Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 13959
Submitted: January 23, 2026 at 10:08:38 AM
First Name: REWEENA
Last Name: DEBEBE
Pronoun: she/her
Preferred Name: REWEENA
Student Number: 20357886
Email: 21rad17@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH, BED
Plan: HLTH
Level of Study: 4
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Add a course after the academic deadline
Code: WRIT 125
Term: Winter
Year: 2026
Petition Category: Add a course after the academic deadline
Instructor's Name: Drew MacDonald
Section/Class Number: 700
Province / Region: Eastern Ontario
Exam Centre: Kingston
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: I respectfully submit this petition to request permission to add EMPR 360 after the official deadline for the Winter 2026 term. This request is made to address a resulting credit deficiency from my unsuccessful completion of IDIS 280 in the Fall 2025 term and to remain on track for Spring graduation.
This petition is based on significant extenuating personal and health-related circumstances beyond my control that directly affected both my academic functioning and my ability to act on administrative deadlines during a critical academic window.
During the latter half of the Fall 2025 term and into the Winter term, my immediate family experienced multiple deaths. One of these occurred during the first week of January, which directly overlapped with the Winter course add period. This placed me under sustained emotional strain and materially disrupted my ability to maintain normal academic routines, including consistent monitoring of course performance, final grade outcomes, and degree progression. At the same time, I experienced a period of physical illness that further reduced my functional capacity to manage academic and administrative tasks that require sustained attention and timely action.
These circumstances were ongoing rather than brief or isolated. Their duration extended across the period when final academic outcomes were being released and when Winter registration decisions needed to be finalized. The combined effect was a measurable disruption in my ability to engage in the level of academic oversight that would normally allow me to identify a credit shortfall and respond before a formal deadline.
I became fully aware of my unsuccessful completion of IDIS 280 only shortly before contacting my academic advisor. Upon recognizing the direct impact this would have on my graduation timeline, I acted immediately to seek guidance regarding the possibility of enrolling in an additional course. I acknowledge that I missed the formal deadline and take responsibility for the administrative outcome. However, I respectfully submit that the timing and impact of the circumstances described above directly impaired my ability to act within the prescribed period.
I am requesting to enroll in EMPR 360, which currently has available space and aligns closely with my academic and professional goals as a Health Studies and Concurrent Education student. I am particularly interested in this course because of its focus on leadership, initiative, and applied problem-solving, which connect directly to my interests in community-based education, health promotion, and social impact. I believe this course would meaningfully support my academic development while allowing me to meet my remaining degree requirements.
In parallel with these events, I have begun formal engagement with Queen’s Student Accessibility Services in relation to a recent ADHD diagnosis. While this process is ongoing, it has clarified how periods of emotional strain and illness significantly intensify my difficulty with deadline tracking, administrative monitoring, and sustained academic planning. This insight has prompted me to implement structured academic oversight systems and to pursue formal accessibility supports to prevent recurrence.
I wish to emphasize that I am not seeking relief from academic evaluation or standards. Rather, I am requesting the opportunity to assume additional academic responsibility by enrolling in one further course this term in order to meet my degree requirements and preserve my graduation timeline. I am fully prepared to complete all outstanding readings, review prior course material, and meet all course expectations associated with joining after the start of term.
I respectfully submit that this request is proportionate, time-sensitive, and consistent with the intent of the Faculty’s petition process to address circumstances that materially interfere with a student’s ability to meet academic regulations. I am committed to maintaining accountability, academic stability, and consistent administrative oversight moving forward.
Thank you for your time and careful consideration of my petition.
Sincerely,
Reweena Debebe
Student Number: 20357886
This petition is based on significant extenuating personal and health-related circumstances beyond my control that directly affected both my academic functioning and my ability to act on administrative deadlines during a critical academic window.
During the latter half of the Fall 2025 term and into the Winter term, my immediate family experienced multiple deaths. One of these occurred during the first week of January, which directly overlapped with the Winter course add period. This placed me under sustained emotional strain and materially disrupted my ability to maintain normal academic routines, including consistent monitoring of course performance, final grade outcomes, and degree progression. At the same time, I experienced a period of physical illness that further reduced my functional capacity to manage academic and administrative tasks that require sustained attention and timely action.
These circumstances were ongoing rather than brief or isolated. Their duration extended across the period when final academic outcomes were being released and when Winter registration decisions needed to be finalized. The combined effect was a measurable disruption in my ability to engage in the level of academic oversight that would normally allow me to identify a credit shortfall and respond before a formal deadline.
I became fully aware of my unsuccessful completion of IDIS 280 only shortly before contacting my academic advisor. Upon recognizing the direct impact this would have on my graduation timeline, I acted immediately to seek guidance regarding the possibility of enrolling in an additional course. I acknowledge that I missed the formal deadline and take responsibility for the administrative outcome. However, I respectfully submit that the timing and impact of the circumstances described above directly impaired my ability to act within the prescribed period.
