Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

I am writing this letter to initiate an academic appeal with regards to my situation concerning extenuating circumstances beyond my control. I am petitioning to drop all my courses from the fall term of 2022 and to extend an incomplete grade for COGS 100; and avail a chance to do the exam for it at the end of this winter term. I also request that these unfortunate circumstances do not affect my scholarship, which is the arts and science admissions award for 60,000.

I have been experiencing symptoms of Inattentive ADHD subconsciously for as long as I can remember. Until this December, my symptoms did not put me in any significant disadvantage, because I was very capable academically even with a shorter attention span. Facing the reality of having ADHD and truly recognizing it as a part of me was avoidable until recently, when a larger attention span was needed to survive post-secondary academia.
Last semester I have been struggling to keep up with work due to the aforementioned condition which was undiagnosed at the time. This struggle eventually caused my mental state to collapse upon itself causing a depressive episode after the first few weeks of the semester, where I did not leave my bed for months unless it was for getting food. This episode lasted until the end of November.
In a desperate attempt to make sense of what I was experiencing I contacted my close friends for comfort. I then came to a realization that my suffering may be caused by an undiagnosed condition of ADHD.
I contacted a private clinic for an ADHD appointment, where a psychiatrist diagnosed me with ADHD. I then started getting treatment for my ADHD on December 1.

With all that considered, I have also attached a document containing important dates of my medication treatment for more concise progression of my treatment alongside the off-campus physician note.

I decided to set in motion this petition now and not immediately after my diagnosis because I was unsure about my future ability to continue my studies in university, and wanted to adjust to my medication and to other help resources before making such a decision.

After a few weeks of treatment and finding the right medication, I am confident in my ability to retain academic standards set by my scholarship and my own self. I believe with the support I now have from my peers, medication and most importantly my mental health professionals. I will be able to greatly surpass these standards.

As a student, I also understand and hold to a high standing the importance of future planning, so alongside my ongoing treatment I have attached a future academic plan document in regards to the courses in which I wish to take.

As an international student, I would like to conclude this letter by thanking you for this opportunity that has been presented to me by Queen??s University, which shows empathy towards people with unfortunate circumstances, as such opportunities are not available in every academic institution.

Yours Sincerely,
Arpit Burgess