Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Hello,

My name is Melissa Paschali. I am currently majoring in Psychology in my third year at Queen's University. I would like to be as transparent as possible, which is very difficult for me.

Unfortunately, a certain course required for a Psychology major has caused a significant plummet in my mental and physical health. This course is PSYC301 Advanced Statistical Inference.

I suffer from Severe Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Dissociation Disorder, severe anemia, and Osteomyelitis (a blood/bone disease). I am on multiple medications to try to calm my various illnesses.

This course has caused me unexplainable stress, anxiety, triggers to personal trauma, and detriments to my physical well-being. I am now, as a result of taking this course, struggling with insomnia, significantly reduced appetite and eating patterns, losing substantial weight, chronic migraines, nausea, external bruising, and chronic vomiting. I must note that having to stay in this course will cause me to continue spiralling in a harmful cycle. Even the single thought of it, or its assignments, or exams, brings me to chronic vomiting. This course alone has had me looking into dropping out of school altogether. On top of this, I am grieving the loss of a close friend who took their life this weekend due to their mental health. I am, all-in-all, in a truly rough place.

I have decided that I will be changing to a medial in Psychology and a medial in Gender Studies where I no longer need this course for my degree requirements and can pursue another path that I am wholeheartedly passionate about. I would really benefit from this approval, as I do not need PSYC301 for my degree, and it would hamper my GPA as a whole if it is to stay on my transcript.

I am writing this appeal to ask to drop PSYC301 without academic penalty. Since I have been struggling so rigorously, I was unable to gather myself in time to drop the course prior to November 1st. I am currently awaiting my documentation from my medical personnel. I will also attach screenshots of my emails with the PSYC301 professor and TA.

I am very thankful that this appeal is even an option. I hope you are able to understand how much I am struggling and grant me an approval. You would be taking away so much pain and suffering than you know.


With most sincerity,

Melissa Paschali
ID: 20148009 E: 18mep5@queensu.ca