Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 11810
Submitted: April 30, 2024 at 1:18:12 PM
First Name: Clara
Last Name: Toth
Pronoun: She/Her
Preferred Name: Clara
Student Number: 20242400
Email: 20cst1@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BS
Plan: CHEM
Level of Study: 4
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Drop a course after the academic deadline, Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Code: CHEM 311
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Petition Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Code: PHYS 115
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Petition Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Code: ARTH 225
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Petition Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor's Name: Johanna Amos
Section/Class Number: 001
Code: ARTH 226
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Petition Category: Request an extension of an incomplete grade
Instructor's Name: Allison Morehead
Section/Class Number: 001
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: I'm writing or explain the extenuating circumstances that greatly affected my academic performance throughout the Fall 2023 semester.
Firstly, during the summer of 2023 I was continuously in and out of hospitals to do physical exams in regard to my waning physical health. The main worry being a lymph node at the back of my neck that wouldn't go away. This persisted throughout the Fall 2023 semester, to the point where it was significant enough for me to undergo a CT scan on November back in my hometown in Winnipeg; due to suspicion of lymphoma by my family doctor. Fortunately, the results showed no signs of cancer, however it did not explain my physical health problems and the idea of the cancer scare provided a vast amount of anxiety and fear that made it very hard to focus on schoolwork. Not to mention the back-and-forward travelling from Kingston to Winnipeg to try to address the issue with proper care.
Another instance that affected my mental health was an instance of sexual assault against me that occurred at the beginning of the year in September of 2023. This was extremely troubling as it was not the first time this has occurred to me. I tried reaching out to police who dismissed my case, dwindling my confidence further. As an autistic woman, the rates of sexual abuse are extremely high compared to allistic individuals, and due to how recent the incident was to the beginning of the school year, it made me extremely depressed and unmotivated to do anything, including school related affairs.
In this petition I will include the CT scan appointment letter, however I do not have a proper police report in regard to the sexual assault.
Firstly, during the summer of 2023 I was continuously in and out of hospitals to do physical exams in regard to my waning physical health. The main worry being a lymph node at the back of my neck that wouldn't go away. This persisted throughout the Fall 2023 semester, to the point where it was significant enough for me to undergo a CT scan on November back in my hometown in Winnipeg; due to suspicion of lymphoma by my family doctor. Fortunately, the results showed no signs of cancer, however it did not explain my physical health problems and the idea of the cancer scare provided a vast amount of anxiety and fear that made it very hard to focus on schoolwork. Not to mention the back-and-forward travelling from Kingston to Winnipeg to try to address the issue with proper care.
Another instance that affected my mental health was an instance of sexual assault against me that occurred at the beginning of the year in September of 2023. This was extremely troubling as it was not the first time this has occurred to me. I tried reaching out to police who dismissed my case, dwindling my confidence further. As an autistic woman, the rates of sexual abuse are extremely high compared to allistic individuals, and due to how recent the incident was to the beginning of the school year, it made me extremely depressed and unmotivated to do anything, including school related affairs.
In this petition I will include the CT scan appointment letter, however I do not have a proper police report in regard to the sexual assault.
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: NO DOC
Document: CT scan appointment photo.jpg
Documentation Detail: CT Scan appointment letter
Decision Letters
Amendment to Appeal 11810
Relevant Petition: 11810
New Information: I’m writing to request to drop and extend an incomplete request from courses from the Fall 2023 semester. This time providing a better timeline of events.
In the Summer of 2023 I fell extremely ill due to complications with a cyst at the back of my neck. I had to take several medical tests (blood and asthma exams) that, compounded with my responsibilities working at the Chernoff Labs overloaded my ability to work effectively on my PHYS 118 course. As an autistic individual being overwhelmed can inhibit my ability to partake in stress inducing activities (such as the very heavy PHYS 118 course) severely.
During the end school summer semester, I had delayed my PHYS 118 exam (3rd attachment) due to an anxiety attack from several traumatic events in my personal life which culminated into ongoing panic attacks. I ended up failing the course because my complications in mood and health continued.
At the end of September of 2023, I dropped my CHEM 397 course (a year-long course) due to an incident of a panic attack in the lab induced by a sexual assault occurrence I endured in the beginning of the month. Unfortunately, I decided to not file a police report, as the police dissuaded me to do due to the culprit’s mental health conditions. Due to this, frankly, unprofessional behaviour from the police, I began to blame myself from a horrific crime committed against me. These types of sex crimes are unfortunately more commonly targeted towards individuals in vulnerable situations, which as an autistic person, I am more than familiar with being in. Because of occurrences like this, I am plagued with unexpected panic attacks that severely affect my academic performance.
In October of 2023, I went back and forth from Kingston back to my home-province in Winnipeg to undergo more exams in regard to my health, including another trip to partake in a CT scan (1st letter already attached from non-doctor’s letters) on November 5th 2023, to check if it was a malignant cyst. I was doing worse and worse both physically and mentally with the myriads of stresses I was under.
