Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I would like to appeal my MICR386, BCHM310, and PHGY170 grades to become credit standing (CR). I took MICR386 in the Fall 2021 term, BCHM310 through the Fall 2021-Winter 2022 terms, and PHGY170 in the Summer 2022 term.

I am asking the one-term deadline be waived for my appeals regarding MICR386 and BCHM310 as I was experiencing an extended exacerbation of my psychiatric disorders and developmental disability that severely impacted all aspects of my life; including my mental health, physical health, academic performance, and ability to complete even simple daily tasks.

I am a student registered full-time with QSAS as I suffer from generalised anxiety disorder, depression, OCD, and ADHD. During the Fall 2021, Winter 2022 and Summer 2022 terms, I was extremely overwhelmed and impaired by experiencing, facing, and addressing these issues; thus my grades in multiple courses suffered. Because of the exacerbation of these issues, I was brought to the hospital for urgent medical treatment three times during the Fall 2021 and Winter 2022 semesters. Throughout this time, I was struggling heavily with said health issues to the point where I was not able to fulfil my academic potential and meet the academic standards I have set for myself; as the cycle of wanting to succeed but being impaired in my ability to do so continued, the severity of my struggles progressed further. After my third time in urgent care, it became apparent that I could not sufficiently complete my academic responsibilities and needed to be living under supervision, so my mother and I met with my QSAS advisor to arrange academic accommodations that allowed me to go back home for the final weeks of the Winter 2022 semester and subsequently complete any remaining coursework.

MICR386 was my only online course during the Fall 2021 term, the difficulty I experienced transitioning back for my in-person courses (all of which consisted of mandatory in-person lectures, group sessions, and/or laboratories) subsequent to the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to the ongoing issues with my health, left me struggling to effectively complete my online course and my MICR386 grade suffered because of this.

During the Fall 2021 term, I also had my first in-person examination since 2019 for my BCHM310 midterm; the circumstances of this midterm were extremely difficult for me as I had not previously arranged my exam accommodations independent of the exams office and I made an error in my scheduling during the process, so I ended up writing the midterm without any of my full-time accommodations. With the exacerbated symptoms of my disabilities, readjustment to in-person examination format, and lacking my accommodations, I was unable to effectively complete my BCHM310 midterm. Unfortunately, as previously stated, the detrimental impacts of my health issues extended through the academic year alongside the duration of this course and this was reflected in my overall poor academic performance in BCHM310.

After going home to be supervised and have my health needs attended to, I felt that I could not endure a heavy course load during my fourth year of studies without risking my wellbeing and I also wrongfully mistook the fact I was starting to recover as being recovered. Because of these feelings, I decided to enrol in the PHGY170 online course for the Summer 2022 term to reduce my course loads in the Fall 2022 and Winter 2023 terms. Due to my misplaced confidence in the stability of my mental and physical health, the nonlinear progress of recuperating my well-being, and working throughout the Summer to save for my upcoming tuition fees, I was in severe mental distress and my grade in PHGY170 suffered as a result.

As I have progressively worked towards entering a place where my mental and physical wellbeing is sufficient, I have developed a strong drive and determination to overcome these issues, understand the onset of my symptoms, and create environments for myself that foster my health and academic success. I have spoken with my family physician and obtained referrals for appointments with medical specialists regarding the physical impacts of my disabilities. I have also spoken with my QSAS advisor and an adaptive technologist at Queen's to apply for the Ontario BSWD/CSG-DSE so that I can obtain the technologies, services, and equipment best suited for my needs to optimise my ability to participate and succeed in my academic studies. Within this application, I am also looking to apply for eligible coverage for complete psycho-educational and/or other disability assessments so that I can deepen my knowledge and understanding of my issues, needs, and ways I can manage said issues effectively to maintain my emotional, physical, and cognitive strength. I have been unable to use my previous psychologist Dr. Michael Allan as a resource for this knowledge as, very shortly after my psychological assessment for ADHD with him, he was shockingly and repulsively arrested for possessing child pornography. I have been actively looking for a new psychologist and hope that, if granted funding for a complete psycho-educational assessment, the completion of this assessment will let my new psychologist be a strong resource for me with a familiarity and understanding of my personality, background, and psychological issues.