Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern,

I am an economics student who took Math 126 last school year. Due to extenuating circumstances, beyond my control, I am appealing to extend my IN grade. The recent timeline of my extenuating circumstances is as follows; during the exam season of April 2019 I found myself struggling greatly to manage the mental health issues with which I have been diagnosed, namely anxiety and depression. I found myself in a state of acute anxiety and intense depression, making it incredibly difficult for me to study and write exams. As a result I was unable to write my calculus exam that spring. In cooperation with QSAS, professor Dixit, and the department, I was able to get my exam deferred to September 7th. It was my hope that by the fall, the state of my mental health would have improved. Unfortunately, despite my attempts to improve my health, this improvement has yet to occur and I am sadly in the same state I was when I originally deferred the exam.

For the past several years I have been seeing counselors and therapists and I have been prescribed several medications in different doses to try and find the specific combination that can help alleviate some of the symptoms from which I suffer. This August I altered my dose of antidepressants. Positive effects of a change in dosage in these medications typically takes around 6 weeks to manifest, and in this period your brain must adjust. I am currently going through this adjustment period. Because my mental health is just as poor as when I originally had my exam deferred, I am deferring the exam to a later date, when I will hopefully be in a state to write the exam. My condition has made it very difficult to study, recall information, and perform under pressure. Despite me devoting a significant portion of my time to studying, due to my condition this has not had the same impact that it would have on most. I truly wanted to write the exam this Saturday and I am very disappointed that my condition is the same as it was this spring.

Because I am requesting to defer the exam further, I am required to appeal to extend my IN grade. I believe that this appeal should be considered because I am still suffering from the same issues that necessitated my deferral in the spring. Furthermore, I am actively attempting to ameliorate my mental health. Unfortunately, this process has been longer than expected. I have documentation from several sources including QSAS, my counsellor at Queen's, my therapist in Vancouver, and my family doctor, although for some of these documents I may require a few extra days to submit. I have also discussed this with Jennine Ball, Undergraduate Advisor for the economics department, and she has supported me going through with this appeal. If you require any further documentation do not hesitate to ask. I am very grateful for your consideration and look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Cameron Muirhead