As December of 2023 approached, I had to delay another exam for a course, PHYS 115 (4th attachment) and I put two courses to incomplete ARTH 225 and ARTH 226, the latter Art history courses unfortunately would not be successfully completed in 2024 due to compounding stresses from doing above my course load. Which can be corroborated with my attempts to drop most of my courses and having a visit on April 2nd of 2024 to the ASC academic services (request if needed). Showing initiative that I wanted to try to finish those ARTH courses properly by dropping nearly all my Winter courses, but unfortunately due to compounding stresses and reoccurring panic attacks from the trauma of the assault in September of 2023, I was not able to.
I have completed all the in-person class activities and most of the assignments for those courses, which is why I’m applying to get an incomplete for them once again to be able to successfully finish them without taking them all over again, which would inhibit with my class schedule and delay my attempts to finish all my course for graduation.
My disability, despite being relatively ‘low needs’ in diagnosis, can affect my mood severely; paralyzing me in partaking in activities that may seem feasible to those who are neurotypical/allistic. I am writing to again to reiterate that despite my efforts, it was not feasible for me to finish the Summer 2023, Fall 2023 and Winter 2024 semesters to my best abilities under the gruelling conditions I was in.
Below are also attached two letters, one from my family doctor in Winnipeg (1st attached file), and another letter from my psychiatrist (2nd attachment), reiterating my struggles throughout the 2023 year that persevered throughout the Winter 2024 semester.
Lastly, I have my autism diagnosis that explains some of the difficulties that can arise from being in overwhelming situations (5th attachment).
If you need any of the documentation mentioned, please request it. I will gladly provide it.
Thank you for reading, I hope you consider this accordingly.
Clara
In the Summer of 2023 I fell extremely ill due to complications with a cyst at the back of my neck. I had to take several medical tests (blood and asthma exams) that, compounded with my responsibilities working at the Chernoff Labs overloaded my ability to work effectively on my PHYS 118 course. As an autistic individual being overwhelmed can inhibit my ability to partake in stress inducing activities (such as the very heavy PHYS 118 course) severely.
During the end school summer semester, I had delayed my PHYS 118 exam (3rd attachment) due to an anxiety attack from several traumatic events in my personal life which culminated into ongoing panic attacks. I ended up failing the course because my complications in mood and health continued.
At the end of September of 2023, I dropped my CHEM 397 course (a year-long course) due to an incident of a panic attack in the lab induced by a sexual assault occurrence I endured in the beginning of the month. Unfortunately, I decided to not file a police report, as the police dissuaded me to do due to the culprit’s mental health conditions. Due to this, frankly, unprofessional behaviour from the police, I began to blame myself from a horrific crime committed against me. These types of sex crimes are unfortunately more commonly targeted towards individuals in vulnerable situations, which as an autistic person, I am more than familiar with being in. Because of occurrences like this, I am plagued with unexpected panic attacks that severely affect my academic performance.
In October of 2023, I went back and forth from Kingston back to my home-province in Winnipeg to undergo more exams in regard to my health, including another trip to partake in a CT scan (1st letter already attached from non-doctor’s letters) on November 5th 2023, to check if it was a malignant cyst. I was doing worse and worse both physically and mentally with the myriads of stresses I was under.
As December of 2023 approached, I had to delay another exam for a course, PHYS 115 (4th attachment) and I put two courses to incomplete ARTH 225 and ARTH 226, the latter Art history courses unfortunately would not be successfully completed in 2024 due to compounding stresses from doing above my course load. Which can be corroborated with my attempts to drop most of my courses and having a visit on April 2nd of 2024 to the ASC academic services (request if needed). Showing initiative that I wanted to try to finish those ARTH courses properly by dropping nearly all my Winter courses, but unfortunately due to compounding stresses and reoccurring panic attacks from the trauma of the assault in September of 2023, I was not able to.
I have completed all the in-person class activities and most of the assignments for those courses, which is why I’m applying to get an incomplete for them once again to be able to successfully finish them without taking them all over again, which would inhibit with my class schedule and delay my attempts to finish all my course for graduation.
My disability, despite being relatively ‘low needs’ in diagnosis, can affect my mood severely; paralyzing me in partaking in activities that may seem feasible to those who are neurotypical/allistic. I am writing to again to reiterate that despite my efforts, it was not feasible for me to finish the Summer 2023, Fall 2023 and Winter 2024 semesters to my best abilities under the gruelling conditions I was in.
Below are also attached two letters, one from my family doctor in Winnipeg (1st attached file), and another letter from my psychiatrist (2nd attachment), reiterating my struggles throughout the 2023 year that persevered throughout the Winter 2024 semester.
Lastly, I have my autism diagnosis that explains some of the difficulties that can arise from being in overwhelming situations (5th attachment).
If you need any of the documentation mentioned, please request it. I will gladly provide it.
Thank you for reading, I hope you consider this accordingly.
Clara
Student Number: 20242400
Documentation
Professional Letter: Psychiatrist Fall23Winter24.pdf
Document: Dr Kouroush letter.pdf
Document: Psychiatrist letter July 21st 23.pdf
Document: Clara Autism Assessement.pdf