Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Johane Benard
Associate Dean (Studies)
Faculty of Arts and Science
11 April 2018
Dear Dr.Benard,
Request:
I am writing in order to request approval for a late drop of PHIL ¿¿ 270 Minds and Machines, which would otherwise result in a fail, due to extenuating circumstances.
Explanation:
The aforementioned request for a late drop comes about via what can be described as nothing less than extenuating circumstances. Extenuating circumstances can be defined as ¿¿a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond the student¿¿s control debilitating his/her academic performance.¿ Below I will provide an account of my own circumstance in order to provide evidence of debilitation requiring academic accommodation.
Over the summer whilst working away from home I began to feel the excitement I once had for academia return and planned to return to school with a positive mindset and promising plan. Upon arriving in Toronto in September and being back in my house I never felt farther from home, as I learnt that over the course of the summer in my absence my parents had separated. My father recently lost his long standing job and they cannot afford to live apart. I dropped courses in order to travel back and forth to Toronto in hopes of salvaging their marriage. Living in a broken house drove me to intense bouts of depression and anxiety where upon returning to school I would be bedridden for weeks unable to do anything but think about my family¿¿s future.
Weeks of constant phone calls home lasted until Christmas Break, I returned home to find my parents sitting in silence seemingly after another dispute. That was until they told me of my oldest family friends from Winnipeg was diagnosed with Cancer that was quite advanced. Upon receiving this news, I began to ponder my life without this person and could not bear the thought or feelings that came with it. I am currently suffering from Anorexia/Bulimia that derived from my depression and the trauma of the aforementioned events. I have lost and gained upwards of 80lbs since the beginning of the school year and have been unable to perform many cognitive and physical tasks required due to malnourishment.
During my first year at Queen¿¿s University I struggled to balance the various aspects of my life and I was placed on Academic Probation and entered into the General Arts Program. My plan this year was to regain Honors Standing and alleviate my probation. All the courses I have chosen to burden myself with this year are meeting my own expectations and that of my probation with the exception of PHIL ¿¿ 270. The timing of when I was enrolled in PHIL ¿¿ 270 was precisely when my symptoms began to worsen, heading into second semester. Due to ongoing symptoms that were often paralyzing I was unable to perform a mandatory assessment. Failure to complete said assessment will ultimately result in the failure of said course and therefore I would be in violation of my probation. I feel as though I am a victim a circumstance as my attempt to regain hold of my academic career was thwarted by polarizing events completely out of my own control but, affect me dearly and daily.
Plan:
Meetings with Academic Advisory Staff, my extended family, and health specialists have ensured me that despite the extenuating circumstances preventing the achievement of immediate success that dedication and faith in myself and my studies ultimately determine success. The dropping of this course will allow for the alleviation of my probation as well as not further hindering my GPA as I try for Honors. I have spoken to an Academic Advisor about what is required to meet Honors Degree Standards and have developed a plan to enroll in the summer courses necessary to achieve such status prior to the 2018 Fall Semester. I hope to have the opportunity to prove to myself that when removed from the circumstances I have encountered this year I am capable of success.

Sincerely,

Griffin Owen
Student ID: 20005221