Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Letter: Spencer Jones
spencerjones430@gmail.com
(613) 539-5692
2022-07-24

Dear Board of Studies

I am appealing the Associate Dean??s decision to deny my appeal to drop GNDS 120 (Fall, 2020) after the academic deadline. I understand that my appeal was denied due to my lack of documentation. As I am still dealing with my mental and physical health issues, this appeal process has been difficult, hence my previous lack of documentation. Since hearing that my appeal was denied I have been able to go out and obtain my doctor's note which will be included. I was unable to obtain one from my second doctor as she is away until August. I would also like to provide a bit more detail on my extenuating circumstances, as well as my future plan. When moving to Queens in September of 2020 I had not anticipated my mental health issues. I had attended Queens until November of 2020 which in that time my mental and physical health only worsened. During October and the remainder of November I talked with my parents and academic help to aid in deciding that dropping out would be my best option considering my extenuating circumstances. To go more in depth on my extenuating circumstances, I??ve been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in addition to other mental disorders that are commonly co-occurring. One of which would be my eating disorder. During my studies, my BPD caused me to struggle with extreme emotional swings, feelings of emptiness, self destructive behaviors, and shifting self image. I lost interest in friends and activities as well as my work, when previously these all excited me. These symptoms alone made the required work seem impossible. When trying to start any task, especially larger ones, it is emotionally crippling. It would sometimes take me hours or days to recover from these emotional episodes. My eating disorder is what caused my physical health to deteriorate. I would go for weeks at a time without eating and walk to get around on top of that. Both my mental and physical issues made it impossible for me to complete the work needed for class or attend the online classes. I had no way of knowing that this would happen during my time at Queens. I am continuing to deal with these issues and they will be my focus until I??ve recovered. The program I mentioned in my appeal is for my eating disorder. I will also be attending a group therapy for my borderline personality disorder once my referral goes through. All my other future plans stay the same.