Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: September 07, 2017

Dear Associate Dean (Studies),

I am appealing to drop GEOL 106 and to attain Credit Standing in BIOL 206 and BCHM 218 (Winter 2017). During the 2017 winter semester I suffered from depression and anxiety. The generalized anxiety disorder was diagnosed in January, 2017 at the Lasalle Clinic at Queens University by Dr. Forester and I was prescribed medication and psychotherapy. At the end of winter semester my family physician, Dr. Sylvie Clouthier, in Ottawa began following me while away from school and diagnosed me with moderate to severe depression and generalized anxiety disorder (supporting documents included).

The anxiety and depression made pursuing my academics a very difficult task. It had a serious impact on my ability to concentrate on tasks for even a short amount of time. This made studying very difficult but also researching and writing reports became more challenging than they had been in previous years. Additionally, I also had trouble getting myself to school; my anxiety made it almost impossible for me to leave my bedroom on a daily basis. Most days, I could not muster the courage to leave my room until I had a mandatory lab or tutorial. I would stay in my room trying to avoid my academic responsibilities because I could not bear to face them. This significantly contributed to my missing classes and studying and completing assignments at the last minute. As a result, many of my assignments did not have the quality I expect of myself and did not go in to tests or exams feeling that I had a deep understanding of the material. As my grades began to slip, I realized I needed help to succeed in my courses. Unfortunately, my social anxiety made asking for help from peers, professors and T.A.s very difficult, so I could not reach out for the help that I very much needed. The less success I had in school the more my anxiety grew and the worse these problems became.

Fortunately, throughout this past summer I have continued treatment and with the structure of home and a supportive family, I feel that I am returning to Queens much healthier compared to last year. My final assessment with Dr. Clouthier showed significant improvement with the depression and anxiety. I have worked hard to develop healthier coping strategies and organizational skills in order to minimize my stress and maximize effective work. Using a combination of exercise, psychotherapy and prescription drugs, I feel significantly better and look forward to this academic year.

This year I plan to use the skills I¿¿ve learned over the summer to succeed academically while monitoring my mental health to avoid some of the pitfalls that I fell into last year. I have taken steps to continue seeing my psychologist in Kingston, resume treatment with Dr. Forester, continue my medication and I have joined clubs to ensure I remain physically active and socially engaged. This year I feel more confident that I will be able to tackle tasks earlier and reach out for help from peers, professors and, T.A.s when there is a subject I don¿¿t understand. GEOL 106, BIOL 206 and BCHM 218 significantly impact my GPA and my ability to complete an honours degree; therefore, I would greatly appreciate if you would consider this request.

Yours Sincerely,
Patrick Marshall