Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dr. Dorit Naaman,
I am petitioning for a late course drop for my 2025 winter term courses: GDNS 311, GNDS 370, PHIL 296, SOCY 284, SOCY 305. I have struggled with my mental health since I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder at age 7, and depression at age 16. I have been on medication since 2020, which gets changed every year due to mental health meds typically becoming less effective over time. When I started my first year at Queen’s in fall 2022, I lowered my course load from five to three courses when I found I was struggling a little to deal with being away from home for the first time and juggling classes and my mental health, and seemed to handle everything better as a result. In my second year, I began struggling a lot more, and by the 2024-2025 academic year things were becoming untenable. I still believed I could continue into my fourth year, but in October 2025 I attempted suicide after dealing with a severe depressive episode over the course of the previous year. At that point my studies (along with everything else) were simply too much to handle and I was unable to complete my courses successfully and with good standing. I had failed my Winter 2025 courses due to an inability to get out of bed, and continued to believe I could bounce back throughout the semester. I had already suffered from low grades in Fall 2024 but I had hoped things could turn around. Over the past year and a half I have made several visits to the hospital regarding both suicide attempts and mental health crises, and have been prescribed several different medications for my diagnosed Major Depressive Disorder as well as my Anxiety disorder. These medications have side effects such as feeling lethargic, anxious, weight fluctuation, nausea, headaches, etc. And ultimately the combination of side effects, and my mental health in general, made completing my courses incredibly difficult. Starting in October 2024, my family doctor tried to get me in to see a psychiatrist but none were available. She re-submitted the referral every few months, to no avail, so I couldn’t get anyone to review my medication, which was making things worse. In my second and third year at Queen’s I was in a both physically and mentally abusive relationship which also had a hand in the mental health crisis that I suffered from. I have since been able to remove myself from the situation. The first step that I took to get my mental health under control was asking for help. I called my parents from the hospital in October 2025 and told them what I had done. They came to get me and brought me back to my hometown to try to focus on my mental health for a few months. I had hoped to be back at school in January but instead went through a very difficult several months, resulting in returning to the ER in February. From there my parents were able to finally get me in to see a psychiatrist. I have been put on a new medication regimen, have started DBT therapy with a new therapist, and I am on a waitlist for a psychoeducational assessment to see if I have been living with undiagnosed ADHD and if that has also been affecting me. I am open with my parents and friends, and have found support and feel a lot different than I did six months ago. I would like to be able to drop the courses from Winter 2025 so my record won’t show so many failing grades, and I could have a chance to start over, this time stronger. I came to Queen’s on a scholarship and have been upset and disappointed in what has happened, and I know I can do better now that I’m feeling more stable and stronger. Thank you so much for your consideration.