Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean of Arts & Science,

I am petitioning for a late drop of my MATH 112 course taught by Dr. Ernest Kani for which I received an F, as well as receiving credit standing for my STAT 263 course taught by Dr. Charles Molson and MATH 121 by Dr. Ping Li for both which I received a D- in as I have been experiencing mental health challenges during the entirety of the Winter Term.

I suffer from major depressive disorder, and had entered a particularly bad depressive episode at the time.This was exacerbated as I did not have the proper treatment options due to the distance from my doctors in Milton, and it took a while to get access to them. I also did not know that I qualified for academic accommodations via VENTUS, so I was going through the Winter Term without much help. I also had several health crises where I had to go to the hospital/doctor and have been documented in my academic considerations requests. As a result I have grades which do not reflect my academic ability and instead reflect the results of my mental illness. In the case of MATH 121 I had also transferred in late after dropping down from MATH 120, so that was also a factor in my poor performance.

Due to my depression, I was not able to keep up with the more rigorous coursework of MATH 112, STAT 263 and MATH 121 and I had fallen significantly behind. I had previously dropped CISC 102 as I had already fallen behind but I falsely assumed I would be able to keep up with the other courses I had, and did not realize the extent of my mental health??s deterioration until it was too late to drop more courses. Furthermore, for MATH 112 I had to miss the midterm due to a stomach flu, which made my exam worth about 75% and caused great anxiety for me, causing me to almost altogether abandon the course for the sake of my mental well-being. I was in great distress throughout the entire term without a proper support system.

However, I have finally been able to access mental health care and I??m undergoing treatment under Dr. Hugo Stevenson and Sohalia Raaes. I plan to repair my GPA and fulfill my degree requirements over the summer as I am instead taking CISC 102 and FRST 105. I have an approved AP transfer credit for 6 units of HIST 1XX so I will not be missing too many units I usually would for dropping a course for overall degree completion, and will still be able to go into second year. I plan to apply for accommodation with VENTUS now that I know I qualify, and also potentially take a reduced course load of 4 courses per semester. I can say with full confidence that I now have a functioning support system and resources to help me, so I can build my mental fortitude back up and return to functioning at the high-academic level I have before and is required of a Queen??s student.

I truly regret not seeking help earlier as this mental health episode has negatively impacted my GPA greatly and it is truly not reflective of my academic abilities and commitment to Queen??s and my current degree plan. Granting this petition would allow me to move on from this dark period and repair the damage it has done to my GPA and continue to pursue Computing and my goals of studying Computer Science at the graduate level.

The supporting documentation I am providing was meant to be submitted at an earlier date but took longer due to some administrative things, and as such mostly focuses on recommending an increased course-load; however it is also a testament to the severity of the mental health crisis I was experiencing over the Winter Term.

This letter serves as my formal petition for a late drop from MATH 112, credit standing for MATH 121 and STAT 263 and my explanation of the circumstances. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Sree Bandi