Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Subject: Academic Petition to Drop SOCY 336, The Sociology of Work and Technology - Winter 2023

January 12th, 2023

Dear Dr. Jenn Stephenson,

I am writing to submit an academic petition to drop the course SOCY 336, The Sociology of Work and Technology for the Winter 2023 semester, taught by Professor Martin Hand. This petition is necessitated by extenuating mental health circumstances during the Winter 2023 semester for which I received support and accommodations for through Arts & Science Considerations.

My mental health took a drastic hit in the Fall of 2022 after the passing of a close friend, for which I reached out to the ASC to request an academic consideration for a few of my classes. While I did struggle staying on top of my coursework, my academic considerations helped me get through the semester and pass all of my courses. In following semester (Winter 2023) my mental health progressively deteriorated as I struggled to overcome the root issues that had caused my mental health struggles in the first place. My mental health condition had a profound effect on my ability to attend classes, submit assignments on time, and fully engage with the course material in many of my classes. While I struggled in a few of my courses during the Winter 2023 semester, I found SOCY 336 particularity challenging as the course was graded on three essay components which left little room for coming back from a poor grade in one of these components. As a result of my mental health condition, I struggled with several late or missed assignments and I did not complete many in-class reflections due to my inability to attend classes or office hours.

In March 2023 I sought Academic Considerations and counselling through the ASC embedded counselor to improve my mental state and develop meaningful strategies to improve in my coursework. The services through the ASC proved beneficial to my overall mental state and aided me in improving in most of my courses, however I was unable to adequately improve my grades in SOCY 336 while getting back on track in my other four courses. This unfortunately resulted in me failing the course.

While I have since made strides in my studies and mental health with help from the ASC and their embedded counsellors, I understand now that the best course of action would have been to drop SOCY 336 during the allocated drop period of the Winter 2023 semester. At the time my mental health struggles made it difficult for me to understand my limits, and I kindly request your permission to drop the course so that I may have a second chance in a new course without these struggles.

In conclusion, I humbly seek your understanding and consideration in granting me permission to drop the course SOCY 336, The Sociology of Work and Technology, for the Winter 2023 semester. I am confident that this decision will allow me to concentrate on my mental health and recovery, ensuring a successful return to my studies with renewed dedication and focus in the future. I deeply appreciate your time, empathy, and compassion in evaluating my request. Your support during this challenging period is truly invaluable, and I am sincerely grateful for your consideration.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Oliver Douglas