Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

I am appealing to drop BIOL 103 & GPHY 207 (Both Winter 2019 courses).

I would like to drop the courses because my mental health has been adverse. Depression, anxiety, & substance dependency essentially ruined my daily routine, greatly affecting my ability to do academic work in both BIOL 103 & GPHY 207. Being an international student from the Philippines, homesickness would often make me feel depressed; knowing that my family & support system was so far away affected me greatly. BIOL 103 was difficult for me to do academic work in because the entire course is predicated on memorization. It is unfortunate that I was not able to complete GPHY 207, it was the subject I had the most interest in. I reached out to the professor multiple times to discuss about reweighing grades & doing alternative requirements, same way I did for ENSC 315 & DEVS 240 (I finished all requirements by the end of May, after I did the final exams); Unfortunately, I never received a response so I am forced to just late drop the course. I was unable to focus on my academics, I stopped going to class most of the time since the 4th week of the Winter term because of my mental health. My poor mental health has been affecting me ever since I got to Canada in September 2017. I did not drop the course or approach a health professional earlier because I kept thinking I could deal with it myself, my past experiences with the SWS also gave me a feeling of futility. I approached the Student Academic Success Services in February to discuss notetaking, reading, and smart studying strategies but I was told to pay a visit to the Student Wellness Services when they heard of my issues. Firstly, I attended an Addictions class from the Addiction & Mental Health Services. Then, I met with an occupational therapist at the SWS every week from April 5 all the way till the last week of May; also sparingly met with the university chaplain for counselling. As of this point, I am making great progress with my recovery.

I am currently in the Philippines and am slowly but steadily working on my mental health. I am working to have a new health insurance processed. As soon as I receive that, I will register to be a patient at the Mood & Anxiety Centre at a hospital over here and also send all of my SWS discussion logs & documents to a psychiatrist. I will set up meetings with the psychiatrist and Anxiety center bi- weekly to constantly keep myself in check. I may get on Wellbutrin after I discuss with my psychiatrist. I will continue living a healthy lifestyle that involves healthy food, exercise, yoga/ meditation, counselling, social activities, outdoor/ nature activities, reading, and a creative/ financial outlet. I am going to study at a university over here in the Philippines instead of returning to Queen¿¿s University as I am much more comfortable here around my family and friends, a crucial support system I severely lacked in Canada. I will discuss with the universities here about transfer credits so I don¿¿t have to start all over again in my university journey, this will certainly lighten the physical & mental load. I am confident that my ongoing plans will support my academic goals of earning a degree with above average grades.