Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Dr. Johanna Bènard,

Good afternoon. My name is Sam Gillon and I am a 21 year old full time student at Queen¿¿s university. I am writing to you today to request an appeal for a late course drop for all my classes this past school year (2017-2018), with the exception of ENGL 278, which I am requesting to have appealed as a CR request.

I understand that is asking a lot. I ask this because my past year has been riddled with mental health complications that I failed to recognize or admit to myself until the damage had been done and my academic year ended in complete failure.

I have learned that depression, anxiety and possibly even attention-based learning disabilities like ADD have been plaguing me for years, and these illnesses came to a distinct figurehead this past academic year. They prevented me from doing common things like leaving my bed or getting up to eat breakfast or lunch, and as a result, achieving success in my schooling appeared to me as a distant dream.

Since then, I have begun undergoing medical treatments and therapy to ensure that my mental health is at a comfortable and functioning level. In Mid-April, I met with Dr. McNevin of the psychology department, where he confirmed many of the suspicions I was beginning to have about my deteriorating mental health. In a letter he wrote assessing my situation, Dr. McNevin states that I was unable to participate in my course work in ¿¿any meaningful way¿. I have attached a photograph of this letter to my email, as I understand that university policy is for a professional note to accompany an appeal.

Since April, I have been undergoing a comprehensive treatment plan that involves Cognitive Brain Therapy (CBT), a low dose of medication, and continued support and appraisal from the team at LaSalle. Already I find myself feeling and acting more like myself, and as the treatment progresses through the summer I anticipate to be feeling fantastic and ready for school come September.

I also have begun to undertake some academic habit-building on my own. Making a routine out of things like waking up and going to the library, or writing about my thoughts, have made my mind much more active and engaged with the world around me. Engagement is something that I specifically lacked last year as a symptom of my mental illness¿¿, and I believe by actively preparing for a more engaged year throughout the summer will also help me to undertake a success return to form in my academic career at Queen¿¿s University.

I desperately want to succeed at Queen¿¿s. I love this school and have dreamt of graduating at Grant Hall since I was a little boy. Please allow me to continue my education without the millstone of depression hanging around my neck, and I will do great things in my remaining time here at Queen¿¿s.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my appeal, I hope to hear from you as soon as possible.

Regards,
-Sam Gillon