Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Jacenia Pahal
82 Division Street
Kingston, ON
K7L 3L9
Nov 6th, 2023
Petitions Committee
Faculty of Arts and Science
Queen’s University

SUBJECT: Withdrawal from a Course After the Deadline

Dear Members of the Petition Committee,

I am writing this letter in order to petition for an allowance on dropping the course, ANAT 215, taken during the 2023/2024 term after the drop deadline based on the receivement of major grades after the deadline and underlying mental health struggles faced.

The circumstances surrounding my petition are first around how the midterm practical exam marks for this class were realized after the deadline day, being October 31st as the midterm itself was held on the 28th of October. Hence, to give myself the benefit of the doubt, I wanted to see my mark back before making a serious decision about whether I should truly drop the class or not. The requirement for the class, ANAT 215, is one found among students wishing to pursue LISC-P-BSH [----]-O, something I truly was passionate about partaking in. However, following the grade I received I think for both my transcript and mental health’s best interest, it is better I take a DR than a failing grade. With that said, dropping this course will not truly change the course of my degree plans, as it would just bump me down to Life Sci major, rather than the specialization pathway. As well, I did speak with career advising, who said there are exceptions to being granted an extension with dropping courses if marks were not received beforehand, I do understand that may not be the same here, as it will be a week tomorrow. The second circumstance that is surrounding me submitting this petition, is the state of my mental health during the taking of this midterm and after. Going into this class, I was warned it was notoriously hard and that a lot of effort and time would have to be allotted to it, which I have been doing, however going into the week of the midterm I felt myself starting to get more anxious and mind-fogged. The severe distress I felt made it impossible for me to go forth and balance a sustainable lifestyle that didn’t have me crumbling under stress. However, with this said I have gone forth with finding ways to work through this struggle, being with weekly therapy- something that took a lot of strength and courage for me to come to terms with. The earliest appointment date I could get is for the 7th of November but I plan to maintain this into my daily schedule to help better manage my mental health.

Overall, I would greatly appreciate it if the Petitions Committee would allow me to drop from, Anat 215 rather than continuing to take it, and receive a failing grade, even though I have missed the deadline, as it would allow me to keep my options with possibly medical school and more competitive grad school options open. I do understand and am aware that at the end of the day, this is a great mistake on my behalf, however I can promise it will not be occurring again and that dropping the course will be the best case scenario for my overall health, I truly do believe.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my request and I hope to hear back soon.

Kind Regards,
Jacenia Pahal
20347832