Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dean Stephenson,

I am petitioning to receive credit standing in CHEM 281 and ANAT 315, which I completed during the Fall 2022 term. I previously petitioned to waive the 1-year petition deadline related to the Fall 2022 term, which you kindly accepted.

On November 23rd, 2022, I began experiencing a severe mental health episode that lasted for over two months. During this time, I was unable to take care of myself or keep up with my academics. As a result, I was forced to leave Kingston to stay with my family and defer all my exams until January. I took a break from my studies, hoping to recover in time for my exams in January. However, I was still struggling significantly with my mental health during the deferred exam period and could not focus on my studies for more than five minutes at a time. Moreover, since I had left Kingston before the term ended, I missed the last two weeks of lectures in all my courses, including the extra laboratory review sessions for ANAT 315, which would have helped me better prepare for my exams. As I needed to complete these courses, I had no choice but to travel back to Kingston and write my exams despite my inability to properly prepare for them. I ended up receiving a C in CHEM 281 and a C- in ANAT 315. I was devastated when I saw this because I had worked so hard to maintain a high GPA during my first two years, and I knew it would never completely recover. Receiving these grades was especially upsetting because I knew I could have done better under different circumstances. Therefore, I have decided to petition for credit standing in these two courses.

I am only petitioning to receive credit standing in CHEM 281 and ANAT 315 because these two courses were the most impacted by the extenuating circumstances I experienced during the Fall 2022 term. REPD 372, which I also took during the Fall 2022 term, did not have a final exam, so my grade in this class was not affected. My grades in BCHM 218 and PHAR 370 did suffer as a result of my extenuating circumstances, but because I was already doing well in those two classes and their exams were weighted less heavily than my CHEM 281 and ANAT 315 exams, my final grades were not nearly as low. Since my grades in BCHM 218 and PHAR 370 were not as affected by my extenuating circumstances, I do not feel it is appropriate to petition for credit standing in these courses.

While the mental health episode I experienced during the Fall 2022 and early Winter 2023 term was temporary, I have been taking consistent action to care for my mental health ever since to help limit the chances of such a severe episode occurring in the future. Starting in January 2023, I began seeing a therapist to help me recover from my mental health episode. While I have since recovered, I continue to see my therapist regularly because it has a significant positive impact on my mental health and helps me cope with the challenges and stresses within my personal and academic life. As such, I feel I have the support I need to maintain good mental health while I finish my final year here at Queen’s.

Thank you for taking the time to review my petition to receive credit standing in CHEM 281 and ANAT 315. If there is any additional information you require, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

Sincerely,

Madison Gill