Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Stephenson,
My name is Elena Lawton and I am in my fourth year studying Political Science and Philosophy.
Enclosed please find the details of my petition requesting permission to drop four courses from the Fall 2022 semester;
POLS 382, POLS 384, PHIL 263 and PHIL 318.
In the Fall of 2022, my ability to complete my academic responsibilities was negatively impacted by extenuating
circumstances beyond my control, resulting in the four failed courses noted above.
On November 27 th 2022 I experienced an unexpected, and emotional, conflict/argument with my housemates which
subsequently took a debilitating toll on my mental health. As a result of this conflict, I was thrown into a spiral of intense
depression and anxiety. Disrupted sleep, deeply negative thoughts, along with an inability to concentrate and focus
made it extremely difficult to complete the remaining deliverables in my courses. In all 5 courses the amount of
outstanding work at the onset of this disruption accounted for between fifty and seventy-five percent of my final grades.
I removed myself from the house as soon as I could, but not before experiencing additional trauma. Living with the same
housemates in the days following the conflict was extremely taxing, with common spaces like the kitchen and bathroom
difficult to use. As a result, my diet and hygiene also suffered. Adding to my difficulties was the fact that even after I
departed the house, it was some time before I could completely extricate myself from my former housemates as it was
necessary to interact with them regarding subletting my room and eventually fully moving my belongings out.
Additionally, concerns about losing mutual friends and mourning the loss of my childhood best friend (who was one of
the 4 housemates involved in the conflict) further reinforced the many negative emotions I was experiencing.
While I had had adjustment issues in the Fall 2021 semester, this experience felt much more like a personal attack and
was consequently much more difficult to overcome.
Once I was able to return home to my parents, I visited my family doctor in mid-December 2022 and began what would
become a protracted healing journey, including seeking counselling, natural remedies and lifestyle modifications.
I received extensions on the deadlines for my outstanding work, however, it would be 8 weeks after my visit to my
doctor by the time my depression and anxiety abated enough for me to begin working again, at which point I was half
way across the world as one of the 2 Queens students selected for the Winter 2023 Bilateral Exchange at the University
of Sydney in Australia. Being in Australia with the huge physical separation from my trauma triggers was incredibly
beneficial to my healing. While in Sydney I was able to successfully complete the work in one of my courses, finishing
with a final grade of A-. Unfortunately, there just wasn’t enough time to complete the large volume of outstanding
assignments while simultaneously carrying a full course load and acclimatizing to a new school in a new country.
I returned to Kingston for the Fall 2023 semester and have been living in a new house far removed from my old house
and housemates as well as continuing to practice the skills and lifestyle changes which support my mental health.
These changes have resulted in a good semester with a balance of academics and extracurricular activities (including
securing competitive positions on the IPO and the AMS Judicial Committee). Two of the four failed courses were offered
this fall and I have completed both. I understand that my new grades will replace the fails on my transcript, however the
other 2 courses are not being offered this 2023/2024 academic year and it seems unlikely that they will be offered again
during my remaining time at Queens (which includes an additional semester necessitated by the 4 failures).
It has long been my goal to attend law school and undoubtedly these failures on my transcript have the potential to
erase that option. The 2022 results in the courses being petitioned are not reflective of my abilities and commitment to
my studies, rather they are atypical, and a direct result of circumstances which were outside my control. Had I not
experienced the extenuating circumstances I am confident that I would have completed these courses with grades more
typical of my abilities.

I have made good progress since my fall 2022 relapse, however, having experienced some occasional difficulties during
my semester back at Queens this fall, the next step in my healing plan will involve working with a Psychologist beginning
in the New Year with the goal of identifying and addressing gaps/barriers which could potentially lead to a future
relapse.
I have learned through a deeply painful experience that relapse is possible and I am committed and determined to
continue to safeguard my mental health, and maintain my recovery momentum as I work toward achieving my long
term academic goals.

Sincerely
Elena Lawton