Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean (Studies),

I am appealing to request to waive the 21-day deadline for appeals to drop and appeals for credit standing regarding courses within the 2014/2015 school year. These courses were PSYC 235 in the Summer Term of 2014, and PSYC 100 in the Fall/Winter Terms of 2014/2015

Starting in the late spring of 2014, I began to undergo an unexpected string of trials within my personal and family relationships which deeply impacted my abilities to concentrate and focus my attention on my academic responsibilities, including preventing acting on my appeals until the present time. These trials included taking on the responsibility as a primary support system for my significant other, who was and continues to undergo a battle with severe depression and anxiety. This included acting as a primary support during times of suicidal ideation, and onslaught of severe anxiety. While I am currently working with a counsellor to better manage my boundaries within this relationship, as the responsibilities of the position I was in this past academic year have taken up much of my time and emotional and physical resources, and has left me feeling exhausted and a difficulty to focus on academics and formulating academic appeals.

During the late summer months of 2014, my family also started the process of undergoing financial strife with regards to interfamily management of finances and an unforeseen burden of the payment of a large line of credit being placed on my mother. This unanticipated large financial burden caused a large amount of immediate family conflict and stress as I acted as a liaison between members of my family which was compounded with the fact of the previous divorce of my parents. The day to day struggles also included acting as a communication aid between my family and the seeking of legal advice and support. This in addition to the nature of the problem caused large amount of anxiety and emotional draining on a day to day basis, resulting in a loss of sleep and motivation surrounding my academic duties.

As previously mentioned, I am currently working with a counsellor to better manage these personal problems, however, they have continued to take up much of my time and interfere with my responsibilities until this current time.

Thank you so much for your time,
Ninya Stein