Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Kalene MacLeod and I have spoken to an academic advisor who recommended that I appeal to have a course dropped from my transcript. The course is question is PHAR100 (Winter, 2014).

In the fall of 2013 I was diagnosed with severe major depression and anxiety and I was put on medication and began seeing a psychotherapist. This medication seemed to help me for a while but then things got worse in late winter/early spring of 2014. At this point I was struggling in many of my classes because my concentration and motivation was extremely affected. I was having difficulty even getting out of bed. By the time of exams, I felt that I was unable to handle the workload because my depression and anxiety was so extreme. I went to my doctor at Health, Counselling and Disability Services and received a Verification of Illness form in order to ask for a deferral of my PHAR100 exam. I spoke to professor Racz (of my PHAR100 course) and he agreed that I could defer my exam for up to one year. My intentions were to write the exam before that year was up.

Unfortunately, my mental health did not progress as I hoped it would and in June 2014, it became so bad that I was put on a 3-day hold at KGH in the psychiatric ward. After I was discharged, I recognized that I needed more help than just medication so I registered with Disability Services at Queen's and saw the psychiatrist at HCDS as well. I was given new medication, which seemed to help for a while but then just after Christmas 2014 I began to notice another decline in my mental health. It has gotten so bad again that I'm not sleeping, not eating properly, cannot concentrate, can barely get out of bed and have been having suicidal thoughts. I'm not able to keep up with my workload and I am extremely overwhelmed.

My mom became very concerned and took me to meet with my disability services advisor, academic advisor, doctor and psychiatrist in order to help me finish my final year of university successfully. Some of the strategies my team has come up with were: asking for extensions on assignments that I had due in my other classes as well as switching up my medication and continuing with therapy. One of the most important ones, however, is not writing the PHAR100 exam, so I am appealing to have it dropped from my transcript (which changed from a IN grade to an F back in August).

Thank you very much for your time.
Kalene MacLeod