Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To The Associate Dean of Studies,

I am appealing to have the following courses dropped from my transcript: PHIL 170 from the Winter term of 2013, ENGL 340 from the Fall 2013 term to the Winter 2014 term, and ENGL 441 from the Fall 2014 term. Since I started at Queen¿¿s, I have been struggling with Major Depressive Disorder and I am continually working with multiple doctors to try and find a successful treatment plan. I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder in 2010, and I am still trying to manage it.
While the disorder on its own is hard to manage, it also makes other traumatic experiences worse, and over the time I have spent at Queen¿¿s I have had several of these experiences, which acted as additional stressors. In my third year, I had two family deaths within two weeks of each other, followed by two others three and five months later. My stepbrother was diagnosed with cancer around the same time, and underwent aggressive chemotherapy treatment and had two surgeries, one that was highly invasive and classified as high risk. In my second year, I was raped by a peer, which I believe caused significant psychological damage to me. This happened off campus, but I had originally met this person on campus, as he was also a student. After the assault, I had nightmares from which I would wake believing someone was in my bedroom, and I had trouble interacting with males I did not know. Any time I saw a reminder of, or someone who resembled, the person who assaulted me, I would experience symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder such as intense fear and shaking. This made walking through campus, and attending my classes difficult due to my constant anxiety and fear of seeing this person on campus. With the majority of my mind perpetually occupied by these fears and grievances, my depression worsened, and I had a very hard time finding the motivation to improve my situation.
When my academics were the worst they had been to date in the fall term of 2014, I finally agreed to drop my winter term classes and move home to work on finding a successful treatment plan. Removing the stress of school has allowed me to dedicate more time and effort to working with my doctors. After I came out of a very bad depressive episode this year, for which I was sent to the hospital, I began trying to figure out a way to raise my success rate in my academics.
I have found that I do significantly better in courses I take online from home during the summer term. It is because of these successes that I wish to complete my degree requirements from home through online courses through the University of Alberta. I believe that the physical distance from my assailant I find at home will help with my anxiety. I also feel that being at home will push me to get the help I need, specifically in a new program at the Rouge Valley Health System¿¿s Centenary Hospital recommended to me by one of my doctors. Being at home will also provide me with a nurturing environment which I feel will help me complete the required schoolwork. I would also lighten my course load to ensure success, as it has always been when I take one or two courses in the summer term that I am successful. Being at home will also provide me with the structure and routine that I have in the summer that I appear to thrive on.
I believe that having these courses dropped from my transcript will help me get my GPA to a level where I can complete my degree through the University of Alberta, and that by making these changes to my lifestyle, I can find further academic success. Please grant me this request, so I can reach my true potential and find the success I crave.

Sincerely,

Jess Portelance