Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean (Academic),

My name is Rachel Rusonik (20226842) and I am petitioning to drop ENGL 215 (Summer, 2023).

This is the only class that I currently am registered in for the summer term. After careful reflection and meetings with Queen’s Student Wellness Services, I have come to the conclusion that taking a break from my academic studies over the summer would be immensely beneficial for me.

I would like to emphasize that my request to drop this class is not related to my grades as I am currently maintaining a high mark. To summarize why I am asking for this request, during the Winter Term, I received temporary accommodations through QSAS due to various challenges that I was struggling with throughout the term. Firstly, my Father is presently undergoing cancer treatment, and at the beginning of the Winter Semester, I learned that he only had a 50% chance of surviving until next Christmas. Additionally, in February, I ended an abusive relationship, leaving me with significant emotional and psychological issues to address, including talks about the potential for a PTSD diagnosis. I had hoped that by the time summer, I would be in position to handle one course, however, I am still struggling through these difficulties and strongly believe that taking a break from academic stress before the Fall term would be highly beneficial for my well-being and academic journey. When the summer drop deadline rolled around, I was yet aware of how much these challenges would still affect me over the summer despite some reservations about continuing the class. Furthermore, since the summer began, I received news that my Father has no remaining white blood cells, and I unexpectedly tested positive for COVID. I have much anxiety surrounding this positive test given my father’s immunocompromised state, and my isolation will span much of the remaining summer term in addition to these other anxieties. All of what I am going through makes focusing on assignments very difficult at present.

I firmly believe that dropping this class will allow me to better prepare for the Fall Semester. If I continue to push myself academically without a break, I worry that I will burn out by September. In pursuit of that, I intend to continue my meetings with Queen’s Student Wellness Services to ensure I am completely prepared to resume my studies as usual in the Fall. I would like to spend more time with my Father this summer without having to worry about academic deadlines as during the year when I am at school that is much more difficult. I want to reiterate that this request is not driven by concerns about my grades but the desire to prioritize my well-being and the fear of pushing myself too hard in between years otherwise.

Thank you in advanced for your consideration.

All the best,
Rachel Rusonik