Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Studies),
My name is Clayton Tomlinson and I am a first year student at Queens in the Arts and Science program hoping to major in English next year. I am appealing to drop linear algebra (MATH 112) from my course load. There are a few reasons I wish to drop MATH 112, primarily being my grade in the course. My first year at university has brought with it many other firsts in my life, first time I have lived alone, first time I have been self-sufficient and the first time I have ever felt depressed. My depression was a very weird experience for me because I had felt pretty normal throughout first semester, I was happy with my courses, my friends were great and I was doing pretty well in school. But when second semester came around something changed. I lost my appetite, my days seemed to blend together and I could never seem to focus on school work. As the term progressed I fell further and further behind in linear algebra and every time I tried to study I only managed to realize how little I knew which made me even sadder. Fortunately, I already knew some of the material in my other courses due to much run over from high school but linear algebra was a completely new thing for me. My depression eventually lessened when I began to call my family, talk more with friends and just try to never sequester myself away from the world as I had previously done. By that time, I also realized that my intended major of chemistry was not the path for me and settled on English. At this point in the semester, it is impossible for me to salvage a passing grade in this class and since I do not need MATH 112 to continue in my studies in English I am really hoping that you will be grant my appeal to drop it from my course load as a failing grade will not look good on my transcript for any future endeavors I should have. I have worked to deal with my depression and though I realize it will be a struggle, I am confident that it will never affect the way I perform academically. Thank you very much for allowing me the opportunity to have my voice heard and I hope this can work out.
Sincerely, Clayton Tomlinson