Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whomever, it may concern,

I am a third-year concurrent education student in the political studies major. I have suffered from chronic generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder my whole life. I have been struggling with my mental health since early adolescence and have been working with therapists for many years. I take medication and make an effort each day to partake in the recommended activities that help improve mental health, for example, healthy food, exercise, getting lots of sleep, and fresh air.

This past term has been very difficult for me as I have now developed a bad habit of disordered eating. It has become very difficult to complete daily tasks as my body does not have enough energy to function, let alone complete schoolwork. My academics have always been my biggest priority, but I severely need time to focus on my health. This past term I have seen my grades fall significantly and it is because I am struggling with focusing, time management, and mental burnout, all related to my mental illness struggles. I have also been greatly affected by the medication I am taking for my mental health, such as fainting, zoning out for hours on end, and experiencing hours of nausea. Completing schoolwork becomes very difficult when I am experiencing these symptoms. I am working with my doctor to determine what medication is best for me, but at the present, schoolwork is difficult to complete when I am in this state.

Throughout the semester, I have been in contact with my professors to discuss accommodations for me as a student with QSAS, as well as my Teaching Assistants to answer questions related to course content and extensions. My professors have always been accommodating and understand that disability-related symptoms impair schoolwork, and are very understanding and adaptable. I have strong attendance and ask questions to the Teaching Assistants after class to clarify my understanding, however, my ability to participate in class and complete assignments and tests has been greatly impacted because of the state of my mental health. I cannot focus on tasks and need many breaks to be able to have the energy to complete assignments. I performed poorly on a test in the class and immediately made arrangements to meet with my TA to review the content so I could succeed on future assignments.

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted my ability to function academically. The uncertainty regarding all aspects of my life has been debilitating to my mental health and has caused great stress in my life affecting my academics. For example, my ability to focus on studying when there are large stresses about the health and safety of myself, my family, and those around me. I tested positive for COVID-19 during this semester, and I am still experiencing lingering brain fog and coughing from the illness. The sickness greatly affected my energy levels causing an inability to complete work. For example, my first assignment in the course affected my understanding of the rest of the term's content. If Aegrotat status is granted, I will be able to relieve some stress and focus on my health. The pandemic has taught me that health should always be one of my biggest priorities.

I am hoping to be a teacher and am greatly looking forward to Teachers College (my fifth year of concurrent education), and do not want to postpone or redo any of my arts and science courses, as this would postpone my fifth year of concurrent education. Aegrotat status for even one course would greatly alleviate stress and my workload and allow me to gain credit for this course so I do not fall behind in my journey to Teachers College because of my debilitating mental health issues. I have been a student with QSAS for a few months now and I greatly appreciate all they have done for me with accommodations. My QSAS Advisor is supportive of applying for this status to alleviate stress based on my current mental state. As well as I am appreciative of the support I have received from my professor and teaching assistant. I hope the faculty will be able to provide me with the same assistance and support as I work towards improving my health.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Claire Good


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SUBMITTED WHEN ASKED WHY SHE CAN'T COMPLETE THE COURSES OVDER THE SUMMER TERM:

In regard to why I cannot complete these courses in the summer:

Having chronic anxiety and depression means that I struggle looking forward to the future because life seems so grim. However, I am looking forward to the summer. I have been accepted into the Summer + program at the Bader International Study Centre in England, where I will complete more courses towards my degree. I am looking forward to this opportunity because it will be a ?reset?? for my mental health by being in a completely new environment. If I were to request an ?Incomplete?? in my courses, the weight of these courses would diminish my mental health by prolonging the courses that represent my mental struggles and would prevent me from moving forward mentally because these courses are looming over my head. As well as completing these courses would take away from time to focus on improving my mental health.

I will also be working a full-time summer job when I return home from England that will take up all my time and energy. I am working as a Day Camp Director, and as a future teacher, working with kids brings me joy and greatly improves my mental health. This job will help reset my mental wellbeing. It will be a job that takes up all of my energy and will not be a reset that it needs to be if there are courses that I have to complete during my rest hours. Having to complete these courses over many months will only be more detrimental to my academics and my mental wellbeing. Having these courses to complete, on top of my full-time job will only further negatively impact my mental wellbeing and not give me the opportunity to rest and reset my mental health so I can get to a better place for my courses in the Fall.

I have been in a very unstable mental state for many months now and need to focus on getting my health to a better place so I can have better outcomes in my courses in the Fall. To do this, I need to not overload myself and since I already have plans for the summer that I am looking forward to, having these courses to finish will only further my struggles and not allow me to get better. These courses represent a very negative and difficult time in my life and by prolonging them will only further be detrimental to my mental health. Being granted an Aegrotat status and being able to move forward will allow me time to better my health so I can be a better student next term, as well as allow me some time to manage my chronic anxiety and depression.

I have been greatly struggling these past few months with these courses and they have been causing me a great deal of stress. Appealing for this status is a last resort to pass my courses and move forward in my program without falling behind due to my mental health struggles. If the Associate Dean grants me Aegrotat status, it would be a great assistance to moving forward and getting back on my feet after a long and debilitating fight with my mental health.