Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean,

My name is Angela Blakslee, and I am petitioning the Faculty’s decision to late drop 4 courses from my transcript; MOHK 101, DRAM 100, FILM 110, and SOCY 122. These courses began in the Fall semester of the 2022-2023 school year.
In September 2022, while in my room at Waldron Tower, I witnessed an individual jump out of a window from a building across the road and kill himself. It is difficult to describe the impact that this had on my mental health. This incident was extremely traumatic, between calling 911 and speaking to the police and campus security, to seeing people power wash the spot where he landed later that night.
My family lives 15 minutes from campus, so I moved back home just hours after this happened. I had hoped to heal quickly and return to school within a few weeks, but this idea was made without any knowledge of the impact this left on me.
For the first two weeks, my mother didn’t leave me alone for any longer than 10 minutes. For the next several weeks, I had extreme nightmares and mood swings. I had to sleep with the light on and always kept the door open when I showered. I had panic attacks, flashbacks, and meltdowns that led to sleeping for 12 hours afterwards. My mother reached out to Student Wellness Services and I was immediately connected to a counsellor. I was put on anti-anxiety/depression medication and had to attend therapy regularly. My family doctor checked in as much as possible, and explored many rehabilitation paths with us. My family and friends were extremely concerned about me, and I was too. I never thought I could recover from seeing someone take their own life.
Deciding to withdraw from my studies to combat the mental health issues that arose following this was a decision that was necessary, but difficult.
I didn’t have the mental ability to learn a new language (MOHK 101), create a collaborative performance (DRAM 100), dissect media (FILM 110), or thoughtfully explore human behaviour (SOCY 122) during this period of my life.
I physically could not meet the requirements of these courses and dedicate both the reflection and time they all require. I experienced side effects from my medication that included drowsiness in the day, insomnia at night, nighterrors, and headaches. My attention span was very slow and concentrating became difficult.
In September 2023, I restarted my studies as a full time student. I am taking 2 of the same courses I did last year, and I am truly enjoying it. I am still in therapy, and I am still taking medication, but I am working towards restoring myself. The time I took to heal will never be taken for granted. I ask that you consider dropping these courses from my transcript, so I can continue my academic career anew. I don’t want this period of my life to weigh me down any more than it has. Having these labelled as dropped would promise a brighter future at Queen’s that I’m striving to have.

Thank you,
Angela Blakslee