Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Jenn Stephenson,

I am requesting to drop my Fall 2021 courses without academic penalty, even though I am aware the deadline has passed. My Fall 2021 courses included PROF 110, GNDS120, LLCU101, GEOL104, ENGL100, and PSYC101.

I am a first-year student in the Concurrent Education Program. I graduated from high school in the spring of 2021, and the Fall 2021 semester was the first semester of my first year at Queen??s University. My adjustment to university life was difficult because I was not accustomed to the new environment of living away from home on my own, and the new routines, expectations, and support styles. I struggled to improve and regulate my mental state because of a lack of consistent health supports for my recently diagnosed ADHD (diagnosed August 2021) and several other disorders (Borderline Personality Disorder, Persistent Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Social Anxiety Disorder) affecting my mental health (diagnosed May 2020). As well as undergoing several changes to the medication prescribed by my psychiatrist, I suffered the loss of significant supports, such as group and individual therapy that I previously regularly had (March 2021 to September 2021), in the Fall 2021 semester.
From mid-October to mid-November of 2021, I suffered a serious mental breakdown that resulted in me not being able to function normally. This period was caused by a gradual and consistent accumulation of struggles that started at the beginning of the Fall 2021 semester. This period critically affected my school performance because it included midterm assessments.
My Fall 2021 mental breakdown consumed all of my time and energy, which made it impossible to continue my studies at that time. The severe effects of my breakdown on my school life included an inability to regularly attend lectures, tutorials, and labs, as well as an inability to continue previous assessments and start new ones. The severe effects on my personal life included a total loss of motivation which affected my sleep, communication skills, appetite, and mood.
I did not drop these courses earlier or plan for an academic leave of absence because the most intense period occurred after the drop deadline. Prior to the Thanksgiving reading week, I was unaware of how unexpectedly and quickly the severity of the situation would increase.
I have always sought help and support when I am struggling and continued to do so during the Fall 2021 semester and up to even the present time. The supports I have accessed and continue to access at Queen??s University included: my course coordinators and TAs, QSAS advisor Angel Varrette, Start-Up advisor Gail Eaton-Smith, Student Wellness Services mental health counselor Sevda Akilli, Arts/Science academic advisor Kathryn Vilela, Arts/Science academic advisor Pamela Briand, Education academic advisor Holly Robinson, Practicum director Stephanie Barnaby, SASS writing consultant Andrew, SASS peer writing assistant Mikayla, SASS academic skills advisor Lindsay Heggie, SASS academic skills advisor Johanna Amos, and PASS advisor Sam. The supports I have accessed and continue to access outside of Queen??s University included Dr. Zsuzsanna Gabor, my family doctor; Dr. Karin Jablonowski, my psychiatrist; Ryan Walton, my former therapist; as well as family and friends.
Although I am currently registered for accommodations under QSAS, I was not connected with Angel Varrette until ten weeks into the start of the Fall 2021 semester due to her availability. At that time, the most intense part of my extenuating circumstance had passed, and the interim accommodations were unable to cover the extent of my symptoms. I did not connect with Angel prior to that week because the severity of my symptoms made it difficult to function at all, let alone access resources and form an initial connection.
My mental health struggles are still ongoing, and I am still in the process of resolving them. I continue to access supports and seek assistance in my school-related and personal life.
I have contacted my academic advisors to help me work out my academic plan. I am enrolled in courses for the Summer 2022 term and will continue work towards earning credits towards my degrees. I plan to continue earning credits with a reduced course load, and I am prepared to take longer than the predicted five years to complete my program. To ensure that I will be better prepared for this type of extenuating circumstance in future semesters, I am continuing to seek medical care and develop skills to combat my symptoms and strengthen my resilience. These skills are centered around a combination of medication, therapy, and healthy living habits that work for me.
I would appreciate your help to drop my Fall 2021 courses without academic penalty. This will give me a fresh start and I will continue to earn credits with a reduced course load and increased connection to my support system will support my academic goals by ensuring that I am better prepared to adjust to difficulties as they come my way.
Thank you for your consideration,
Hannah Westrik
First-year Concurrent Education Student
Student : 20292056