Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may regard,

I am writing this petition today to request a late withdrawal from PHAR 100 due to significant extenuating circumstances that have immensely impacted my ability to produce high quality academic work. Although I attempted to remain committed to keep up with work, the challenges I faced made it extremely difficult to meet the class requirements, and with the time of my conditions, the last day to drop courses had passed and I was left with no choice.
In March of 2023, during a flag football game on Tindall field, I received a brutal blow to the head, leaving me with a severe concussion. Due to my history of numerous concussions, this specific one brought along some of the worst symptoms I have ever faced. In daily life, I was faced with extreme issues such as lack of ability to focus, light sensitivity, extreme fatigue and many others outlined in documents provided by a concussion specialist. These symptoms left me unable to live a normal life for the next few weeks and while ultimately feeling better in the coming months, I still faced issues stemming from the concussion. In the majority of my classes, my professors were extremely understanding and caring of the situation and offered me numerous available alternatives to complete the class. However, in Pharmacology I feel as if I was not given equitable resources, considering my situation to complete the class, and earn a decent mark. In the summer, with my symptoms still a factor, I received an email stating the last possible day to take this final examination was the very next day, which ultimately left me with no choice, as I was not informed of this date and was physically and mentally unable to complete such a complex exam given the state of my brain.
Simultaneously, a few weeks after the concussion, I had been accepted to the springboard clinic to undergo extensive evaluations for ADHD. This process was both time consuming and emotionally challenging. Throughout the school year, I had noticed specific challenges when completing school work especially with online work. With Pharmacology being online, this is where I found myself extremely stressed and overwhelmed ultimately leading to panic. This had also happened earlier in the year, as I had taken Psychology online, but had to drop due to this condition. In terms of in person class work, I found it helpful as it was engaging and interesting to be in a setting with others providing me a sense of comfort and calmness. When completing high knowledge courses like psychology and pharmacology, as I had not yet been fully diagnosed for ADHD, I felt hopeless and often felt like I was alone with no resources to help or improve. With no treatment, my marks were unfortunately not as good as I had hoped and just wanted treatment so that I could unlock my full potential.
Fast forward to this year, I have not only noticed an extreme improvement in my schoolwork, but I have also noticed I am much more cognisant of my actions, avoiding any head contact possible or activities where a hit to the head may occur. While my life before was filled with physical sports like hockey and soccer, I understand that I need to be more careful with my brain which ultimately led to me switching sports to no contact like tennis and golf. In terms of ADHD, the springboard clinic was able to provide me with an in-depth analysis and numerous pieces of supporting documentation, highlighting my specific condition and offering numerous treatments along with support resources. I am now prescribed Vyvanse, and I have noticed immense benefits almost immediately. Not only am I able to stay focused on the tasks at hand, but I have seen an extreme increase in my grades. A combination of all of these benefits has led me to be less stressed and worried all the time, completely removing my sense of hopelessness. Aside from the Vyvanse, my ASUS advisor Ms.Teske has been wonderful in helping me navigate the available resources for myself. She truly understands my condition and provided me with the necessary resources to thrive as a student at Queens. With accommodation on assignments, this has allowed me to organize my week better and produce a much higher quality of work and she has also provided me with other resources such as writing exams in a quiet, small room, allowing me to focus better and help with my anxiety that I faced while being in a large room filled with people.
With providing documentation and understanding the benefits I know face after being fully recovered and receiving treatment, I ask for the removal of Pharmacology on my official transcript, as I believe it does not reflect my true self and does not highlight the hardships I had gone through during that period of time.

Sincerely,

Evan G. Domingues.