Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean,

I am appealing to drop BCHM 218 MICR 221 BIOL 330 PSYC 100 BIOL 350 HLTH 102 MUSC 102 BIOL 322 ECON 111 CISC 102 from January 2014 to June 2017.

I have had long-term problems with anxiety and depression that became difficult to manage in late 2013 and progressively worsened and included substance use issues in the following three years. The combination of these factors has affected my academic performance in several ways. When my depression initially worsened, inability to sleep led to low energy and mood making it difficult to maintain personal relationships and meet deadlines for group work and weekly assignments. This contributed to my social anxiety which made going outside or attending and focusing on lectures very difficult. My appetite decreased and I ate infrequently which led to a further lack of energy to focus on studying. During this period, I developed a substance use issue which I am now managing through counselling. Substance use affected my focus and memory as well as ability to communicate which had an impact on exams and written assignments.

I was seen by a psychiatrist at the Hotel Dieu from August 2014 to September 2015 and a combination of changes in my personal life and family earlier this year motivated me to seek counselling through HCDS. I have been meeting regularly with a counsellor at HCDS since the beginning of August of this year and have begun taking medication through health services to help manage my depression. Since meeting with a counsellor and discussing ways of dealing with depression and social anxiety I have found my mood increase enough to find motivation to make changes to diet and exercise. These changes have further helped improve my focus and gradually reduce the substance use. I plan to continue to work to manage my depression and anxiety in the future and focus on academics.

Should the appeal be granted, I would take one to two courses at a time to fulfill the requirements for my degree. During this time, I will make an active effort to get involved in volunteering to manage my social anxiety, and will seek out help from professors or TAs if I struggle with any course content. I plan to continue with counselling and medication through HCDS or a private counsellor to help manage my depression and prevent any further substance use.

Thank you for your time,
Evan Cheeseman