Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: a. The Request:
I am petitioning the Faculty’s decision that I must withdraw from Queen’s University for a period of 12 months.

b. Explanation of Extenuating Circumstances:

I am writing to explain the extenuating circumstances that have significantly impacted my academic performance at Queen’s University. These circumstances were beyond my control and have deeply affected me both personally and academically.

Since the beginning of my academic career at Queen’s, I have been struggling with
major depressive episodes which were brought on by familiar stress. These episodes would occur at least once each semester, significantly diminishing my ability to function normally or, at times, at all. This ongoing battle with depression severely impaired my concentration, motivation, and overall ability to perform academically. Despite my best efforts, these episodes made it exceedingly difficult to keep up with coursework, participate in class, and meet deadlines.
Adding to the difficulty of managing my depression was the strained relationship with my mother. At the start of my time at Queen’s, my mother and I were not on speaking terms. She was struggling with her own mental health, particularly anxiety, following her divorce from my father in 2016. This situation was further exacerbated when my father passed away shortly after their divorce, suffering a heart attack induced by stress.
The emotional turmoil from these events left me feeling isolated and without support. Due to my mother’s mental health struggles, I couldn’t turn to her for help. Additionally, I don't have any other close family members to rely on. I was also reluctant to seek assistance from friends because I feared being a burden. My mother had sacrificed a lot for me to attend university, so I felt I had no choice but to handle everything on my own. I continued to persist through my courses, even though I didn’t fully realize that my mental health was not in a position to allow me to succeed.
In an effort to make up for the academic losses during the regular semesters, I enrolled in summer courses each year. However, this only worsened my depression as it didn’t allow me any time to recover between semesters. The constant academic pressure without breaks led to increased stress and deteriorated my mental health, making it even more challenging to perform well.


It is only recently that my mother has begun taking antidepressants, which has greatly improved her mental health and our relationship. We are now on good terms, and this support has made a significant difference in my life. Despite these challenges, I did take steps to try and manage my depression. I consulted with healthcare professionals and personal counselors during my time at Queen’s. However, the severity and recurrence of my depressive episodes made it difficult to maintain the consistency needed to see substantial improvements in my academic performance. During these times I realized that I was completely unaware of the further damage I was doing to my mental health as I was solely focused on putting pressure on myself to perform better even though I didn’t have the necessary support or tools to do so.

I have now fully embraced utilizing available resources to improve my mental health, and I have made significant progress in the past few weeks since returning home. I dropped the summer courses I was enrolled in, knowing that this break will have a profound positive effect on my mental health.
After lengthy discussions with my therapist, we both believe that prioritizing my mental health this summer will provide me with enough time to recover and improve my ability to handle depressive episodes. By September, I will be ready to return to my studies, better equipped to function through challenging times. My therapist is confident that this break will enable me to achieve the stability needed to succeed academically.
I plan to see my therapist at least once a week throughout the summer, ensuring consistent support and guidance. I am fully committed to improving my mental health so that I can return in the fall and successfully obtain my degree. I am determined to make every effort to complete my studies and excel academically.