Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Stephenson,

I am appealing to drop all courses BCHM310AB, EPID301, MICR360, NSCI323, PHAR340 of fall 2019 after the drop deadline. Due to extenuating circumstances which have severely impacted my ability to function, I have not been able to attend class and complete the required assessments. On the weekend of September 7 2019, I experienced sexual assault. Since then I have sought treatment at KGH as well as Student Wellness in order to receive medical help as well as help with mental health.

My social anxiety had recurred making it difficult to leave my room and the depression was getting worse. In my time at Queen¿¿s this semester, I had attended less than 3 weeks of class and poorly completed a midterm due to arising sleep issues. One of the ways to return to a functioning capacity that was suggested was to increase the dosage on my medication (anti-depressant/anti-anxiety) as I was still adjusting. Unfortunately, this caused me to sleep about 20-22 hours a day for weeks, deteriorating my health (was not eating and drinking minimal water only) and seeking treatment in the emergency department of KGH. Sleep has always been an issue for me (and is also one reasons I had registered with QSAS) so it was hard to recognize that I was being overdosed until my housemates had realized they hadn¿¿t seen me leave my room in 2 weeks. To combat the overdose, I had to slowly wean off the medication which caused severe withdrawal symptoms for about 3 weeks.

I have tried to do everything in my capability to get myself together but after discussing with medical professionals as well as family, we have decided it¿¿s in my best interest to take time off school and seek more intensive medical treatment in Toronto to access resources (CAMH, sleep clinics, regular visits with a physician) to better my physical and mental health.

The reason I have not/was unable to drop courses before now was that I was hopeful that by seeking medical attention and using the resources around me I would be able to return to a functioning state. With the overdose in medication and inability to take care of myself, I was not functional enough to drop courses or make decisions for myself. My plan is to return home to have my brother and mother supporting me throughout medical treatment and take the winter 2020 semester off. I plan to return to Queen¿¿s for the fall semester of 2020 and reach out to an academic advisor as well as other resources within the school in order to attempt a smooth transition back.