Petition Letter
Sophie D’Aigle Edwards
63 Saybrook Avenue
Etobicoke, ON, M8Z 2V6
24dntv@queensu.ca
Monday, June 12th, 2026
Associate Dean
Queen’s University
99 University Ave
Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6
Subject : Petition for Queen’s Associate Dean, regarding Academic Standing of Sophie D’Aigle
Edwards.
Dear Associate Dean,
On May 26th, 2026, following my first year, 2025-2026, at Queen’s University, I received a letter
regarding my academic performance from the Office of Registrar. The letter stated that I am
required to withdraw from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences for one year, effective May 1st,
2026. I am submitting this petition to respectfully request that the requirement to withdraw be
waived due to extenuating circumstances beyond my control which significantly affected my
academic performance this year. I also request that the failed classes, COGS100, GNDS120,
ENGL101, PSYC100A, and IDIS199, please be amended to DR due to these same extenuating
circumstances.
The timeline of extenuating circumstances are outlined here:
August 2025: QSAS assigned me a Student Accessibility Advisor and a meeting was scheduled
and held on September 11th, 2025. During that meeting, accommodations were developed
considering my mental health challenges and learning disabilities.
September 2025: In hopes of “starting fresh” and creating a new identity without mental health
challenges, I suppressed my known depression, anxiety and learning disabilities diagnoses and
largely stopped my medication and therapeutic treatments. The transition from living at home
with established social supports and treatments to living on my own resulted in difficulty
adapting and integrating post-secondary student life and pressures without established social
supports in this new environment. All of these contributing factors led to an acute mental health
crisis.
October 2025: Episode of depression with severe anxiety occurred, impacting overall health,
well-being and academic performance. The circumstances and symptoms of depression and
anxiety led me to need to return home, resume treatments and to reconnect with supports, family
and friends.
November/December 2025: During my leave of absence due to the mental health crisis, there
was significant difficulty and delay accessing support from the Student Academic Advisory
Office and Student Accessibility Services, as outlined further below.
November 3rd, 2025: I notified the Student Accessibility Advisor and Student Accessibility
Services by email of the leave of absence due to a mental health crisis. I requested support and
information on how to navigate the situation and to explore possible options for my current Fall
2025 classes and how to possibly meet the course expectations.
November 12th, 2025: The Student Accessibility Advisor forwarded the email and referred me to
a Staff Academic Advisor.
November 21st, 2025: The Staff Academic Advisor had not yet responded to me. Unsure about
processes and the expected response times, I sent a follow up email to the Academic Advisor and
copied the email to my Student Accessibility Advisor. I never received an email from the Staff
Academic that I had been referred to.
November 27th, 2025: I reached out to an Academic Advisor again and booked a virtual
academic advisory meeting for December 4th at 2:30 pm.
December 3rd, 2025: I received an email asking if I would be able to reschedule the virtual
appointment for December 8th, 2025.
December 6th, 2025: I accepted the proposed new meeting date of December 8th and chose the
time slot of 11:00 - 11:30 am.
December 8th, 2025: A Staff Academic Advisor reached out saying that the 11:00 - 11:30am
time slot was no longer available. They offered and I accepted to re-schedule at 11:30am -
12:00pm on the same day, on the first floor of Dunning Hall. As I had previously stated, I needed
a virtual appointment because I was at home sick. I then requested if this in-person appointment
could be held virtually. The Academic Advisor responded that this was not possible and the next
online appointment would be the following Thursday, December 11th, 2025, 9:00 - 9:30am. I
accepted the appointment and expressed concern about the long delays to connect with an
Academic Advisor (since November 3rd, 2025) to discuss my academic options as it related to
my leave of absence due to sickness.
December 11th, 2025: I attended the virtual appointment with the Student Academic Advisor. I
was unable to return to school by the end of Fall term and completed my courses as able from
home.
Note: For the times when I was able to actually meet with/correspond with the Academic
Advisors and the Accessibility Advisors, they were always very kind and knowledgeable in
providing me with support and information.
November 2025 - January 2026: I resumed therapeutic treatments with medication, Doctor and
Social Worker.
January 2026: I was far enough along in my healing and recovery and decided to return to school
for the Winter term to try again to integrate in post-secondary student life and establish new
social connections/supports. My Physician, my Social Worker and my family supported this
decision. With the guidance and information previously provided by the Academic Advisor, I
developed a return to school plan that included a reduced course load with a combination of
in-person and asynchronous classes
January 3rd, 2026: I booked the first available appointment with the Student Accessibility
Advisor for January 27th at 11:00am - 12:00pm. I started Winter term classes: IDIS199,
PHAR100, and ANAT100. I continued with mental health treatments.
