Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Hello,

I hope this petition letter finds you in good health. I am writing to formally submit my petition to drop the BIOL102 course although I have missed the drop deadline for the Fall 2023 term. I am aware of the gravity of this request and would like to provide a clear and concise explanation of the extenuating circumstances that have significantly impacted my academic performance in this course.

The extenuating circumstances I am referring to involves several confounding factors that have negatively impacted my mental health and exasperated the symptoms of my diagnosed psychological disorder [borderline personality disorder], namely symptoms of depression . While I understand that the specific details may not be as crucial as the impact on my academic performance, I believe it is essential to convey a general understanding of the situation.

There have been several events that have unfolded since the beginning of the term, some still continuing as I write this letter. Before any of these things happened, I'd like to state that I stopped taking my prescribed medication (Sertraline, an SSRI used to treat my depression, anxiety, and BPD symptoms) because I thought that I was doing good enough that I didn't need them anymore. This has resulted in more frequent and intense thoughts related to depression and anxiety, which have since been worsened by the following situations. My younger brother had a psychotic break - likely caused by schizophrenia - and attempted to kill two people and is currently in jail is the primary factor that has contributed to my poor mental health and distraction. Unrelated to this, I moved to a new house in August, just before the beginning of this term, which unfortunately landed me in an abusive and toxic dynamic with a roommate - there are almost constant fights that never seem to end and seemingly have no solutions. Finally, and most recently, a client of mine who I deeply care for at the Integrated Care Hub (where I work during the summer, and very rarely during the school year) passed away after a drug poisoning. The compounding effects of these factors have taken a severe toll on my mental health, plunging me into a depressive state that at times hinders my ability to perform even the most basic self-care tasks, and has significantly impeded my capacity to succeed in my academic pursuits, particularly in BIOL102 because of its heavy materials. I have been experiencing extreme issues with sleep, being unable to fall asleep until very late into the night even when exhausted, likely because of my racing thoughts and anxieties. When I finally can fall asleep, I find myself sleeping for hours on end, even through countless alarms, averaging around 9.5 hours of sleep or more. This has, of course, made it extremely difficult to attend my lectures and labs.

While these are currently on-going issues, I have committed myself to making an appointment with my family doctor in hopes of getting a referral to a psychiatrist. I firmly believe that I should be medicated again, and that I should possibly see a therapist to work on coping mechanisms and resiliency. If Queens offers any resources that could be beneficial in my pursuit of treatment, I'd love to be pointed in this direction!

I would like to emphasize that I am fully committed to my academic pursuits and that my other courses are in good standing. When enrolling in BIOL102, I was prepared for a challenge, but was not aware of the challenges in my personal life that were to come. Dropping this course would allow me to stay in good academic standing, although it really hurts to have worked so hard to get where I am in the course and not succeed. But I'd much rather be given permission to drop it and have DR on my transcript than a failed course.

If there is any further information that is necessary, please reach out promptly. I have an exam scheduled at 9AM on Monday for this course and am unsure if I should attend or not.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Mack Leveque
20282286