Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern,

In the past month, I have become aware that my mom's cancer has come out of remission. The cancer has come back and she is now undergoing aggressive treatment. I have tried to keep up with my academic work, however, the stress and back and forth between Kingston and my hometown has made it hard for me to do so. Early on, I reached out to Student Wellness Services and have met with a counsellor in order to deal with my anxiety and stress levels. I have also reached out to other mental health professionals through EmpowerMe and my own family therapist. I am currently struggling to balance my school work, supporting my family, and supporting my own mental wellbeing. While I am aware that dropping one class will not resolve all my problems, I do believe that a reduced workload will help me succeed and manage the current classes I am taking. My academic work is something I pride myself in and work hard to excel in. However, my family at this time has to come first. ENGL215 is currently a class that is causing me a lot of stress and I have fallen behind on the heavy workload. It is not a required class for my program and therefore I have been prioritizing the classes that are important for my particular plan. I plan to make up this credit once the issues surrounding my family have calmed down and I am in a better headspace. I don't want this to begin affecting my other courses and would like to be as proactive as possible under these circumstances.

I would greatly appreciate assistance in dropping this course,

Michelle Rubach Flores