Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean of Arts & Science,

I am appealing to drop PSY235 Abnormal Psychology past the deadline. I have documentation that identifies me as having suffered from an abnormal amount of anxiety during the final weeks of this course, therefore hindering my ability to pass the exam which meant failing the entire course. I was not aware that my stress and anxiety was severe enough to be considered a problem or that it would affect me in such a negative way.

During the summer semester from May 2015 until July 2015 I took two online university courses. At this time I was also working 25+ hours a week at my part-time job. When it came time for the assignments I was fine with the time frames given, everything was always handed early or on time. I did well on my assignments and was going into my final exam with 52 (not having done the final).

The day before my Queen's exam, I wrote an exam at 7pm. I then had to write the Queen's exam the next day at 2pm. Not being able to sleep well due to my anxiety, it affected my ability to articulate all that I had studied for. I studied for weeks but still I felt like I couldn't remember and express everything I had learned. I began to stress out during my final even further. This is a level of anxiety I had not experienced before and so a cycle of panic began and I ultimately failed the exam with a 45, needing a 50 to pass. Due to Queen's regulation of having to pass the final to pass the course, I have failed the entire course due to undue anxiety.

Although I had been managing things up until the point of the exam, the timing of it, along with the challenges of my personal life, having recently moved to Toronto, pushed my mental capacity for stress beyond its limit.

Thank you for considering this appeal. I have learned that I need to seek support to help deal with this issue going forward; however, I would be greatly appreciative if you agreed that the negative consequences of this course were well beyond my reasonable means of control at the time.

I have attached a Physician's note outlining that I did meet the criteria for an Anxiety Disorder. Please contact me for any further information.


Kind Regards,


Stephanie Roy
14srr3@queensu.ca
1-705-822-7139

I've communicated with my profs and other staff at the university.
(Mike Best, Layla Hall, David Youssef, Berverly King)