Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Jenn Stephenson, Associate Dean (Academic)

Queen's University Academic Appeal Office

I am petitioning to change my grades in PHGY 215 and STAT 263 from the Fall 2020 term to credit standing, as a result of poor mental health due to extenuating circumstances.

I would first like to acknowledge that the reason I am submitting this request so long after the Fall 2020 term is that until I recently met with an academic advisor, I did not know this option was available to me. During the Fall 2020 semester, I was experiencing acute mental health issues, due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as family issues.

Initially my mental health worsened during the summer of 2020, when I was taking BCHM 216. Due to my extenuating circumstances at that time, I was able to have that course retroactively dropped. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, these issues continued throughout the fall semester and severely impacted my motivation and ability to focus on schoolwork, particularly towards the end of the semester (end of October - mid December). My mental health had deteriorated to such a point that no matter how much I wanted to do well, I could not focus and memorize the content properly before a test or exam. Although I had the choice to drop PHGY 215 and STAT 263 during the semester, I was so preoccupied with repetitive, obsessive thoughts that I didn't realize I was doing so poorly in those courses until it was too late. While I thought I was spending equal time and energy on each course, my judgement and time management skills were negatively impacted by my poor mental health, resulting in especially low grades in these two courses. I took many steps to deal with my mental health issues throughout that semester, including regularly seeing a counsellor through Queen's Student Wellness, and seeing a psychiatrist to discuss the possibility of medication and other methods of treatment (a medication was prescribed during the start of the winter semester and was very helpful in getting me back on track). I also ensured that I was exercising regularly and making time for hobbies I enjoyed, but my family's situation coupled with the isolation caused by COVID-19 made these steps unsuccessful in improving my mental health. By the start of the following academic year, I was doing much better. I have not earned any grade below a B before or after the 2020-2021 academic year, as evidenced by my transcript. Overall, the grades I received in the Fall 2020 semester in PHGY 215 and STAT 263 are not representative of my proven abilities, they were instead the result of poor mental health due to a temporary circumstance.

Thank you so much for considering my petition, I really appreciate your time and attention in this matter.

Sincerely,

Talia Ponesse

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