Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to explain the health circumstances that significantly affected my academic functioning during the Fall 2025 term and contributed to my inability to complete schoolwork at my usual standard.

In August 2025, I was formally diagnosed with depression and an anxiety disorder. When I returned to Kingston for the Fall 2025 semester, I tried to seek support as early as possible by registering with Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS). I submitted my enrollment on September 16, 2025, because I understood that I would need academic support in order to manage my courses properly. However, due to the time required for the intake and registration process, I did not have my first meeting with my QSAS advisor until October 24, 2025. As a result, my accommodations were not put in place until relatively late in the semester, after I had already been struggling for several weeks without formal academic support.

At the same time, beginning in late September 2025, my psychiatrist at Student Wellness adjusted my medication. This medication change was medically necessary, but the adjustment period was extremely difficult for me. My understanding is that antidepressant changes often require a gradual tapering and transition period, and in my case, it took approximately two months before I was able to function more steadily. During that adjustment period, my health was significantly impaired. I was not only struggling academically, but also having difficulty carrying out normal daily tasks, including cooking, cleaning, and basic self-management. My energy, concentration, and memory all worsened substantially. I found it very difficult to process information, retain material, organize tasks, and complete work in a timely and consistent way.

Because these symptoms affected my overall functioning, they had a direct impact on my academic performance. The issue was not a lack of effort or commitment to my studies. Rather, I was dealing with a serious decline in my ability to function at a basic level while also trying to manage a full academic term before my accommodations were fully in place. In particular, the decline in my memory and concentration made it especially difficult to keep up with course content, deadlines, and responsibilities in the way I normally would.

My situation began to improve somewhat in December 2025, when my family came to Kingston and helped take care of me during that period. Their support made a meaningful difference in my day-to-day stability and allowed me to begin recovering some structure in my routine. By that point, I was also further along in adjusting to my medication and had finally begun receiving support through QSAS. Once these supports were in place and my condition became somewhat more stable, I made a strong effort to improve my academic performance and re-engage with my responsibilities as much as possible.

I want to emphasize that I take my academics very seriously, and it has been very important to me to regain the ability to work and study normally. My more recent academic performance reflects that commitment. In the current term, I have been taking the same course load, but my functioning has improved significantly compared with Fall 2025. I have adapted much better to my medication, and I have received consistent support from QSAS, Student Wellness, my family, and my friends. With those supports in place, I have been able to put substantial effort into my coursework, complete assignments to a much higher standard, and meet nearly all deadlines. This improvement is important to me because it demonstrates that the earlier difficulties were tied to a genuine health crisis and delayed access to accommodations, rather than a lack of motivation or willingness to work.

I fully understand the importance of academic standards and personal responsibility. I am not asking for special treatment without basis. Rather, I am asking that my performance during that period be considered in the context of the documented health circumstances I was experiencing at the time: a recent diagnosis of depression and anxiety, a difficult medication transition, substantial cognitive and functional impairment, and a delay in receiving accessibility accommodations until late October. These factors combined to create a situation in which I was not able to perform academically at my normal level despite my best efforts.

Since then, I have taken concrete steps to improve my situation. I have continued treatment, worked with QSAS, remained in contact with Student Wellness, relied on family and peer support, and developed more stable routines for managing schoolwork. I remain committed to my academic progress and to continuing this improvement going forward.

Thank you very much for taking the time to consider my petition and the circumstances described above. I sincerely appreciate your understanding.

Sincerely,
Alice Lin
Student ID: 20328669