Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean,
I am asking to drop winter term classes DRAM 241, DRAM 237, and CRWI 295. As a student with many different mental health conditions, I have always struggled academically and personally to keep up with all my commitments as well as staying mentally well. Unfortunately at this time I feel I am mentally fighting for my life and for that reason I cannot afford to overcommit myself and need to withdraw academically. This year my mental health conditions have been the worst they have ever been and I am fearful for my future every day. Unfortunately, I am just not getting any better at this time, and I need rest in my life. Things started getting really bad again at the end of September 2022, and finishing my fall term courses was extremely difficult. I have been on a relatively steady downward trajectory since then, and I am now unable to attend class, focus for more than a few minutes, or submit any assignments. I feel hopeless and depressed all the time, so I have no ability to self-motivate. I have been meeting with a therapist and occupational therapist and while it has helped in some ways, I am feeling very worried about the fact that I always have such a sense of hopelessness. I haven??t been able to attend class since late January or submit assignments since the beginning of the winter term. I need a leave of absence because no matter what I can??t force myself to be productive because all levels of my daily functioning are completely impaired. I did not drop before the deadline because at that time I was still hoping to finish the year. I am still hoping to complete my FREN 231 assignment needed in order to complete the course. I am not dropping my drama practicum because I have already completed it. Moving forward, I hope to return to classes in September after a summer of no academic commitments. I intend on taking an extra year to finish my bachelor of arts, so that I can take my time and not force myself to take too many courses in the summer.