Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern,

This is a claim to support the filing for the academic appeal to drop a course after the deadline. I believe that I have a strong case for this appeal due to my diagnosis of dyslexia and the circumstances under which the assessments for the course in question were delivered.

In December of 2014, I was diagnosed to have a reading and writing weakness. This not only affects my abilities to read and write in my native tongue, German, but has an amplified effect on my academic performances if my classes are held in any additional language, in the case of my schooling for the past five years, English. Upon this diagnosis, I returned to my studies to find that I largely benefited with more time available to complete time sensitive assessments. In addition, the benefit of being in a less distracting environment helped me to use my time more efficiently when answering questions during those time sensitive assessments. I continued my academic career with this aid, which I believed truly placed me on the same level with the other students despite my weaknesses. This ultimately empowered and enabled me to strive for true academic success.

Going into the International Baccalaureate (IB), I was once again given the opportunity to receive academic aids that created an even playing field considering my diagnosis. While completing the IB program I was given 25 more time on all time sensitive evaluations, in addition, I was placed in a strategic location to minimize distractions by mostly other students.

Going into university, I personally decided against submitting the required documentation and placing an inquiry for more time on time sensitive assessments, despite it being heavily recommended to me. However, I chose not to take any action on the psychological basis that I have always had an issue with people knowing about my condition. Additionally, I wanted to avoid those offering me help as this personally made me feel to be treated as less intelligent than others. In hindsight, I realise that this was not the appropriate mind set to have coming into university, however, I have since applied for the appropriate accommodations to be made with the classes I am enrolled in this year.

I struggled very much during my first year at Queen's, yet I always assumed that that was due to my move to Canada and my transition into a different country on a different continent with an entirely different culture. However, it is only in very recent time that I came to the conclusion that this struggle with my academic performance was due to nothing other than the absence of the aids that I had received for years in my academic life leading up to university that allowed me to perform at the same level as all other students in spite of my dyslexia. It is because of this lack of aid throughout my courses in first year, in particular CISC 102 that I believe that I have a strong case for my appeal. Thank you in advance for your consideration.