Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean of Studies,

I am appealing to receive aegrotat standing (AG) in COMM 221 (Winter 2018) because of the mental health issues I am currently suffering from as a result of the traumatic experiences I have endured this semester. I have provided a note from my doctor here at Queen's La Salle further explaining this.

Throughout this entire year, I have been suffering from constant anxiety and periods of depression that has seriously affected my academic performance this year. The past few weeks especially have led to a severe drop in motivation, resulting in me not completing any work for days on end. I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder last year which I have been seeing a counselor I started medication for in February 2018 to help me deal with this. This was something I had to deal with in first year as well, however, my situation dramatically escalated this year. In September of 2017, one of my housemates who was my best friend at the time tried to commit suicide and I was the one who found her directly after and accompanied her to the hospital. This caused a serious strain on my mental health that got worse and worse as the semester went on. I was in a terrible mental state last semester as I was constantly anxious, and this dramatically affected my grades, motivation, eating habits and sleeping habits. This caused me to do terribly on my midterm exams. While I was getting better at the beginning of this semester due to an improvement in the situation as well as with taking medication, I, unfortunately, went through another traumatic experience. Over reading week of 2018, I was raped by a fellow Queen's student. Since this incident, I have never experienced worse mental health. I have hardly completed any work, cannot bring myself to care about anything, am constantly sleeping or lying in bed, and I have terrible eating habits, and this is showing no signs of stopping. This has seriously affected my academic performance as it has resulted in me performing poorly on midterms that I know I could have exceeded on, had I not been in the middle of dealing with such an extenuating circumstance. It has affected a midterm for ECON 222, a paper for POLS 264 and ECON 232 as well as my studying for COMM 221, resulting in me not applying myself to the course at all. School and my grades have always been incredibly important to me so such a dramatic switch in my mood is incredibly serious for me. While I am trying to improve my mental state, this is still left out of my control as I am waiting for my medication to fully kick in and I am still dealing with the aftermath of the rape.

To counteract these effects, I am in the process of getting academic accommodation for the remaining assignments I have this semester, as well as getting extra time for my remaining final exams. I am working with my doctor, as well as multiple counselors and professionals to get my mental health back on track and properly deal with being a rape victim. I am seeing two counselors through the Student Wellness Center, one for my anxiety, and one for sexual assault as well as a social worker at KGH. Once I get my mental health back on track, I know I will be able to continue excelling at school and working my hardest. Up until these incidents, I have always been a successful and motivated student and I know I can be again.

Thank you for your consideration,
Rachel Hilson