Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Studies),

Due to extenuating circumstances, I have decided to take a leave of absence from Queen¿¿s University. I am therefore appealing to have the following courses altered on my transcript as outlined below:

Winter Semester 2015:
I am appealing to drop all courses from this semester (DRAM 100B, DRAM 200B, DRAM 236, IDIS 210).

Fall Semester 2014:
I am appealing to have my late appeal considered after the 21-day period following the completion of the course, as it applies to the following courses.
I am appealing to drop DRAM 100A and DRAM 200A.
For DRAM 311, I am requesting permission to submit a completed late assignment and have its graded weight contribute to my final mark.
For DRAM 220 I am requesting permission to submit my non-complete final assignment and have that mark in addition to my existing coursework contribute to an aegrotat grade status. The final assignment is worth 40 and the already completed coursework is worth 60.

Winter Semester 2014:
I am appealing to have my late appeal considered after the 21-day period following the completion of the course, as it applies to the following courses.
I am appealing to drop the following courses: CISC 101, ENSC 201, GPHY 101, MATH 232.

The reason I am appealing these grades is connected to my diagnosis with clinical depression and severe anxiety. I have been struggling with this illness since I was diagnosed with it 7 years ago. My struggles have come and gone throughout my university career and have affected my academic, personal and professional life.

These past two years in particular have been especially hard for me as I struggled more intensely with suicidal ideation and more frequent anxiety attacks. Because of my depression, I found mundane tasks the most challenging ¿¿ namely getting out of bed in the morning, personal hygiene tasks such as showering, sleeping and eating regularly. Waking up and leaving my house became herculean tasks in and of themselves, because I was suicidal on a daily basis. This produced and exacerbated other conditions including significant weight loss, low concentration, lack of motivation, restlessness and unpredictable mood swings. This, of course, affected my class attendance and motivation to complete class assignments and exams. After weeks of missing class, the workload build up to make up for missed class time became overwhelming, which discouraged me even more. Academia became a low priority as I could barely find strength to live. This has been a perpetual feature of my life since the middle of the 2013-2014 academic year, and although I had hoped that the summer, a new program and a new semester would help me drastically recover, I have found that the same patterns have presented themselves this year.

I have been seeing several medical professionals over this period in order to address my significant psychological issues, including counsellors at HCDS, a psychiatrist at Providence Care Mental Health Hospital, doctors at Hotel Dieu, and therapists in the community. To that end, I have attached two letters of support from my psychologist, Kris Thiele. The first letter outlines our work together from November 2012 until now, and the second letter delineates his support for my academic appeals and recommendations for further improvement. These recommendations include moving back home to Ottawa in order to receive full-time care from my parents and to have regular access to more advanced medical treatment.

Due to these recommendations, I have been living under the care of parents in Ottawa and have been taking the appropriate steps to become an outpatient at the Mood Disorder Clinic at the Royal Ottawa Hospital. I intend to spend the following year focusing on personal recovery. I intend to return to my studies once I feel comfortable doing so, and become confident that I can become a productive member of the Queen¿¿s academic community. Thank you for your consideration, and your understanding of my situation.

Kind regards,

Rosemary Ly 10007184