Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean of Academics,

My name is Aaliyah Anghad, and I am petitioning to request Aegrotat Standing in the POLS262 course. In this petition, I will outline how my extenuating circumstances have affected my ability to complete the term essay, which is worth 40% of the final grade, and how they continue to impact me to this day.

The term essay was due on February 26, 2024; however, on March 2, 2024, I experienced a severe depressive and anxiety-induced episode relating to the onset of a mental health disorder, which had been culminating since February 15, 2024. The onset of my illness has since severely impacted my personal and academic functioning, limiting my ability to perform day-to-day functions. On March 2, I sent an email to my TA alerting her of the situation and its implications regarding the submission of the essay. Given the severity of the episode, I decided to seek counselling services from Queen's Student Wellness Services the following Monday, March 4, 2024. During my intake session, I was granted short-term academic accommodations and was appointed to a therapy session with a licensed psychotherapist on March 5, 2024. During my therapy session, we discussed the seriousness of my illness and how it was detrimentally affecting my personal and academic functioning. My symptoms included the inability to care for my health and hygiene, remaining in a catatonic-like state in bed for several hours after waking, the failure to leave my home for 4-5 days, excessive sleeping, a withdrawal from all social activity and interaction, and isolation. These symptoms created severe impairments leading to significant difficulties in my academic performance, such as the inability to attend classes, incompletion of assignments by the given due date, and struggles to achieve the standard expectations set out by my professors. However, despite this, I remained optimistic that I would be able to complete the semester by continually seeking support services and receiving accommodations. Through strenuous efforts, I was gratefully able to attend most in-person tutorial sessions and complete my final take-home examination, which constituted 60% of the course mark. Unfortunately, despite this, my symptoms persisted, and I was unable to complete the term essay, as it required significantly more effort and mental capability than I was able to provide.

On March 21, 2024, I received long-term accommodations from February 19, 2024, to April 29, 2024. That same day, I emailed my professor, alerting him of the circumstances, and indicated I wanted to discuss an alternative due date for the essay. He responded on March 25, 2024, stating that we could further discuss during his office hours. However, his office hours conflicted with my other classes, which I reiterated in my same-day email, along with the proposal for an alternative meeting time. Unfortunately, I did not receive a follow-up response from him. Although I did not receive further communications from my professor, I discussed the situation with my TA during our last tutorial session. During the session, we had a verbal discussion, during which she reassured me that she was aware of the circumstances and would grade my essay whenever I could submit it to OnQ. Although my accommodations and reassurances from my TA made me optimistic that I would be able to submit the essay promptly, my disorder persisted, and I continued experiencing depressive and anxiety-induced episodes, which severely limited my overall functioning. My symptoms led to a complete loss of focus and the inability to complete simple tasks, such as reading and writing, for sustained periods. This further exacerbated my condition, intensifying feelings of hopelessness, tiredness, lack of energy, and difficulty thinking and concentrating.

During the Winter 2024 semester, I was registered in 6 courses, all affected by my extenuating circumstances to a varying degree. Given the severity of my illness, I persevered in an attempt to ensure that the rest of my classes were as minimally affected as possible. Despite my increasing difficulties, I strived to maintain a passing grade in each course and meet the minimum expectations. Although I could not submit my essay, I managed to complete most course components within POLS262, including attending most of the mandatory in-person tutorial sessions and the final take-home exam. Notwithstanding the extreme challenges associated with my disorder, I have managed to persevere and complete my academics to the best of my abilities. POLS262 is the last required course in my degree plan that would grant my eligibility for graduation in the 2024 academic year. Despite experiencing ongoing illness, I have since been attending regularly scheduled therapy sessions with SWS and have sought external support for my condition. I hope to achieve Aegrotat Standing within the course, as completing the term essay has been, and is, an achievement beyond my current abilities.