Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dr. Horton,
I am writing to you with hopes that you will accept my appeal to drop two of the courses I am was enrolled in this past semester, as well as extend the drop deadlines for three courses I took during the Winter 2014 semester. The courses in question are POLS 280 and SOCY 284 from Fall 2014, and SOCY 309, SOCY 326, and POLS 212 from Winter 2014. A number of issues in my personal life have kept me from fulfilling my responsibilities as a student and I have been unable to attain grades which I feel reflect my ability under normal circumstances.
For the entirety of my four years at Queens I have struggled with mental health issues related to substance abuse. In prior semesters, I have had significant difficulty keeping up with assignments and class material but have always been able to complete enough of the work at a level of quality which has allowed me to maintain passing grades. However, the past year has seen my problem with drugs and alcohol spiral out of control and severely hinder my participation in school. I did seek assistance from Queen¿¿s Counseling Services beginning fall of 2013 regarding my isolation, drug use, and trouble completing work. At the beginning of winter of 2014, as I was starting to feel much more successful in school, my counselor and I made the decision to end our regular meetings. My drug use picked up again and continued into May when I made a firm decision to quit, which I was successful with throughout the summer. I also saw a psychologist regularly between June and August with the intent of staying on top of my mental health concerns. At this time, I intended to appeal the three courses from Winter 2014 within the 21-day deadline and had received support from my counselor to do so. However, as I began to feel better I convinced myself that I was better off simply moving on from the courses rather than entering the appeal process.

I began the fall semester of this school year on the right foot but began replacing my former drug habit with regular drinking in late October. With this, I stopped attending class and fell far behind on my assignments. In December I made an appointment with Joyce Hunter regarding my options for completing a general degree in place of my honours plan. She encouraged me to get in touch with my professors and return to the school¿¿s counseling service to do my best to salvage the semester, as well as try to appeal the courses from Winter 2014. I was able to make arrangements with professors for three of my courses to complete any outstanding assignments over the winter break, which I have done successfully.
Regarding my plans for the future, I have been in touch with my former counsellor at Queens HCDS and made plans with her to enroll in an addiction counseling service offered by Frontenac County Mental Health Services. I have also confirmed with an academic counselor that I am still on track to complete my full degree program at the end of this semester. Between professional help through FCMHS, an honest and supportive relationship with my family, and the resources available through the University I am confident that I will be able to end my time in Kingston with an academic year reflective of my personal capability and passion.
Thank you for your consideration of my appeal,
Jack O¿¿Donnell