Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Naaman,

Please consider this letter, along with the attached documentation, as my formal petition under Level 1, Section 1.7.1.7 – Request to Take More Than 6.0 units of Courses on a Letter of Permission.

I am writing to explain why this request is critical for my education, opportunities, and overall well-being as a Queen’s student.

When I applied to Queen’s in Fall of 2022, I was confident that my future lay in sciences and that I would pursue a career in medicine. My decision to accept my offer to Life Sciences was rooted in my lifelong desire to help others and give back, and I intended to specialize in Neuroscience. However, as I matured, my academic and personal interests began shifting towards psychology and mental health. This shift was shaped not just by abstract curiosity, but by firsthand experiences with the realities of mental illness.

A pivotal moment for me was when the mother of my best friend, a second mother to me, was hospitalized because of her clinical depression. Periodically, her brain chemistry gets the better of her, and she spirals into acute depressive episodes. I have known her for fourteen years, yet I felt helpless and uneducated when her illness worsened, and she became a danger to herself. Watching someone I love battle acute depression episodes and seeing the extreme tolls this had on her and her family, sparked a profound desire to learn about mental illness so I could better support people experiencing similar disabling struggles.

I attempted to switch my degree plan at the beginning of second year but was informed I would not be able to switch until the following Spring, and would have to re-take my second year, basically entirely. For psychological and financial reasons, this was not an option for me. Instead, I decided I would take as many Psychology courses as I could fit into my schedule as electives, so I could be taking the required prerequisites for my master’s degree Clinical Psychology.

Unfortunately, Queen’s Life Science Major program limits the number of Psychology credits you can take to 15.0, drastically limiting my ability to achieve the education I would like in the field I am passionate about.

For these reasons, additional courses at Dalhousie University are not merely desirable, they are essential. Studying at Dalhousie would allow me circumvent Queen’s PSYC credit limits and take extra courses that will count as prerequisites for my post-graduate education and fulfill my deep desire to pursue a career in my field.

The second reason for my petition is more personal. I have attached a letter for my family physician, who has been regularly treating me for mental health concerns. Last year, I became the primary support person and mental health first aid provider for ¾ of my housemates (who are also my long-time friends from high school). Within a short time, one was contending with the death of a parent, another was coping with sexual assault and mental illness, and the third a severe eating disorder, for which I organized and led an intervention.

All these events had a significant impact on my mental health, and I began to spiral into depression. I was no longer able to attend class, sleep at night, or be the student I had consistently been my entire academic career. Although treatment and medication eventually improved my symptoms, the impact on my transcript is permanent. It reflects not my abilities or commitment, but a period of profound emotional strain for which I had no preparation.

The opportunity to study at Dalhousie not only opens my eyes to new subjects and Professors, but allows me to be closer to family, and provides a new academic and social environment, that will foster my progress and healing, and allow me to reach my full potential as a student, and a young woman. I am deeply committed to turning my academic trajectory around, and this petition is a crucial part of that process.

Thank you kindly your time and consideration. I sincerely hope you will grant me exemption to be able to take 12.0 credits at Dalhousie in Fall 2026, so that I may further my pursuit for higher academics in the field I am passionate about while also prioritizing my well-being.

Sincerely,
Atlee Murray


P.s: My primary care physician is out of the country until March 18th so is unable to provide me with a letter until that date. I will forward the supporting documentation when I am able to receive it, but I need to see if my credits will be approved sooner if possible.