Petition Letter
Dr. Jenn Stephenson
Associate Dean (Academic)
Queen??s University
Dunning Hall, 94 University Ave
Kingston, ON, K7L 3N9
April 21st, 2022
Dr. Stephenson,
My name is Reece Whiteley-Hoffelner, and I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science (Honors) with a major in Life Science. I am appealing to late drop ASTR 101 (Fall, 2021), BIOL 350 (Fall, 2021) and PHGY 170 (Fall, 2021).
The extenuating circumstances that are the grounds for this appeal are that I was struggling with undiagnosed mental health issues for the duration of my undergrad, the most notable symptom being intense suicidal ideation, which culminated in an acute emotional breakdown late in the Fall semester of 2021. The effects of these circumstances on my academic performance were profound and extend throughout my career as an undergraduate. Although, this appeal only relates to the most recent Fall semester because I became truly unable to cope on my own. I no longer engaged with course content, no longer cared to submit work on time, if at all, and could not gather the will to study for finals while having to gather the will to simply live.
In response to this crisis, I reached out to Student Wellness Services and made an appointment with Sunday Kayaras, an intake and triage consultant at SWS, to discuss options. With her help, I was able to get accommodations in place and consult with a medical professional about pharmacological intervention. I received a prescription for anti-depressants in early January, however, was unsatisfied with the results. I underwent a psycho-educational assessment in late January, as with the lockdowns these services had longer than usual waiting times, receiving a diagnosis in mid-February of a mild form of ADHD as well as a moderate form of depression. The results were passed onto my family doctor, with whom I have been working to identify the correct medication for me. We have since landed on believed correct drug class and dosages, such that our next meeting will be in a couple of months to ensure continued efficacy and discuss longer-term side-effects. This treatment plan, coupled with ongoing support strategies, means I feel confident in my ability to return to full-time studies this Fall.
My appeal only extends to these three of five courses in which I was enrolled during the 2021 Fall semester because the other two had essay-based finals with long periods of time during which I was able to adequately complete the work. The courses I am appealing, however, had exam-based finals which proved much more difficult to prep for, as it requires far greater sustained attention, when compared to a paper I could work on a bit each day. I did my best in all my courses, unfortunately that was not enough for the three I am appealing.
Thank you for considering my request.
Kind regards,
Reece Whiteley-Hoffelner
Associate Dean (Academic)
Queen??s University
Dunning Hall, 94 University Ave
Kingston, ON, K7L 3N9
April 21st, 2022
Dr. Stephenson,
My name is Reece Whiteley-Hoffelner, and I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science (Honors) with a major in Life Science. I am appealing to late drop ASTR 101 (Fall, 2021), BIOL 350 (Fall, 2021) and PHGY 170 (Fall, 2021).
The extenuating circumstances that are the grounds for this appeal are that I was struggling with undiagnosed mental health issues for the duration of my undergrad, the most notable symptom being intense suicidal ideation, which culminated in an acute emotional breakdown late in the Fall semester of 2021. The effects of these circumstances on my academic performance were profound and extend throughout my career as an undergraduate. Although, this appeal only relates to the most recent Fall semester because I became truly unable to cope on my own. I no longer engaged with course content, no longer cared to submit work on time, if at all, and could not gather the will to study for finals while having to gather the will to simply live.
In response to this crisis, I reached out to Student Wellness Services and made an appointment with Sunday Kayaras, an intake and triage consultant at SWS, to discuss options. With her help, I was able to get accommodations in place and consult with a medical professional about pharmacological intervention. I received a prescription for anti-depressants in early January, however, was unsatisfied with the results. I underwent a psycho-educational assessment in late January, as with the lockdowns these services had longer than usual waiting times, receiving a diagnosis in mid-February of a mild form of ADHD as well as a moderate form of depression. The results were passed onto my family doctor, with whom I have been working to identify the correct medication for me. We have since landed on believed correct drug class and dosages, such that our next meeting will be in a couple of months to ensure continued efficacy and discuss longer-term side-effects. This treatment plan, coupled with ongoing support strategies, means I feel confident in my ability to return to full-time studies this Fall.
My appeal only extends to these three of five courses in which I was enrolled during the 2021 Fall semester because the other two had essay-based finals with long periods of time during which I was able to adequately complete the work. The courses I am appealing, however, had exam-based finals which proved much more difficult to prep for, as it requires far greater sustained attention, when compared to a paper I could work on a bit each day. I did my best in all my courses, unfortunately that was not enough for the three I am appealing.
Thank you for considering my request.
Kind regards,
Reece Whiteley-Hoffelner