Petition Letter
April 22, 2021
Dear Associate Dean,
I am writing this appeal letter requesting to drop PHIL 250 (Fall 2020/Winter2021). I am submitting this appeal due to the fact that I missed the drop deadline and I am currently failing this course. Due to this fact I am in dire need to drop it in order to have a passable GPA this year. Despite my shortcomings in this class I am doing my best to secure better grades in my remaining three course and I will be speaking to an academic advisor about my options to better succeed in school and about changing my major to something more suited to me such as classics as philosophy has proved to be a very difficult major that is not suited to me.
The extenuating circumstances affecting my academic performance in this course are directly linked to the current state of my mental health. My decline in mental health began in early October when I started suffering from some mild depression and anxiety (in addition to my already struggling with my ADHD, for which I have academic accommodations. The depression and anxiety escalated over the course of the last two months leading me to feel more depressed, with increased anxiety and an inability to complete my coursework. This then developed into numerous panic attacks throughout the month of November. Since then my depression and anxiety have gotten worse and I've been suffering from more severe and frequent panic attacks. I have now been prescribed medication in the form of lorazepam to deal with my anxiety and panic attacks.
In addition to rapidly deteriorating mental health I have also been having difficulty coping with the stress of COVID-19, which has made it more difficult for me to focus on the demands of school and the completion of course work. I have trouble focusing when there are not scheduled class times, when campus resources are not open and more available, and there are continued restrictions on daily life associated with COVID, which problems have now been continuing and escalating since March of 2019. In addition, my father is suffering from some serious health issues which started early in the fall which have continued throughout this school year. The issues my father has been dealing with have put a strain on home life for my family as well as my relationship with the rest of my family, this has only added to the already stressful environment of school and covid. All these factors combined have led to serious deteriorations in my mental state and have caused life to be very difficult for me the last couple months.
I have been talking to my doctor who prescribed me the medication and I have talked to mental health support lines and I am also in the process of getting set up with a psychologist who will help me to improve my mental health be it through therapy, strategies or possibly more medication.
Sincerely, Christian Sos
Copied below is the letter from my Mother which the appeal process online would not let me submit as extra documentation as it would not recognize the file, so below this sentence is some of my supporting documentation.
April 22, 2021
To the Associate Dean:
I Christian Sos¿¿ mother, Victoria Coombs, and am writing this letter in support of the appeal he is filing today, April 9, 2021 to drop his PHIL250 course.
My son has continued to suffer from anxiety, depression and panic attacks which began in October of 2020 and have continued to disrupt his studies through the Winter semester. While he has managed to continue with school, the continued state of his mental health has impeded his ability to focus and complete his coursework consistently.
As advised previously, my son also struggles with ADHD (for which he has an accommodation recorded with the university), and this combined with the continued COVID lockdowns and virtual school situation, together with the depression, anxiety and panic attacks have exacerbated these issues. Finally, he has been struggling with issues which have persisted within the family, in particular some health mental health issues with my husband and resulting family stressors. With all that has been happening in the family, Christian has struggled this term with seeking assistance from us and from further reducing his course load sooner.
Christian is in the care of his family physician and we are also seeking other support in terms of medication and counselling to assist with this situation.
We agree that the best course to allow him to continue in his studies is to drop this course. He is planning to take two additional courses in the summer to make up for part of this year, and will have family support to complete these when he returns home after final exams this month. We will continue to work with his doctor to support him, and assist in him making up some courses this summer and returning to his studies in the Fall with greater success.
I can be reached by email at vwcoombs@gmail.com, and by phone at 416-346-1731.
Sincerely,
Victoria Coombs
Dear Associate Dean,
I am writing this appeal letter requesting to drop PHIL 250 (Fall 2020/Winter2021). I am submitting this appeal due to the fact that I missed the drop deadline and I am currently failing this course. Due to this fact I am in dire need to drop it in order to have a passable GPA this year. Despite my shortcomings in this class I am doing my best to secure better grades in my remaining three course and I will be speaking to an academic advisor about my options to better succeed in school and about changing my major to something more suited to me such as classics as philosophy has proved to be a very difficult major that is not suited to me.
The extenuating circumstances affecting my academic performance in this course are directly linked to the current state of my mental health. My decline in mental health began in early October when I started suffering from some mild depression and anxiety (in addition to my already struggling with my ADHD, for which I have academic accommodations. The depression and anxiety escalated over the course of the last two months leading me to feel more depressed, with increased anxiety and an inability to complete my coursework. This then developed into numerous panic attacks throughout the month of November. Since then my depression and anxiety have gotten worse and I've been suffering from more severe and frequent panic attacks. I have now been prescribed medication in the form of lorazepam to deal with my anxiety and panic attacks.
In addition to rapidly deteriorating mental health I have also been having difficulty coping with the stress of COVID-19, which has made it more difficult for me to focus on the demands of school and the completion of course work. I have trouble focusing when there are not scheduled class times, when campus resources are not open and more available, and there are continued restrictions on daily life associated with COVID, which problems have now been continuing and escalating since March of 2019. In addition, my father is suffering from some serious health issues which started early in the fall which have continued throughout this school year. The issues my father has been dealing with have put a strain on home life for my family as well as my relationship with the rest of my family, this has only added to the already stressful environment of school and covid. All these factors combined have led to serious deteriorations in my mental state and have caused life to be very difficult for me the last couple months.
I have been talking to my doctor who prescribed me the medication and I have talked to mental health support lines and I am also in the process of getting set up with a psychologist who will help me to improve my mental health be it through therapy, strategies or possibly more medication.
Sincerely, Christian Sos
Copied below is the letter from my Mother which the appeal process online would not let me submit as extra documentation as it would not recognize the file, so below this sentence is some of my supporting documentation.
April 22, 2021
To the Associate Dean:
I Christian Sos¿¿ mother, Victoria Coombs, and am writing this letter in support of the appeal he is filing today, April 9, 2021 to drop his PHIL250 course.
My son has continued to suffer from anxiety, depression and panic attacks which began in October of 2020 and have continued to disrupt his studies through the Winter semester. While he has managed to continue with school, the continued state of his mental health has impeded his ability to focus and complete his coursework consistently.
As advised previously, my son also struggles with ADHD (for which he has an accommodation recorded with the university), and this combined with the continued COVID lockdowns and virtual school situation, together with the depression, anxiety and panic attacks have exacerbated these issues. Finally, he has been struggling with issues which have persisted within the family, in particular some health mental health issues with my husband and resulting family stressors. With all that has been happening in the family, Christian has struggled this term with seeking assistance from us and from further reducing his course load sooner.
Christian is in the care of his family physician and we are also seeking other support in terms of medication and counselling to assist with this situation.
We agree that the best course to allow him to continue in his studies is to drop this course. He is planning to take two additional courses in the summer to make up for part of this year, and will have family support to complete these when he returns home after final exams this month. We will continue to work with his doctor to support him, and assist in him making up some courses this summer and returning to his studies in the Fall with greater success.
I can be reached by email at vwcoombs@gmail.com, and by phone at 416-346-1731.
Sincerely,
Victoria Coombs