Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean of Studies,

The purpose of this appeal is twofold. I am writing both to request aegrotat status be granted for ENGL 237, ENGL 321, ENGL 365 and ENG 441, as well as requesting that SPAN P10 be dropped. An academic advisor recently informed me that this course is not actually necessary for the completion of my degree requirements.

The last few weeks of term have been very difficult for me, as in the middle of Week 11 I was sexually assaulted. This traumatic event has had a significant impact on my physical, emotional, and psychological health. The limited classes that I was able to attend in the end of Week 11 and beginning of Week 12 I barely felt present for. I felt anxious, distracted, and could scarcely concentrate on the lecturer¿¿s content. It was often all I could do to try and stay in the room. During my few attempts at out of class studying, I felt extremely vacant and distracted, and had trouble focusing on material for more then ten minutes at a time.

By the Tuesday of the final week of classes, I was experiencing strong depressive feelings and general exhaustion from all of the emotional stress I was under. I was recommended by Hagar, the sexual assault counsellor on campus, to go home early for the Easter Break so as to better focus on my own well being outside of the stressful academic environment. Though this break did help to improve my condition somewhat, I find I am still struggling with concentration and emotional issues. My moods often shift suddenly, and it is difficult for me to predict hour by hour how I will feel. I often have difficulty staying engaged in conversations with friends or watching a movie without experiencing mental fatigue or even flashbacks, none of which would be conducive to sharp concentration necessary for the writing of a final exam.

I have been accessing multiple forms of support, both psychological and medical, on campus and at home. I have been making regular appointments to talk to both Hagar and my own personal counsellor. The day after the attack, I met with Margot Coulter in Human Rights and a Sexual Assault Nurse at KGH. I have also met several times with Gywnn Dujardin, one of my professors, and Shelly King, the Head of the English Department, both of whom support and encourage my decision to apply for aegrotat standing.

Overall, I have had an amazing undergraduate experience at Queen¿¿s. Through a combination of both my academic and extra-curricular involvement, I have been able to form a really incredible group of friends here and create a home like environment for myself. As a student, I have prided myself on being conscientious and hard working in all that I do. I have always shown up to class and participated actively in the discussions, a fact about which I feel confident all of my professors would agree. I would like my final grades from this semester and this year to be a reflection of the work I have already put in and the student that I know I am, rather than damaging them by trying to write exams for which I am unable to study. In addition, I am contemplating Graduate School and would prefer not to have my transcript and subsequent opportunities blemished by what has happened at the very end of my four years at Queen¿¿s. My main goal now is to be able to wrap up these courses and my degree with grades I can feel proud of, graduate on time as I had planned to and not to allow this individual to take any more from me than he already has.

I appreciate your consideration of my appeal.

Sincerely,
Megan Hendry