have been diagnosed with Persistent Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety, and Borderline Personality Disorder. I was finally enrolled in the therapy type recommended by my doctors ?? DBT in 2018, and was doing comparatively better as can be demonstrated by my grades in Fall 2018. However, part way through Winter 2019, I had a flare up of symptoms, was unable to continue working as well as doing school, and could no longer pay for the therapy I needed. Things went off the rails, and I finished that semester with a B (I honestly don??t know how I managed this), two D-?s, and an F. I barely scraped by and knew I likely could not continue with school.

I have a difficult relationship with my mother and prefer not to share with her the extent of my symptoms, but at this point she communicated to me that I could not continue to live in my family home if I was not either working or in school full time. I knew I could not work full time, and could not afford to live anywhere else, so decided to continue in school despite my symptoms. Obviously, based on how things went, that was not the best decision because I failed all of the courses I was enrolled in. However, it allowed me to maintain a stable living situation and was probably the best thing I could do at the time.

Since then, it has been 1.5 years and I have been able to make progress. I no longer meet the clinical requirements for a Borderline Personality Disorder diagnosis, something I am very proud of. I would appreciate the opportunity to remove the evidence of this rough period from my transcript. I know I am smart and capable. In high school, almost all of my 12 grade 12 credits were in the high 90s.

An immediate effect of removing these failures is that it would allow my GPA to qualify for OSAP so that I can pay for school and hopefully enroll again in the fall.

My plan going forward is to lean on the support offered by my therapists, doctors, friends, and family. I am currently enrolled in a 6 month therapy group designed to prepare participants for school and/or work. I will also be more up front with my professors and make use of resources Queen??s provides to ensure I am not getting overwhelmed.

If you need more information, please do not hesitate to contact me at 12zan@queensu.ca.

Thank you very much,

Zoe