Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Whom It May Concern,

I am requesting to withdraw from my Fall 2023 semester courses, ANAT 100 and BCHM 102, due to exceptional circumstances.

In 2021, I started with Queen’s as a first year Life Sciences major. Currently, in January 2024, I am still in Life Sciences and taking first year courses due to ongoing struggles with my mental health conditions. I am diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Social Anxiety Disorder, and Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD). Since 2018 I have been hospitalized twice because of my mental health conditions.

In Fall 2023, and as the semester progressed, my mental health conditions deteriorated to the point that I could not continue to work in either ANAT 100 or BCHM 102. My anxiety was extremely heightened, I was having frequent panic attacks, I was depressed, was oversleeping, and was non-responsive to my accommodation advisor and my family about my courses and their status.

In addition, I found it extremely difficult to participate in any group work because of my GAD and Society Anxiety. I raised my difficultly doing the group work several times during the semester (and previous semesters) to course instructors/departments and the accommodation advisor. Clearly, I was asking for accommodation for participating in group work, but this was not addressed other than being told that I wouldn’t receive any marks if I didn’t participate in group work. There was no exploration about how I could participate in group work with modifications or accommodations.

The impact of being unsuccessful and continuing to take first year courses has been extremely difficult for me. It has exacerbated my mental health conditions, and I’ve experienced a lot of shame and embarrassment because I’m taking first year courses. I realize that I will have to take these courses again, which only adds to my anxiety, shame, and embarrassment. I live alone and the shame I feel has caused me to withdraw from my family or anyone who would be a friend. I’m so fearful of anyone finding out that I’m taking first year courses despite having been at Queen’s since 2021.

Living with mental illness is very difficult and learning how to manage it is something that takes a long time and is often a very rocky journey. For me, I will have to manage my mental health conditions for the rest of my life and I do not want them to be a barrier for what I want to accomplish. One thing that I want to accomplish is an undergraduate degree from Queen’s.

Since December 2023, I have informed my parents and my doctor that I am still taking first year courses. They were not previously aware of this. My mother, along with the other supports listed below, will be reviewing my course and assignments schedule with me on a weekly basis to ensure that I’m staying on top of my work and not waiting until later to raise difficulties that I may have.

My doctor increased my medication and provided documentation for my BCHM 102 exam to be deferred, although now I realize I should withdraw from the course. I have been seeing a psychologist, a mental health provider I previously have refused to or wanted to see. This has been helping me to work on coping abilities and managing my mental health conditions.

I have reached out to my accommodation advisor for new accommodations, such as how to participate in group work or other methods of confirming that work, which are now in my accommodation plan. In addition to changing my accommodation plan, she is also referring me to an Occupational Therapist (OT).

I have also booked a meeting with Student Academic Success Services (SASS) to work on my academic skills to be able to better manage when I am feeling overwhelmed. This is scheduled for January 17 (the earliest appointment I could get) and am on the wait list if an earlier appointment becomes available.

It has been another tough year for me, but I am very hopeful that with the new processes and additional supports in place (including my parents), I will have a successful semester and work towards graduating from Queen’s.

Thank you for your consideration,
Fiona Taylor