Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern,

I am writing this letter with the intention of waiving the 21 day appeal deadline, extending the incomplete status on two courses, appealing for a standing credit, and dropping some courses. I have previously made an appeal to drop a course due to personal reasons that were affecting me academically; the appeal was granted and contained documentation from my doctor as well as a death certificate for my late grandfather. Since then my personal situation has only grown worse and I find myself in a position where my academic performance has suffered severely. My depression has grown worse over the past couple years and it is undoubtedly linked to the events in my personal and family life.

A couple years ago my father was diagnosed with cancer and severe anemia and I had to do a lot of traveling back home to help because of how weak he was. These trips often caused me to miss class and assignments; I should have been more vocal to my professors so that accommodations might have been made. Though, I have difficulty opening up and showing vulnerability. Fortunately my Dad recently had surgery to remove his cancer and is now cancer free, but as a result of the surgery he has developed a groinal hernia that stifles his movement significantly. I'm doing my best to balance family and education, but the health and wellness of family wears down on me more. In addition to the health difficulties with my family, I found that my partner in a relationship of two years had been unfaithful when I was in a state of great vulnerability. Along with the initial diagnosis of my Dad this was one of the single most emotionally devastating moments of my life. After this event my depression took a suffocating hold over my life; I rarely left my room and seldom ate more than once a day, some days I would not have the willpower to get out of bed at all. I still have days like this, but they are becoming increasingly infrequent. During the darkest times I still managed to do well in the classes that allowed me to complete work from my room, but overall my academic performance suffered.

As for the 21 day appeal deadline, it escaped my mind due to all the other things happening in my life. I was so focused on trying to feel better and take care of my family that it did not even occur to me. After a lot of time and recuperation, I finally find myself strong enough mentally and physically to take action and correct the other aspects of my life that suffered collaterally. The first order is to put myself in good academic standing again as I intend to return with renewed fortitude and achieve like I did in my first year here at Queen's.

Thank you for your consideration. I remain,

Taylor Kalamut