Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To: Associate Dean
Faculty of Arts and Science
Queen’s University

Subject: Academic Petition for Course Withdrawal Due to Medical Reasons

Dear Associate Dean,

I am writing to formally request a retroactive withdrawal from the following courses in the Summer 2024 and Fall 2024 terms due to extenuating medical circumstances that have significantly impacted my ability to continue my studies. The courses for which I am requesting withdrawal are:

Fall 2024:

ECON 411: Topics in Microeconomic Theory (Lecture - 3704)
ECON 422: Monetary Economics (Lecture - 3714)
ECON 440: Public Economics (Lecture - 3715)
Summer 2024:

WRIT 125: Academic Essay Writing (Online - 2695)
CISC 181: Digital Societies (Online - 2731)
HIST 260: Introduction to Canadian History (Online - 2683)
Extenuating Circumstances
I have been experiencing severe psychological distress due to ongoing mental health challenges, including trauma-related symptoms. These challenges have progressively worsened and have severely affected my academic performance and overall well-being. After consulting with my psychologist, Dr. Lisa Couperthwaite, Ph.D., C.Psych., it has become clear that continuing with my coursework under these conditions would be detrimental to my mental health. Given this, I believe that withdrawing from these courses is the best course of action to protect my well-being.

Supporting Documentation
I have obtained medical documentation from Dr. Lisa Couperthwaite, which verifies my psychological condition and the recommendation for course withdrawal due to its impact on my health. If additional documentation is required, I am prepared to seek further evaluation and a supporting letter from a psychiatrist.

Request and Preferred Resolution
Given my medical situation, I respectfully request the approval of:

A retroactive withdrawal from the listed courses, allowing me to retake them in a future term without academic penalty.
If a retroactive withdrawal with the option to retake is not possible, I request that these courses be dropped (DR) from my transcript to reflect my extenuating medical circumstances.
I sincerely appreciate your time and consideration in reviewing my petition. I understand the importance of maintaining academic integrity while also recognizing the necessity of accommodations for students facing serious medical challenges. Please let me know if further documentation or clarification is needed to support my request.

Thank you for your time and understanding. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,
Zhongyao Liu
Student ID: 20238810
Queen’s University