Petition Letter
3.2.2.5- Appealing the One-Term Appeal Timeline
Dear Dr. Stephenson,
My name is Yekeen Abu-Shiraz and I am writing to you today as I wish to appeal to waive the one-term deadline, in order to request Credit Standing for Physiology 214 (Fall 2017-Winter 2018).
In September of 2017, I began to feel very uneasy with the idea of test taking. As the semester went on, I found myself experiencing panic attacks before, during and after exams. My panic attacks often consisted of an inability to breathe, the numbing of both my legs and hands, intense dizziness, sweating and an uncontrollable shaking. It got to the point, where even the idea of taking tests made me feel short of breath and gave me extreme nausea. To make matters worse, in January of 2018, I was involved in a car accident. I had been experiencing severe migraines for about a week and my friend offered to drive me to the doctor. On our way there, a man ran a red light and we ended up T-boning his vehicle. As stated in the attached police report, I was sitting in the passenger seat when this incident occurred. In addition to the police report, I have attached a Motor Vehicle Collision Report, which clearly outlines the drivers name as well as the date of the incident (January 30, 2018). After this accident, my fear of being hit by a vehicle intensified to the point where I got panic attacks just walking down the street. These panic attacks made it extremely difficult for me to attend class and found myself unable to focus during class time. Unfortunately, after speaking to a physician about my panic attacks and severe stress in the summer of 2018, I was led to believe that my feelings were just part of the university experience and that every student endured the same behaviours.
It was not until the summer of 2019 that I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder by my family doctor. I have attached a Physician¿¿s Note signed by Dr. Habashy as proof of my developing anxiety disorder. Due to the fact that I was unaware of my anxiety, I did not apply for an appeal during the one term deadline, as I did not believe I had grounds for exemption from the course. However, in light of recent events, I do not believe that the mark I received in PHGY 214 was a fair representation of my academic ability due to my deteriorating mental health. It is for this reason that I wish to seek an appeal past the appropriate deadline. Unfortunately, I was unable to apply for the appeal earlier as I was struggling to get my mental health under control. Furthermore, due to my initial misdiagnosis in 2018, I genuinely believed that I did not have a psychological condition. Once I finally understood my disorder, I began to realize just how much my anxiety hindered my ability to do well in the course and I therefore, immediately applied for an appeal. My anxiety has been an ongoing disorder that has affected me for almost two years, and it is a difficult disorder to diagnose. It is due to this ongoing extenuating circumstance that I was unable to apply sooner.
After being diagnosed with anxiety, I am taking the appropriate steps in order to ensure my future academic success. These steps include seeking counselling in order to figure out how to maintain a manageable schedule and stress-free lifestyle. In addition, upon my return to Queen¿¿s, I will be visiting the Student Wellness Center as well as using the other various mental health resources that Queens has to offer.
I greatly appreciate you taking the time to read this letter as well as the attached documentation and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best Regards,
Yekeen Abu-Shiraz
Dear Dr. Stephenson,
My name is Yekeen Abu-Shiraz and I am writing to you today as I wish to appeal to waive the one-term deadline, in order to request Credit Standing for Physiology 214 (Fall 2017-Winter 2018).
In September of 2017, I began to feel very uneasy with the idea of test taking. As the semester went on, I found myself experiencing panic attacks before, during and after exams. My panic attacks often consisted of an inability to breathe, the numbing of both my legs and hands, intense dizziness, sweating and an uncontrollable shaking. It got to the point, where even the idea of taking tests made me feel short of breath and gave me extreme nausea. To make matters worse, in January of 2018, I was involved in a car accident. I had been experiencing severe migraines for about a week and my friend offered to drive me to the doctor. On our way there, a man ran a red light and we ended up T-boning his vehicle. As stated in the attached police report, I was sitting in the passenger seat when this incident occurred. In addition to the police report, I have attached a Motor Vehicle Collision Report, which clearly outlines the drivers name as well as the date of the incident (January 30, 2018). After this accident, my fear of being hit by a vehicle intensified to the point where I got panic attacks just walking down the street. These panic attacks made it extremely difficult for me to attend class and found myself unable to focus during class time. Unfortunately, after speaking to a physician about my panic attacks and severe stress in the summer of 2018, I was led to believe that my feelings were just part of the university experience and that every student endured the same behaviours.
It was not until the summer of 2019 that I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder by my family doctor. I have attached a Physician¿¿s Note signed by Dr. Habashy as proof of my developing anxiety disorder. Due to the fact that I was unaware of my anxiety, I did not apply for an appeal during the one term deadline, as I did not believe I had grounds for exemption from the course. However, in light of recent events, I do not believe that the mark I received in PHGY 214 was a fair representation of my academic ability due to my deteriorating mental health. It is for this reason that I wish to seek an appeal past the appropriate deadline. Unfortunately, I was unable to apply for the appeal earlier as I was struggling to get my mental health under control. Furthermore, due to my initial misdiagnosis in 2018, I genuinely believed that I did not have a psychological condition. Once I finally understood my disorder, I began to realize just how much my anxiety hindered my ability to do well in the course and I therefore, immediately applied for an appeal. My anxiety has been an ongoing disorder that has affected me for almost two years, and it is a difficult disorder to diagnose. It is due to this ongoing extenuating circumstance that I was unable to apply sooner.
After being diagnosed with anxiety, I am taking the appropriate steps in order to ensure my future academic success. These steps include seeking counselling in order to figure out how to maintain a manageable schedule and stress-free lifestyle. In addition, upon my return to Queen¿¿s, I will be visiting the Student Wellness Center as well as using the other various mental health resources that Queens has to offer.
I greatly appreciate you taking the time to read this letter as well as the attached documentation and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best Regards,
Yekeen Abu-Shiraz