Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: During the winter and fall semesters of 2022, my academic performance was hindered by a series of unfortunate events that greatly impacted my mental and physical health. I faced various psychological challenges that were beyond my control and affected me throughout the academic year. As a result, I am requesting credit standing for the following courses: ECON 222, ECON 250, ECON 310, and ECON 322.

One of the most significant challenges was losing most, if not all, of my friends in September 2021 due to miscommunications and accusations about my mental health. This left me feeling isolated and alone, leading to crippling anxiety and panic attacks. Although I have struggled with Generalized Anxiety Disorder in the past, this instance was much more severe. Despite these challenges, I persevered through the fall semester. However, my situation took a turn for the worse in January 2022 when my housemates forced me to leave my home without proper notice, exacerbating my anxiety and stress. As a result, I struggled to sleep and experienced test anxiety during midterms and final exams. Despite feeling prepared, I often blacked out and froze during exams, resulting in lower grades than expected. Consequently, I received a C in ECON 222 and a D in ECON 250.

On November 24th, 2022, I was involved in a car accident that resulted in a head injury and several contusions on my lower body. I have documentation to support this. The accident triggered PTSD-like symptoms and worsened my anxiety, as I had a fear of such situations. Unfortunately, the accident occurred just two weeks before the examination period, leaving me with insufficient time to fully recover. To make matters worse, I had three exams scheduled back-to-back, which added to my stress levels. Two of those exams were ECON 322 and ECON 310. Although I received a C+ in both courses, my grades in ECON 310 were much higher before the accident, and I had expected a much better result. As for ECON 322, my test anxiety transferred over during the midterm, resulting in a lower grade than expected. Although the requirement for a credit standing petition asks for grades below a C, a Queen's academic advisor encouraged me to appeal these grades nonetheless.

Due to these challenges, I sought out Queen's Wellness Services and attended various individual and group appointments. I am still working through these events and was granted academic accommodations through QSAS as a result.

Given these severe and stressful circumstances, I am petitioning for a credit standing as my extenuating circumstances significantly hindered my academic capabilities. I believe that my situation was beyond my control, and I hope that you will take this into consideration when reviewing my academic record.