Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Whom it May Concern:

I am submitting this appeal with the hope that my failing grade in PSYC 235 (professor: Layla Hall) be amended from my transcript or at least bumped up a few percent to qualify as a pass. As a result of this course being online, I was required to pass the final exam in order to pass the course however I did not meet this requirement. I have never failed a course before, regardless of what was going on in my life, and for this reason I did not seek accommodation prior to the exam.

For the majority of my time at Queen's I have been battling with Persistent Depressive Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I have managed to pass all of my courses thus far with the exception of PSYC 235 while simultaneously trying to heal and recover from these mental illnesses. However, I was reluctant to seek help prior to this exam because I did not want to admit to myself that I needed the help or that I was not able to successfully complete the course/exam.

Persistent Depressive Disorder is a mental illness in which one experiences symptoms of major depression for a number of years. Major Depressive Disorder is a mental illness characterized, in my case, my intense feelings of isolation, melancholy, suicidal ideation, apathy, and a general disregard for my own well-being. I tried to study as much and as effectively as I could however these symptoms made it incredibly difficult. For example, I was not taking care of myself hygienically, I would not eat, I could not sleep or I slept too much, I spent whole days in bed unable to get up, and much more.

I experienced a particularly serious bout of depression just after reading week in February of this year that I am still trying to recover from. I believe this is when my academic performance began to suffer. Several other courses were affected as well but not to the extent of a failing grade. I tried my best to phone my family doctor, as he does not reside in Kingston, when things got particularly tough but there is only so much he could do from a distance. I spoke to my family daily in the hopes that their love and support would give me some motivation. My housemates helped me by cooking me meals and encouraging me to bathe. Now that I am home for the summer I am going to see my family doctor every 2 weeks and a psychotherapist every week.

I am not 100 clear on what can be done in my situation regarding my failing grade but I would very much appreciate being considered for review and a possible resolution.

With kind regards,
Natalie Jasper