Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: August 12, 2022

To whom it may concern,

I am writing this letter to appeal for a late drop of the courses GPHY 415 (Fall/Winter 2020-21) and GPHY 254 (Winter 2021). Last summer, I was unable to finish these courses (that had been designated as ?incomplete??) in the aftermath of a traumatic death in March 2021. I feel that my current ?F?? designation in these courses reflect this extenuating circumstance rather than my effort or understanding, so I am writing this letter in hopes of converting these two courses from ?failed?? to the ?dropped?? designation.

On February 28th, 2021, I was at my girlfriend??s house when we heard her housemate snoring loudly in his room. We were concerned and debated going to wake him up, but after listening for a while, we decided to mention it to him in the morning instead. Unfortunately, unknown to us, Tim was struggling with drug addiction and was experiencing a fatal overdose. Following his death, my focus, sleep, day-to-day and academic functioning were severely impaired. I was able to get the necessary accommodations through Student Wellness in early March, and with support from counsellors, an occupational therapist, and my parents; I begin to move through my grief and guilt. I worked with an academic advisor to strategize how to complete my courses. While I knew I would not be able to finish some of my courses and appealed to drop them, I felt optimistic about my ability to finish GPHY 254 and GPHY 415 and applied for an Incomplete (IN) designation in late April for these courses.

When I applied for incomplete designation, I did not foresee losing my supportive routines and living alone during the emergency Provincial Stay-At-Home emergency order that began on April 17, 2021 and ended June 2, 2021. After my housemates moved away on May 1st, I found myself working from home, unable to leave my apartment, and isolated from friends and family. My mental health deteriorated, and I began to feel very hopeless and overwhelmed. By early June, I was struggling to complete basic daily tasks such as getting out of bed and eating, so I met with the Student Wellness occupational therapist to try to plan for the workday and to manage my feelings of overwhelm and loneliness. I reached out to the Human Resources Director at my work to reduce my hours and allow for extra time for mental health maintenance, then met with my doctor for support in Mid-June and began taking anti-depressants in July.

As the deadline to submit my outstanding work approached, I struggled with mounting shame surrounding my overdue course work and lost confidence in my ability to persevere. With hindsight, I know I could have reached out to my professors for support, but at the time I did not have the words to express how my grief and guilt around Tim??s death was impacting me. I felt that I was lazy, unmotivated, and that I deserved to fail the courses; a mindset that lasted through much of the past year. Now, one year later, I am equipped with understanding about grief and have much more compassion for myself ?? which is why I am writing this letter.

I ask you to please consider making an exception to the academic penalty for a late drop, as the impairment and subsequent mental health challenges I experienced in the wake of Tim??s death had unexpected and exceptional effects on my abilities to complete my courses. My performance in reflects a student struggling to cope with a traumatic event and loss, rather than being an accurate reflection of my effort and ability.

Please reach out to me if any further information is needed. I have attached the two short-term academic accommodation forms filled out by Student Wellness Services and have also attached their contact information for verification.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,


Jane Ford
20077017
(613) 284-6569