Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to appeal for aegrotat standing for SOC 122 and DEVS 100, and I will also proceed to appeal for PHIL 153 in the near future, due to difficulties with my mental health and well-being this past academic year. I have struggled with my mental health for a few years in high school and have been under the medical care of my family physician, in consultation with a psychiatrist and regular counselling. With these supports, I have made many gains, and when I was able to apply to university and choose Queens, I felt that moment of faith that I was healthy enough to do so and be successful. I was able to get through the majority of the school year with only a few bumps here and there, and I really felt that is normal for someone experiencing university for the first time. When second semester came, my sleep and anxiety worsened a fair bit, and unfortunately there were circumstances that I was unable to control. I was no longer able to get up for early morning classes, and my focus to study for long periods of time (i.e. complete tests, write essays and exams) was out of the question. I received medical assistance from my family doctor in Kingston, as well as my Psychiatrist at Hotel Dieu, and my medication was changed a few times in order to help me cope with things. Unfortunately, some of the medications I was prescribed worsened my sleep, and therefore, it made it even harder for me to continue with any routine for the last six weeks. Due to my poor sleep patterns, high anxiety, and medication changes, my academic performance was not nearly as good as I hoped it would be. In order to deal with all of these changes, I decided, along with my psychiatrist, that it would be best to not write my first exam (PSYCH 100) and go home to Guelph to be with my family and get better sleep and try another medication. That being said, I chose to continue to study for the rest of my exams at home, still hopeful that I would be ready to write the remainder of them at the end of April. After still no improvement in my mental health, my psychiatrist, my family and I decided that it would be best for me to decline writing the rest of my final exams. At that time, I contacted Professor Rob Beamish, Dr. Karen Dubinsky, Jill Atkinson, and Dr. Mike Kocis about my illness and made arrangements with all of them for the completion of the four courses I was taking this past year. I got an extension on essays for SOC 122 and DEVS 100 (which I completed), and I will be writing my final PSYCH 100 exam August 11th, and will be completing extra course work for PHIL 153 in the next couple of weeks. I am very grateful for the faculty support I have received ¿¿ I feel that they were all very understanding about my illness, which is a huge relief.
The hardest part of dealing with my mental illness is that I can have very good days and I can have very bad days, and I do not know when those bad days will occur. I cannot predict what my mental health will be like this coming year, but I do know that I am in a much better place now. I am on a medication that helps stabilize my mood and have a good sleep. I have also been prescribed medication to help my anxiety, and I will take that when I feel panic attacks coming on. I have continued with regular counselling sessions in Guelph, and my parents and I have met with an academic counsellor on two occasions in the spring and summer, and she has helped me tremendously. I hope to continue with both of these regular supports during the school year. I have also been informed about Disabilities Management and I will make an appointment with them to discuss my options for the upcoming school year.
Through all of the difficult times this year, I know that my dream is still to graduate from Queens University with a major in Psychology. Although I know there may be bumps along the way, I am determined to make it happen, and I know that I need to rely on others to help me realize this goal. I ask through this appeal process, you will be able to help me pursue that dream.