February 2026: I continued to attend classes, to study and work on assignments. Feeling “better”,
I gradually discontinued my mental health treatments.
March 2026: I started to experience another depressive episode and I returned home due to
illness.
March 12th: I reached out by email to a Student Accessibility Advisor to seek their support and
update them about the current depressive episode, struggling, isolating, falling behind in course
work. I contacted all course TA’s and Professors to inform them, to explore options to try and
meet course expectations with them from home. I requested the consideration of extensions of
assignments’ deadlines for IDIS199, PHAR100, and ANAT100. ANAT100 offered flexibility at
that time. For IDIS199 and PHAR100, the response was “Without approved accommodations
from QSAS, they could not provide extensions and waive late penalties until you meet with
Student Accessibility Advisor.”.
March 18th: Student Accessibility Advisor Support Staff responded to my request for an
appointment and offered an appointment with a Student Accessibility Advisor for March 25th,
2:30 - 3:30pm. I returned to Queen’s for the upcoming appointments and to finish out the
academic year as best possible including completing the outstanding ANAT100 assignments.
March 23rd: Student Accessibility Advisor asked to re-schedule for March 24th, 11:00am -
12:00pm and I accepted.
March 24th: I was unable to attend the meeting with the Student Accessibility Advisor due to
acute symptoms.
April 6th: I booked another appointment with the Student Accessibility Advisor for the first
available appointment for April 17th, 11:00am - 12:00pm.
April 17th: Student Accessibility Advisor reached out to course IDIS199 and course PHAR100
prof and requested extensions for outstanding assignments. The extensions were granted.
April 17th: I also went to a drop-in appointment for Academic Advising and since there was no
availability, a virtual appointment was booked for April 21st, 11:30am.
April 17th-May: With support from my TA’s and Professors including extended timelines to
complete assignments, I returned home after classes ended to prepare for exams and tackle the
completion of the outstanding assignments. I wrote ANAT100 proctored exam at home which
went well. I also completed assignments for PHAR100 and IDIS199 by the extended timelines.
Considering the accommodations and efforts made, my academic standing shows that I was
unsuccessful in completing IDIS199 yet successful in completing my other courses.
My health and academic performance has improved since the Fall term. Winter term proved to
be difficult as well but with demonstrated improvement since I was able to learn and complete
some of my courses. As I continue to recover and progress, I believe that I am on the trajectory
for continued improved health and therefore, improved academic performance. My academic
goal is well within my reach in my second year at Queen’s University.
What has changed: I now accept my diagnoses and necessary treatments and health strategies. I
participate in my therapeutic treatments with medication, Doctor and Social Worker with
regularity and have become much healthier, stronger and focussed. I seek support from loved
ones, from my community groups and from the university.
It is my hope to continue to heal, to grow and to thrive; to continue to learn to use and improve
my awareness and skills to manage my symptoms, which allows me to learn, to focus on my
studies and to reach my academic goals.
My Academic Plan for the upcoming 2026-2027 year as well as supporting documentation from
my Physician and Social Worker are included in my petition for your consideration. Thank you
for reviewing my petition and I look forward to your continued support and favourable response.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me anytime.
Respectfully,
Sophie D’Aigle Edwards
63 Saybrook Avenue
Etobicoke, ON, M8Z 2V6
24dntv@queensu.ca
Monday, June 12th, 2026
Associate Dean
Queen’s University
99 University Ave
Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6
Subject : Petition for Queen’s Associate Dean, regarding Academic Standing of Sophie D’Aigle
Edwards.
Dear Associate Dean,
On May 26th, 2026, following my first year, 2025-2026, at Queen’s University, I received a letter
regarding my academic performance from the Office of Registrar. The letter stated that I am
required to withdraw from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences for one year, effective May 1st,
2026. I am submitting this petition to respectfully request that the requirement to withdraw be
waived due to extenuating circumstances beyond my control which significantly affected my
academic performance this year. I also request that the failed classes, COGS100, GNDS120,
ENGL101, PSYC100A, and IDIS199, please be amended to DR due to these same extenuating
circumstances.
The timeline of extenuating circumstances are outlined here:
August 2025: QSAS assigned me a Student Accessibility Advisor and a meeting was scheduled
and held on September 11th, 2025. During that meeting, accommodations were developed
considering my mental health challenges and learning disabilities.
September 2025: In hopes of “starting fresh” and creating a new identity without mental health
challenges, I suppressed my known depression, anxiety and learning disabilities diagnoses and
largely stopped my medication and therapeutic treatments. The transition from living at home
with established social supports and treatments to living on my own resulted in difficulty
adapting and integrating post-secondary student life and pressures without established social
supports in this new environment. All of these contributing factors led to an acute mental health
crisis.
