Petition Letter
Dear Dr. Jenn Stephenson,
I am writing today to petition the changing of my MATH 121 and PHYS 115 grades into a credit standing due to mental health illnesses that affected me throughout the first year. These two courses were affected the most as they were examinations where PHYS had a 15% midterm and 60% final exam, and MATH had a 30% midterm and 30% final exam, totalling 60% of the course assessed through exams. My circumstances made it difficult for me to perform as well as I could during these examinations, resulting in a lower grade than what I am capable of. I was unable to drop these courses as they are requirements for my program and due to familial constraints.
My circumstances started at the beginning of the school year, which I tried to deal with on my own before reaching out for help at Student Wellness. Starting from the end of September 2022, I started seeing an in-residence counsellor for my mental health illness concerns. I visited her almost every week to work through my situation. Around the same time in September, I joined the University’s Autism Support Group and attended meetings throughout the school year. Only by November was I feeling some semblance of normality and acceptance on campus. This transition and change in environment severely affected my academics in the first few months, making it difficult to catch up in November as it led to exam season. PHYS was the main course, as my grades were reliant on the aforementioned 60% exam.
Similarly, for MATH, I was unable to catch up on the course fully as the earlier disruptions made it difficult to follow along as the topics build on each other, resulting in my midterm exam being extremely low. During the winter break, I did my best to teach myself the content I missed during the semester. Even though I was still behind on the content, when the second semester started, I was in a better place than the first semester. My final exam was better than the midterm, but I still believe it was not to the best of my abilities due to the initial disturbance of my circumstances. Throughout the second semester, I still attended the support group and visited my counsellor weekly.
Since the end of my first year, I have worked hard to advocate for my needs, ensuring I will not have to experience my circumstance again to that extent, reducing its effect on my academics. I continued to see my counsellor during the summer until her contract ended in mid-summer, transitioning to a different mental health counsellor, Roger Davidson. I have taken summer courses with these supports in place, and I am glad to say that my situation has improved to a point where I feel my grades reflect my true academic capabilities. I have received QSAS accommodations and saw Dr. Weiss to determine if a diagnosis was a possibility for my mental health concerns, and currently, in December 2023, I have started a new medication. Moving forward, I plan on continuing to see Roger and work with Dr. Weiss and QSAS to determine the best course of action, ensuring I can put forward the best of my abilities toward my academics.
Thank you for considering my appeal, and I hope you have a good day.
Sincerely,
Nicole Li
I am writing today to petition the changing of my MATH 121 and PHYS 115 grades into a credit standing due to mental health illnesses that affected me throughout the first year. These two courses were affected the most as they were examinations where PHYS had a 15% midterm and 60% final exam, and MATH had a 30% midterm and 30% final exam, totalling 60% of the course assessed through exams. My circumstances made it difficult for me to perform as well as I could during these examinations, resulting in a lower grade than what I am capable of. I was unable to drop these courses as they are requirements for my program and due to familial constraints.
My circumstances started at the beginning of the school year, which I tried to deal with on my own before reaching out for help at Student Wellness. Starting from the end of September 2022, I started seeing an in-residence counsellor for my mental health illness concerns. I visited her almost every week to work through my situation. Around the same time in September, I joined the University’s Autism Support Group and attended meetings throughout the school year. Only by November was I feeling some semblance of normality and acceptance on campus. This transition and change in environment severely affected my academics in the first few months, making it difficult to catch up in November as it led to exam season. PHYS was the main course, as my grades were reliant on the aforementioned 60% exam.
Similarly, for MATH, I was unable to catch up on the course fully as the earlier disruptions made it difficult to follow along as the topics build on each other, resulting in my midterm exam being extremely low. During the winter break, I did my best to teach myself the content I missed during the semester. Even though I was still behind on the content, when the second semester started, I was in a better place than the first semester. My final exam was better than the midterm, but I still believe it was not to the best of my abilities due to the initial disturbance of my circumstances. Throughout the second semester, I still attended the support group and visited my counsellor weekly.
Since the end of my first year, I have worked hard to advocate for my needs, ensuring I will not have to experience my circumstance again to that extent, reducing its effect on my academics. I continued to see my counsellor during the summer until her contract ended in mid-summer, transitioning to a different mental health counsellor, Roger Davidson. I have taken summer courses with these supports in place, and I am glad to say that my situation has improved to a point where I feel my grades reflect my true academic capabilities. I have received QSAS accommodations and saw Dr. Weiss to determine if a diagnosis was a possibility for my mental health concerns, and currently, in December 2023, I have started a new medication. Moving forward, I plan on continuing to see Roger and work with Dr. Weiss and QSAS to determine the best course of action, ensuring I can put forward the best of my abilities toward my academics.
Thank you for considering my appeal, and I hope you have a good day.
Sincerely,
Nicole Li