Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dr. Jenn Stephenson
Associate Dean (Academic)
94 University Ave
Queen??s University
Kingston, ON, Canada
K7L 3N6

I am appealing to drop Math 121 (Summer, 2022) after the July 1st deadline.

I was unable to complete this course because of an extenuating circumstance. I have been dealing with mental health issues since the start of the pandemic. I??ve been struggling with stress and anxiety which has severely impacted my schoolwork due to my inability to focus and retain information. I also can??t eat before tests, often vomit due to the stress, feel a sense of panic and my mind goes blank when I look at the questions. I was hopeful that I would be able to work through my issues and take a summer course however, my mental health issues have continued to get worse throughout the summer. The fact that this course was online and moving at a fast pace (full year class in 12 weeks) made it very difficult to keep up. I was meeting with a tutor twice a week along with doing many hours per day of studying on my own in an attempt to succeed in the class but had a difficult time retaining the required material. I have talked with my family doctor (Dr. Kennesey- see attached letter) and he felt it would be better to drop the course and spend the rest of the summer focusing on mental health to prepare me for my Queen??s in-person classes in the fall. He suggested that I resume my therapy sessions with Dr. John Schinnerer (therapist - see attached letter) who I am meeting with weekly for the remainder of the summer and bi-weekly, virtually in the fall. It is my hope that with Dr. Schinnerer??s help, I will learn coping skills to deal with my anxiety and panic attacks to help me manage stress so that I can study and retain information during the rest of my Queen??s academic career.

The main reason that I didn??t drop the course earlier is because I was waiting for my midterm results which didn??t come until July 5 (just after the July 1 deadline). My midterm grade showed that I clearly do not have a grasp of the material. I will retake math 121 or 126 beginning in September 2022. I believe that I will be able to pass the course because I will be in a much better mental state of mind after working with my therapist along with having in-person classes which I have always found as a better way for me to learn. I will also get a calculus tutor and will only take 4 classes for the fall term.

Thank you for your consideration and understanding,

Ryan Colman
Student 20199623