Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I am petitioning to late course drop MATH 111 and PHYS 239 from the Fall/Winter 2022-2023 and Winter 2023 terms, respectively. During my enrolment in these courses, I was dealing with mental health issues that impacted my ability to pass both courses.

From August of 2022 to the spring of 2023, I was working with my doctor to figure out what medications I could tolerate. The trial and error over this time led to unpredictable periods where the symptoms of my illness would fluctuate. Due to the constant changing of my symptoms, I was unable to manage them reliably throughout this time, leading me to fall behind in some of my courses. At the time, I had not yet registered with QSAS to get accommodations, which is not something I realized was available to me due to the nature of my disability. Had I pursued accommodations ahead of time, I believe I would have been able to manage my course load.

The reason I chose not to drop these courses ahead of the drop deadline was that I was still optimistic that my symptoms would subside, and that I would make up for any poor performance earlier in the term. However, I did not anticipate that my symptoms would become more severe later in the term, right before April exams. A particularly rough flare-up occurred during the weeks leading up to the final examinations for MATH 111 and PHYS 239, which resulted in me performing terribly. For MATH 111, I was unable to complete a couple assignments resulting in a failing grade. For PHYS 239, however, I did not expect to fail the course until after taking the exam. Since I had not yet received the assessment accommodations I know have, I was unable to focus on the questions in the exam, but rather the intrusive thoughts and panic attack I felt developing. I ended up not completing the exam and leaving early. Since this final was worth a significant percentage of my grade, my poor performance resulted in me failing the course. Looking back, I wish I had sought support from the school after taking that final, but at the time, I could only focus on feeling safe and did not have the ability to ask for help with my academics. I also struggled to recognize that my condition was a valid reason to seek Academic Consideration in the first place. The inability to put energy into my well-being beyond my immediate safety and my hesitance to seek accommodation for mental disorders led me to accept that I had failed these courses, until now.

Over the summer of 2023 and the past academic year, I have taken steps to manage my mental disorders such that they do not affect my academics to the same degree as last year. These changes include biweekly psychotherapy, adjusting medications, meeting with my doctor regularly, and lifestyle changes. Likewise, I have registered with QSAS to receive the support I need for my success as a person with a disability; exam accommodations to help me focus and classroom accommodations to account for extenuating circumstances. I have also made the decision to take a lighter course load and finish my degree in five years, rather than four, to ensure that I can care for my personal wellbeing while in school. These changes have led to positive results overall, which is reflected in my academic performance in the Fall 2022 term. In the future, I will continue to seek support and receive care for my mental health and wellbeing so that I can put as much energy and passion into my studies as I had before the onset of my illness.