Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing this letter of appeal to request a late-drop of my POLS 358 course with Professor Grant Amyot. Professor Amyot is a great instructor and I have found this course to be very interesting. It is with regret that I am submitting this appeal, but I am entirely confident it is the best decision for me.
When I started my time at Queen??s in 2018, I had no idea what challenges lay ahead for me. I had no idea that in August of 2019 my mother would be diagnosed with lung cancer. I did not know she would pass away in February of 2020. During this hardship, I have been incredibly grateful and blessed to be supported by friends, family, peers, and this institution.
Recently, I read The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. As such an esteemed author, she describes grief far better than I could hope to. Didion says that ??grief turns out to be a place none of us know until we reach it?. Moreover, in reflecting on the loss of her husband nearly a year after his death, she states that ??the craziness is receding but no clarity is taking its place. I look for resolution and find none?. The poignancy of these statements resonates deeply with me right now.
In early March of this year my Uncle Don, my mom??s youngest and favourite brother, passed away suddenly in his sleep at age 58. This event has triggered immense senses of grief and loss in myself. Although I have tried my hardest to return to normalcy and dedicate myself to friends, study and rejuvenation, the power of grief is more than I can bare. At this moment, my brain is not as sharp as it could be, my drive for success is not a bright, my willingness to fight has receded. I will be fine. And I will be better. But right now, I need to grieve. And I need a break.
Being allowed to drop POLS 358 would be immensely appreciated. Due to communication with my instructors, I am confident I can finish my remaining courses this semester. I am not confident I will be able to finish POLS 358. It is an elective which I can make up next year at Queen??s. It is a course adding much stress to my life right now. Right now, I need to simplify things for myself.
Thank you for your kind consideration of this request.
Best,
Ross Sample (20105190)