Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Stephenson,

I am petitioning for late withdrawal from Film 218, Film 220, Film 335, and Film 340(Winter,2022).


Throughout the 2022 Winter semester, I struggled with time management and taking care of my health. I felt like I was an ostrich with its head in the sand, and shut down to manage the stress I created for myself by hiding away in my room. During this time I missed assignments and major exams in all of the courses that I wish to withdraw from. In 2020 I was diagnosed with ADHD and have struggled to learn techniques that help me work around the challenges in academia and living independently. Since then I have sought out various external aids to help improve my health and grades. I started treatment for my ADHD in 2020 starting with low doses of medication which only made things worse, disrupting my sleeping schedule and appetite. This worsened as the specialist I was seeing raised the dosage of my medication. I also worked with an ADHD coach who did not help me with my time management but was more focused on helping me take better care of myself. It didn't work out because of differing expectations of what we would be working on. All of these failed attempts to overcome my challenges with academia and mental health culminated in the 2022 winter semester. I had reached the lowest point, failing classes I had already failed once before and was required to withdraw from my studies.

My plan going forward is to raise my GPA above 1.6 so I can continue to work towards completing my studies without having to withdraw from my studies again. To accomplish this I've worked on improving various aspects of myself during my withdrawal from studies. I've developed my time management skills in a work environment, coordinating work schedules with various supervisors. I plan on utilizing all of the resources I can with a strict schedule that mirrors the work schedule I've developed over the past year. I've learned that sticking to this 8-4 structure has not only benefited my time management but my overall health.
I'm taking a summer class in academic writing to prepare for my studies in the fall, with the goal of gaining more confidence in my writing abilities so that I can properly organize my ideas in the courses I take. I am committed to completing my studies and working with the university in any way I can to make this possible.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Adam Collier