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Petition Letter: Academic Petition Letter

Isabella Gendron
Student Number: 20542825
First-Year Student
Queen’s University

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to respectfully request permission to withdraw from SOCY 100 (Fall 2025), SOCY 101 (Winter 2026), and ENGL 112 (Winter 2026) after the academic deadline due to extenuating circumstances beyond my control that significantly affected my academic performance.

I have formal diagnoses of autism and depression, both of which substantially impacted my ability to meet the academic demands of these courses. Although I registered with Queen’s Accessibility Services, my accommodations were not implemented until October 31, 2025. As a result, I completed my fall midterms and other early assessments without the academic supports that I had consistently relied upon throughout high school, including extended time and scheduled breaks.

The delay in receiving accommodations negatively affected my ability to demonstrate my academic abilities during a critical part of the semester. Completing assessments without the necessary supports made it significantly more difficult to process information efficiently, manage timed examinations, and perform at the level I knew I was capable of achieving.

As the academic year progressed, my circumstances changed further when I was diagnosed with depression. While I had received accommodations related to testing, it became clear that my most significant barrier was maintaining consistent attendance and participation. My depression made attending classes regularly extremely difficult, particularly during the winter term. Because SOCY 101 and ENGL 112 placed meaningful weight on attendance and in-class participation, my grades were significantly affected by circumstances related to my disability rather than my understanding of the course material.

Since then, I have recognized that I require additional accommodations to appropriately address these barriers and am continuing to work with Accessibility Services to ensure my accommodation plan reflects my current needs.

My academic performance since this period demonstrates the impact that appropriate learning conditions have on my success. In my summer course, which does not include attendance as a graded component, I earned my strongest grade to date. This experience reinforced that when unnecessary barriers related to my disabilities are removed, I am able to engage with course material successfully and demonstrate my academic abilities.

The combination of delayed accommodations, evolving disability-related needs, and the later diagnosis of depression created circumstances that were largely beyond my control and had a significant impact on my performance in these three courses. I do not believe the resulting grades accurately reflect my abilities or academic potential.

For these reasons, I respectfully request approval to withdraw from SOCY 100, SOCY 101, and ENGL 112 after the academic deadline. I appreciate your time and consideration of my request.
Thank you for your understanding and consideration.

Sincerely,

Isabella Gendron