Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Jenn Stephenson,

I am appealing to drop all of my courses in the fall 2021 semester (CISC 223, CISC 235, CISC 220). For the past year and a half I have been dealing with a marijuana addiction. It started off as a form of recreational indulgence but slowly turned into a form of stress relief from academic obligations and escapism from family issues. Up until September 2021 I was balancing both the addiction and my academic life somewhat successfully but it took a massive toll on my mental health. From the beginning of November 2021 up to the first week of December 2021 the drug completely took over my life and I was using it all day, everyday to escape the reality of my family issues. As such, over the past month I have completely neglected all academic responsibilities as well as various non-academic obligations in my life. I have stopped using the drug and have been sober since but I find that it is unrealistic to catch up with all the course material and complete the exams without failing the courses, this late in the semester. To make sure this does not happen again I have separated myself from the marijuana community here in Kingston as well as all those who consume the drug in my hometown and have joined an accountability group that I meet with weekly. I also plan to resolve my family issues when I go home for the winter break. As for managing academic stress, I have set up a daily regimen of physical exercise and meditation as well as adopting healthy sleeping habits. I would like to thank you for taking time to read this and am hopefully awaiting your consideration.

Mohammed Shikib Noori