Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Letter: Dear Board of Studies,

I am appealing the Associate Dean??s decision to deny my appeal to waive the Requirement to Withdraw for a minimum of one year. In my last letter, I stated that I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder due to an abusive relationship. This was my main struggle which made it difficult to keep up with my studies. In my original appeal documentation, it only said that I was diagnosed with BPD, but it was not descriptive enough. At the beginning of the new year, I was in a highly toxic relationship that caused detrimental effects. It was hard to manage studies or even find any passion to study while you always lived in fear and paranoia. It was difficult to sleep because I had nightmares and my eating habits were also bad. During this time, classes were also online which was another hurdle to tackle when you are stuck in a toxic situation. I also live in Canada alone as the rest of my family lives in Pakistan and my family also disobeyed the relationship which did not make things easier. I really had no support system. I was also influenced into drinking alcohol a lot which really took a toll on my anxiety. This went on until March when I finally left the relationship. After leaving the relationship I still had a lot of traumas which caused me to keep myself locked up in my room and contemplate my life. It was so hard to find the passion to study or even show my face when I did not even want to be present in the world. As I stated before I was diagnosed with BPD, this was during February. I was still in a bad place, so I did not take the necessary steps needed to cope with BPD. In my culture, my family does not really believe in therapy, and I was not working at the time so I could not afford it. Now, I am getting the help I need to co-exist with BPD and I am also taking medication to help deal with it. As I stated before, I have left the abusive relationship and moved on. This summer I asked my HIST 109 Professor, Dr. Gruskin, if I could give an Incomplete grade. She approved of this, and I sent all the work I missed in. My grade is now a C- instead of an F. I am also taking two summer courses, HIST 200 and HIST 260, which I am doing very well in, and I am always completing my work. I have also found personal outlets to help me move forward, I started doing art and designed my own brand this summer in Pakistan. In the first appeal, I was not able to provide a more descriptive doctor's letter as I was away in Pakistan and was not able to get into contact with him. So hopefully this letter helps. In the coming school year, I am working as a Front Desk Rep and saved enough money to continue therapy. This coming semester I really plan to only focus on classes and my career. I am truly passionate about history, and I am determined to get my GPA higher by the end of the summer. I can assure you that I will be able to continue studying this fall. This summer has helped me reflect on what is important and I hope you can believe that I am a strong, good student who just faced a few bumps on the road. Thank you for your time.

Regards,

Zahra Adil Matcheswalla

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