I am requesting to enroll in EMPR 360, which currently has available space and aligns closely with my academic and professional goals as a Health Studies and Concurrent Education student. I am particularly interested in this course because of its focus on leadership, initiative, and applied problem-solving, which connect directly to my interests in community-based education, health promotion, and social impact. I believe this course would meaningfully support my academic development while allowing me to meet my remaining degree requirements.
In parallel with these events, I have begun formal engagement with Queen’s Student Accessibility Services in relation to a recent ADHD diagnosis. While this process is ongoing, it has clarified how periods of emotional strain and illness significantly intensify my difficulty with deadline tracking, administrative monitoring, and sustained academic planning. This insight has prompted me to implement structured academic oversight systems and to pursue formal accessibility supports to prevent recurrence.
I wish to emphasize that I am not seeking relief from academic evaluation or standards. Rather, I am requesting the opportunity to assume additional academic responsibility by enrolling in one further course this term in order to meet my degree requirements and preserve my graduation timeline. I am fully prepared to complete all outstanding readings, review prior course material, and meet all course expectations associated with joining after the start of term.
I respectfully submit that this request is proportionate, time-sensitive, and consistent with the intent of the Faculty’s petition process to address circumstances that materially interfere with a student’s ability to meet academic regulations. I am committed to maintaining accountability, academic stability, and consistent administrative oversight moving forward.
Thank you for your time and careful consideration of my petition.
Sincerely,
Reweena Debebe
Student Number: 20357886
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: Academic Objectives and Course Pathway
My objective is to complete my remaining degree requirements within the Faculty of Arts and Science and graduate in the Spring term as planned. I have reviewed my Academic Advisement Report in SOLUS to confirm outstanding unit requirements and will continue to use this report as the central reference for academic planning and term registration decisions.
If this petition is granted, I will complete the Winter 2026 term with a full-time course load that includes the additional course required to address my Fall 2025 credit deficiency. I have ensured that my schedule can accommodate the additional academic hours associated with this enrollment.
Workload Structure and Time Commitment
I will maintain a structured weekly academic schedule that includes:
- Dedicated lecture and tutorial attendance blocks
- A minimum of two scheduled independent study periods per course per week
- A standing administrative review period for monitoring grades, deadlines, and degree progress
I have adjusted my non-academic commitments to ensure that academic responsibilities remain my primary obligation during the term.
Strategies and Institutional Supports
To address the challenges identified through this experience, I will implement the following supports:
1. Accessibility Services Engagement: I am in the process of completing my intake with Queen’s Student Accessibility Services to formalize supports related to attention, organization, and deadline management.
2. Academic Advising Checkpoints: I will maintain scheduled check-ins with academic advising at early-term, midterm, and pre-examination periods to ensure alignment between course performance, degree progress, and graduation requirements.
3. Instructional Support: I will attend instructor and TA office hours as needed to ensure clarity on course expectations and to address academic challenges proactively.
4. Health and Personal Stability: I will maintain regular attention to physical health follow-up and personal support systems to reduce the likelihood that health-related disruptions escalate into academic or administrative difficulties.
This academic plan is designed to ensure sustained academic oversight, timely administrative action, and successful completion of degree requirements through graduation.
My objective is to complete my remaining degree requirements within the Faculty of Arts and Science and graduate in the Spring term as planned. I have reviewed my Academic Advisement Report in SOLUS to confirm outstanding unit requirements and will continue to use this report as the central reference for academic planning and term registration decisions.
If this petition is granted, I will complete the Winter 2026 term with a full-time course load that includes the additional course required to address my Fall 2025 credit deficiency. I have ensured that my schedule can accommodate the additional academic hours associated with this enrollment.
Workload Structure and Time Commitment
I will maintain a structured weekly academic schedule that includes:
- Dedicated lecture and tutorial attendance blocks
- A minimum of two scheduled independent study periods per course per week
- A standing administrative review period for monitoring grades, deadlines, and degree progress
I have adjusted my non-academic commitments to ensure that academic responsibilities remain my primary obligation during the term.
Strategies and Institutional Supports
To address the challenges identified through this experience, I will implement the following supports:
1. Accessibility Services Engagement: I am in the process of completing my intake with Queen’s Student Accessibility Services to formalize supports related to attention, organization, and deadline management.
2. Academic Advising Checkpoints: I will maintain scheduled check-ins with academic advising at early-term, midterm, and pre-examination periods to ensure alignment between course performance, degree progress, and graduation requirements.
3. Instructional Support: I will attend instructor and TA office hours as needed to ensure clarity on course expectations and to address academic challenges proactively.
4. Health and Personal Stability: I will maintain regular attention to physical health follow-up and personal support systems to reduce the likelihood that health-related disruptions escalate into academic or administrative difficulties.
This academic plan is designed to ensure sustained academic oversight, timely administrative action, and successful completion of degree requirements through graduation.
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: NO DOC
Documentation Detail: QSAS intake confirmation and medical documentation confirming illness and family bereavement during late Fall 2025 and early January 2026 will be provided upon request.