Petition Letter
Dear Associate Dean Jenn Stephenson,
I am a first-year student in the Faculty of Arts and Science, pursuing a Bachelor of Computing (Hons.) degree. I am petitioning to drop ENIN 140 (Winter, 2023).
During the winter term, I experienced unforeseen extenuating circumstances that affected my academic performance in ENIN 140. Specifically, my father has been fighting stage-4 cancer, and his illness caused severe emotional distress for me as well as family problems. Additionally, I struggled with a difficult living situation, as my roommate was not supportive, which made it challenging to concentrate on my coursework.
The effects of these circumstances were ongoing and impacted most of the assignments given throughout the term. I conferred with two mental health professionals, and one of them provided supporting documentation in the form of an Off-campus Physician's Note.
As a result of these difficulties, I found it challenging to manage my time effectively and stay on top of the course material. The nature of the course being fully online made it even harder to keep track of deadlines and complete the required work.
I am petitioning to drop ENIN 140 because it was the course that was most affected by these extenuating circumstances. I am not petitioning to drop any of my other courses since even though they were still negatively impacted, they were not impacted to nearly the same extent. As the course was primarily self-directed with no in-person lecturing, I was not able to manage this style of course layout under the pressure of my mental health circumstances. I did not drop ENIN 140 before the drop deadline because I was not aware that my circumstances would have such a significant effect on my academic performance, and I was still attempting to keep up with the coursework as best I could under pressure from personal and family difficulties.
I believe that in the future, I will be fully equipped to handle coursework under these conditions. I have been taking actionable and important steps to make it so the issues described do not impact my academics in the future. I have begun family counselling with my father and am working with a new therapist to address my anxiety. Additionally, I have made the decision to live alone next year so that no other individuals can impact me or my ability to work. I am committed to achieving academic success and will work hard to ensure that these extenuating circumstances do not negatively impact my academic progress in the future.
Thank you for your consideration of my petition. I appreciate your time and attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Ethan Chankowsky
I am a first-year student in the Faculty of Arts and Science, pursuing a Bachelor of Computing (Hons.) degree. I am petitioning to drop ENIN 140 (Winter, 2023).
During the winter term, I experienced unforeseen extenuating circumstances that affected my academic performance in ENIN 140. Specifically, my father has been fighting stage-4 cancer, and his illness caused severe emotional distress for me as well as family problems. Additionally, I struggled with a difficult living situation, as my roommate was not supportive, which made it challenging to concentrate on my coursework.
The effects of these circumstances were ongoing and impacted most of the assignments given throughout the term. I conferred with two mental health professionals, and one of them provided supporting documentation in the form of an Off-campus Physician's Note.
As a result of these difficulties, I found it challenging to manage my time effectively and stay on top of the course material. The nature of the course being fully online made it even harder to keep track of deadlines and complete the required work.
I am petitioning to drop ENIN 140 because it was the course that was most affected by these extenuating circumstances. I am not petitioning to drop any of my other courses since even though they were still negatively impacted, they were not impacted to nearly the same extent. As the course was primarily self-directed with no in-person lecturing, I was not able to manage this style of course layout under the pressure of my mental health circumstances. I did not drop ENIN 140 before the drop deadline because I was not aware that my circumstances would have such a significant effect on my academic performance, and I was still attempting to keep up with the coursework as best I could under pressure from personal and family difficulties.
I believe that in the future, I will be fully equipped to handle coursework under these conditions. I have been taking actionable and important steps to make it so the issues described do not impact my academics in the future. I have begun family counselling with my father and am working with a new therapist to address my anxiety. Additionally, I have made the decision to live alone next year so that no other individuals can impact me or my ability to work. I am committed to achieving academic success and will work hard to ensure that these extenuating circumstances do not negatively impact my academic progress in the future.
Thank you for your consideration of my petition. I appreciate your time and attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Ethan Chankowsky