Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Letter: Dear Members of the Board of Studies and Associate Dean,

The circumstances of my initial appeal involved a sudden cancellation of the appointment by my psychiatrist on December 21st, the last day of Fall term. The cancellation email which I received at 8am on the day of appointment is provided as document to prove the situation is out of my control. This prompted me to seek assistance from a social worker at Student Wellness to get the documentation for First level Appeal in order to meet the deadline (December 31st). The social worker, whom I had never met before, provided documentation based on my past visits at Student Wellness. However, due to her unfamiliarity with me, the documentation lacks details and information regarding the impacts of my depression and anxiety on my Math121 course and my performance on exams.

In my Second Level Appeal, I aim to provide new and relevant documentation addressing the specific circumstances that influenced my MATH121 course and exams performance. However, since the time constraint to submit the Second Level Appeal is only 10 business days, and considering the availability of my mental health professional, I kindly request your understanding in waiting until February 10th for the submission of all the updated and comprehensive documentations. The earliest availability of my psychiatrist is on February 8th.

Initially, the final exams of Fall 2022(including MATH121) were usually taken in gyms or halls that held about 200-300 people, and the exposure to crowded places intensified my anxiety disorder. These exams took place before I registered and receiving support with QSAS, which allowed me to take exam in a smaller room.

In addition to my usual symptoms of depression and anxiety, such as difficulty in concentrating, memorizing, and comprehension, the increase of anxiety and depression caused me to exhibit physical symptoms of trembling on right hand and eating disorders, such as vomiting during exam period and near assignment deadlines. At the end of April 2023, I was referred to psychiatrist and there wasn't any effective way to relieve my symptoms before that.

As stated in the previous appeal letter, my situation has stabilized in September 2023. I started seeing an occupational therapist with a focus on time management, academic organization. I reduced my course load and learned useful skills in allocating works into staggered time periods to reduce the stress of approaching deadlines and exams. I will continue to meet with my psychiatrist and occupational therapist in Student Wellness, maintain the course load of 3-4 courses per semester and participate social activities to help maintain a positive state of mind.

I kindly request your patience and withhold the decision on my Second Level Appeal until I submit new supporting documents from my psychiatrist after February 8th. I also kindly request your understanding regarding the problem of my initial document in the First Level Appeal.