Petition Letter
I would like to drop CISC 452 past the course deadline for mental health related reasons. I have been unable to complete the course deliverables due to mental health reasons as well as lack of support from the instructor.
Around early November, I had a particularly bad week where I felt very depressed. My low mood was further exacerbated by an assignment from the class that I requested an extension for due to my mental health. A 2 day extension was given to the entire class. However, I discussed the situation with QSAS, and they agreed I was not granted a true extension. QSAS advised me to ask the instructor for an extension past the due date as my accommodations allowed for such a request.
After the instructor replied, I asked a few friends to read the response. They were all furious on my behalf - one even called it 'aggressive, confrontational, and unacceptable'. I actually have not read the email yet as I am afraid of what it actually says given how negatively my friends reacted. However, if this is the support (or lack thereof) I will be given in the course, I cannot risk my mental health to continue it. I have another difficult class that I need to pass to graduate, and CISC 452, an elective for me, has been affecting my mental health to the point where I miss other classes from lack of energy.
While this was going on, I contacted Student Wellness for support, and they diagnosed me with depression and anxiety and prescribed medication for me. I have also talked to my parents about the situation, and they suggested dropping CISC 452 to focus on my mental health and other classes.
Overall, I was not able to drop the class before the drop date as the situation only worsened in November, and I would like to drop the class now due to the lack of support from the instructor and to prioritize my mental health and core courses.
Around early November, I had a particularly bad week where I felt very depressed. My low mood was further exacerbated by an assignment from the class that I requested an extension for due to my mental health. A 2 day extension was given to the entire class. However, I discussed the situation with QSAS, and they agreed I was not granted a true extension. QSAS advised me to ask the instructor for an extension past the due date as my accommodations allowed for such a request.
After the instructor replied, I asked a few friends to read the response. They were all furious on my behalf - one even called it 'aggressive, confrontational, and unacceptable'. I actually have not read the email yet as I am afraid of what it actually says given how negatively my friends reacted. However, if this is the support (or lack thereof) I will be given in the course, I cannot risk my mental health to continue it. I have another difficult class that I need to pass to graduate, and CISC 452, an elective for me, has been affecting my mental health to the point where I miss other classes from lack of energy.
While this was going on, I contacted Student Wellness for support, and they diagnosed me with depression and anxiety and prescribed medication for me. I have also talked to my parents about the situation, and they suggested dropping CISC 452 to focus on my mental health and other classes.
Overall, I was not able to drop the class before the drop date as the situation only worsened in November, and I would like to drop the class now due to the lack of support from the instructor and to prioritize my mental health and core courses.