Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dr Jenn Stephenson, Associate Dean (Studies)

I am appealing to drop BIOL335, Limnology and Aquatic Ecology (Fall, 2019).
Due to unforeseen circumstances, I have been unable to complete coursework to the best of my ability and have been unable to attend class with any consistency. Over the course of the semester, my prescribed medication to deal with my anxiety and depression has seemed to have less and less of an effect, and I have had trouble falling asleep, getting out of bed, motivating myself to action of any kind, and managing my time effectively. It has affected this course most of all due to early class times, which means I miss them more frequently, and a larger amount of work than my other courses. My deteriorating mental health led to poor physical health as well, and this combination was reflected in my course work, which was rushed, sloppy, and often incoherent. This culminated at the end of the semester when, the morning of my Lab Exam for this course, I was sick, exhausted, and unprepared, and I had an episode that brought me to the Queen¿¿s Wellness Crisis Centre, and caused me to miss the Lab Exam. Though I had considered appealing to redo the Lab Exam, I do not have confidence in my ability to recover from the mistakes of earlier in this semester, and my interest in the material does not surpass the stress it has caused. I would have dropped it earlier, but pressure and anxiety pushed me to try to keep going and do my best, while depression prevented me from achieving such. I have now realised that the best thing for my mental health is to drop this course and work towards bettering myself as I enter the new semester.
I have been in contact with Queen¿¿s Wellness, who have directed me to many strategies to overcome the thoughts and fears that often impair my thought process. Outside of Queen¿¿s I am currently seeking a form of recurrent counseling so that I am encouraged to stick with these strategies and not fall into another rut. I have also scheduled an appointment with my doctor to see about altering my prescription. I have also decided to stray away from Biology courses and focus on English, which is a subject I am passionate about and enjoy.

Thank you,
Quentin DiFrancesco,
20063801