Petition Letter
Dear board of studies,
I am writing this letter to ask for academic consideration to late-drop CLST 203 Myth and Religion of fall term 2021. In mid-March 2021, my doctor and I decided that I needed to try a new medication for my anxiety/depression. Unfortunately, it completely destroyed my immune system. I was only on that medication for a short time due to unforeseen consequences from the side effects of the medication. However, the symptoms my body was experiencing turned into a catalyst of horrible flu-like symptoms along with a foggy brain and an ample amount of dizzy-ness that lasted from the day I started taking it until the end of April. I was unable to concentrate, read, or even watch tv without experiencing extreme nausea and fatigue. Due to my inability to function normally, all schoolwork came to a halt. I had been to the hospital due to severe vomiting. I was in touch with medical specialists such as a gastroenterologist and psychiatrist, along with my primary care physician multiple times in an attempt to get my symptoms under control. Despite my efforts, my symptoms lasted for just shy of two months.
This was very hard on my body due to the long-lasting effects of the medication, and it has been even harder on my mental health due to the stress I felt due to my inability to complete schoolwork on a timely basis and then realizing it was already passed the March drop date, and I could not reduce my course load.
At the time I became ill I was taking 6 courses and doing quite well, unfortunately my grades slowly started to decline as I was unable to function normally for almost a full two months. Even though I was ill I successfully completed and passed 5 out of my 6 courses (two C+¿¿s and two A¿¿s ) Unfortunately, I ended up with a 49.25 in CLST 203, and my professor submitted my grade as 49. I reached out to my professor through email and asked him if there was anything I could do for an extra 1 he responded that the grades had already been submitted and there was nothing he could do.
Please consider these two notes from my primary care physician Dr. Saliba that I used to ask for extensions while I was ill. If you feel this note is not enough, I can contact my doctor again for a more detailed note. Last semester I also had to write a letter of accommodations for multiple varying reasons however none of them were related to what happened this semester, as what happened this semester was a complete fluke. The dean granted my appeal last semester and advised that I only take 5 courses in the fall semester, I decided I was mentally healthy enough to take 6 which was true until my doctor prescribed me the wrong medication. I hope this fact does not deter you from also granting this appeal, as I have been working very hard to graduate with a good GPA despite my many hardships over the 4 years I¿¿ve spent here at Queens. (I had a 3.2 before I failed CLST 203).
I was recently given a test through the psychiatrist that provides a report on what medications will work best for me, this should help in preventing adverse reactions to medications going forward.
Thank you in advance for your consideration. I appreciate the time to you are taking out of your day to review my appeal for late drop.
Carly Gagne
I am writing this letter to ask for academic consideration to late-drop CLST 203 Myth and Religion of fall term 2021. In mid-March 2021, my doctor and I decided that I needed to try a new medication for my anxiety/depression. Unfortunately, it completely destroyed my immune system. I was only on that medication for a short time due to unforeseen consequences from the side effects of the medication. However, the symptoms my body was experiencing turned into a catalyst of horrible flu-like symptoms along with a foggy brain and an ample amount of dizzy-ness that lasted from the day I started taking it until the end of April. I was unable to concentrate, read, or even watch tv without experiencing extreme nausea and fatigue. Due to my inability to function normally, all schoolwork came to a halt. I had been to the hospital due to severe vomiting. I was in touch with medical specialists such as a gastroenterologist and psychiatrist, along with my primary care physician multiple times in an attempt to get my symptoms under control. Despite my efforts, my symptoms lasted for just shy of two months.
This was very hard on my body due to the long-lasting effects of the medication, and it has been even harder on my mental health due to the stress I felt due to my inability to complete schoolwork on a timely basis and then realizing it was already passed the March drop date, and I could not reduce my course load.
At the time I became ill I was taking 6 courses and doing quite well, unfortunately my grades slowly started to decline as I was unable to function normally for almost a full two months. Even though I was ill I successfully completed and passed 5 out of my 6 courses (two C+¿¿s and two A¿¿s ) Unfortunately, I ended up with a 49.25 in CLST 203, and my professor submitted my grade as 49. I reached out to my professor through email and asked him if there was anything I could do for an extra 1 he responded that the grades had already been submitted and there was nothing he could do.
Please consider these two notes from my primary care physician Dr. Saliba that I used to ask for extensions while I was ill. If you feel this note is not enough, I can contact my doctor again for a more detailed note. Last semester I also had to write a letter of accommodations for multiple varying reasons however none of them were related to what happened this semester, as what happened this semester was a complete fluke. The dean granted my appeal last semester and advised that I only take 5 courses in the fall semester, I decided I was mentally healthy enough to take 6 which was true until my doctor prescribed me the wrong medication. I hope this fact does not deter you from also granting this appeal, as I have been working very hard to graduate with a good GPA despite my many hardships over the 4 years I¿¿ve spent here at Queens. (I had a 3.2 before I failed CLST 203).
I was recently given a test through the psychiatrist that provides a report on what medications will work best for me, this should help in preventing adverse reactions to medications going forward.
Thank you in advance for your consideration. I appreciate the time to you are taking out of your day to review my appeal for late drop.
Carly Gagne