Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean, Dr. Dorit Naaman, I am petitioning that 30 units be granted as credit standing due to extenuating circumstances beyond my control that had a direct and sustained impact on my academic performance.
In late December 2021, my younger brother passed away. This was a significant and unexpected loss that affected my mental health during a critical transition period. I did not have adequate time or support to process this event, and I entered university already experiencing emotional strain and reduced capacity to manage academic demands. Additionally, my parents live in Saudi Arabia, which made it difficult to access in-person family support during this time. The physical distance limited my ability to fully process and recover from this loss, further affecting my mental well-being.
At the same time, I was dealing with undiagnosed ADHD, along with anxiety and OCD traits. Prior to this event, I had ongoing difficulties with focus, organization, and time management, however, I was still able to maintain a good level of academic performance. Following my brother’s passing, these challenges intensified and began to directly interfere with my ability to function in my personal life and academically. Beginning in my first year and continuing into subsequent terms, I experienced a consistent decline in my academic performance. I had difficulty attending lectures regularly and, when I did attend, I struggled to maintain focus and process the information that was being taught. This made it difficult to keep up with course material and created hardships in understanding that carried into assignments and exams. I also had significant difficulty starting and completing assignments. Tasks took longer than expected, and I was often unable to organize or prioritize my workload effectively. This resulted in missed deadlines and work that did not reflect my actual understanding of the material. These patterns were consistent across multiple courses and terms. Exam performance was similarly affected. Under time constraints, I had trouble concentrating, organizing my thoughts, and recalling information. Even when I know I had prepared with the best of my ability and knew the material, I was not able to demonstrate my knowledge effectively. In addition, my undiagnosed ADHD and associated anxiety affected my ability to seek academic support. I lacked the confidence to attend office hours or approach professors, even when I was struggling. I often felt disorganized and unsure of my understanding, which led me to avoid asking for help. This limited my ability to address the root cause of my difficulties in my learning and contributed further to my academic decline.
At the time, I did not have a diagnosis and did not understand the cause of these difficulties. I attributed them to poor time management or lack of discipline and attempted to manage them independently. Due to stigma around mental health within my family, I delayed seeking professional support. As a result, I did not receive appropriate treatment or academic accommodations during the period in which my performance declined. On April 5, 2026, I was formally diagnosed with combined ADHD, with co-occurring OCD and anxiety traits. I have since begun treatment and prescribed the appropriate medication. Although I am still in the early stages of treatment, I have already began to see improvements in my focus, consistency, and ability to complete tasks. This diagnosis provides an explanation for the academic difficulties I experienced throughout my time at Queens. The combination of unresolved personal circumstances and undiagnosed ADHD directly affected my ability to meet academic expectations during that time. Since receiving my diagnosis, I have taken concrete steps to address these challenges. I am engaging in regular mental check-ups, developing structured study and time management strategies, and started my registration with Queens Student Accessibility Services to ensure I receive proper guidance and accommodations to further improve my academics. I also plan to consistently attend office hours and communicate with instructors to address difficulties early.
Granting credit standing for these units would allow my academic record to reflect my current abilities and circumstances more accurately. Instead of having multiple low grades that were the result of undiagnosed ADHD and related challenges, I would be able to move forward with a more level starting point. This would reduce the long-term impact these circumstances have on my academic standing and future opportunities, and better reflect my potential now that I have a diagnosis and appropriate support in place. I am confident that my future performance will more accurately reflect my abilities.
I will provide supporting documentation, including a letter from my medical provider, and a formal diagnosis letter once I receive it.
Thank you for your time and consideration