Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Dorit Naaman,

I am writing to petition for late registration in PATH 381 with Dr. Oleschuk for the Winter 2026 term, as this course is required for me to be eligible to graduate. I have already communicated with Dr. Oleschuk, and he has expressed his support for my addition to the course.

In October, I was prescribed a new class of medication to manage my disability. Over the following months, my dosage was gradually increased due to limited symptom improvement. In late December, I made a significant increase in dosage in hopes of achieving cognitive and functional benefits.

During the first two weeks of January, I experienced severe and unexpected cognitive side effects, including dissociation, impaired memory, and difficulty thinking clearly. I was unable to retain information for more than a few minutes and was not functioning at my usual cognitive level. At the time, I did not fully realize how severe these effects were due to the cognitive impairment itself. Thankfully, my partner encouraged me to document my experiences due to noticeable changes in my cognition and mental stability, which is the primary reason I am able to accurately recall this period.

I personally discontinued the medication on January 15 due to the severity of these effects. However, I was still recovering from the cognitive impairment on January 16, the final day to add courses.

Due to this dissociative state, I forgot the course add deadline and did not complete the intended replacement of a course I had dropped. My plan was to replace the dropped course with PATH 381, which is why this petition is for that single course only and not for any additional courses.

The earliest appointment I could secure with my nurse practitioner was January 22. During this appointment, we discussed the medication-related issues, and they agreed that discontinuing the medication was appropriate. They have agreed to provide a letter of support verifying my circumstances; however, due to the timing of this petition deadline, I am unable to attach it today. I will submit the letter as soon as it becomes available.