October 2025: Episode of depression with severe anxiety occurred, impacting overall health,
well-being and academic performance. The circumstances and symptoms of depression and
anxiety led me to need to return home, resume treatments and to reconnect with supports, family
and friends.
November/December 2025: During my leave of absence due to the mental health crisis, there
was significant difficulty and delay accessing support from the Student Academic Advisory
Office and Student Accessibility Services, as outlined further below.
November 3rd, 2025: I notified the Student Accessibility Advisor and Student Accessibility
Services by email of the leave of absence due to a mental health crisis. I requested support and
information on how to navigate the situation and to explore possible options for my current Fall
2025 classes and how to possibly meet the course expectations.
November 12th, 2025: The Student Accessibility Advisor forwarded the email and referred me to
a Staff Academic Advisor.
November 21st, 2025: The Staff Academic Advisor had not yet responded to me. Unsure about
processes and the expected response times, I sent a follow up email to the Academic Advisor and
copied the email to my Student Accessibility Advisor. I never received an email from the Staff
Academic that I had been referred to.
November 27th, 2025: I reached out to an Academic Advisor again and booked a virtual
academic advisory meeting for December 4th at 2:30 pm.
December 3rd, 2025: I received an email asking if I would be able to reschedule the virtual
appointment for December 8th, 2025.
December 6th, 2025: I accepted the proposed new meeting date of December 8th and chose the
time slot of 11:00 - 11:30 am.
December 8th, 2025: A Staff Academic Advisor reached out saying that the 11:00 - 11:30am
time slot was no longer available. They offered and I accepted to re-schedule at 11:30am -
12:00pm on the same day, on the first floor of Dunning Hall. As I had previously stated, I needed
a virtual appointment because I was at home sick. I then requested if this in-person appointment
could be held virtually. The Academic Advisor responded that this was not possible and the next
online appointment would be the following Thursday, December 11th, 2025, 9:00 - 9:30am. I
accepted the appointment and expressed concern about the long delays to connect with an
Academic Advisor (since November 3rd, 2025) to discuss my academic options as it related to
my leave of absence due to sickness.
December 11th, 2025: I attended the virtual appointment with the Student Academic Advisor. I
was unable to return to school by the end of Fall term and completed my courses as able from
home.
Note: For the times when I was able to actually meet with/correspond with the Academic
Advisors and the Accessibility Advisors, they were always very kind and knowledgeable in
providing me with support and information.
November 2025 - January 2026: I resumed therapeutic treatments with medication, Doctor and
Social Worker.
January 2026: I was far enough along in my healing and recovery and decided to return to school
for the Winter term to try again to integrate in post-secondary student life and establish new
social connections/supports. My Physician, my Social Worker and my family supported this
decision. With the guidance and information previously provided by the Academic Advisor, I
developed a return to school plan that included a reduced course load with a combination of
in-person and asynchronous classes
January 3rd, 2026: I booked the first available appointment with the Student Accessibility
Advisor for January 27th at 11:00am - 12:00pm. I started Winter term classes: IDIS199,
PHAR100, and ANAT100. I continued with mental health treatments.
February 2026: I continued to attend classes, to study and work on assignments. Feeling “better”,
I gradually discontinued my mental health treatments.
March 2026: I started to experience another depressive episode and I returned home due to
illness.
March 12th: I reached out by email to a Student Accessibility Advisor to seek their support and
update them about the current depressive episode, struggling, isolating, falling behind in course
work. I contacted all course TA’s and Professors to inform them, to explore options to try and
meet course expectations with them from home. I requested the consideration of extensions of
assignments’ deadlines for IDIS199, PHAR100, and ANAT100. ANAT100 offered flexibility at
that time. For IDIS199 and PHAR100, the response was “Without approved accommodations
from QSAS, they could not provide extensions and waive late penalties until you meet with
Student Accessibility Advisor.”.
March 18th: Student Accessibility Advisor Support Staff responded to my request for an
appointment and offered an appointment with a Student Accessibility Advisor for March 25th,
2:30 - 3:30pm. I returned to Queen’s for the upcoming appointments and to finish out the
academic year as best possible including completing the outstanding ANAT100 assignments.
March 23rd: Student Accessibility Advisor asked to re-schedule for March 24th, 11:00am -
12:00pm and I accepted.
March 24th: I was unable to attend the meeting with the Student Accessibility Advisor due to
acute symptoms.
April 6th: I booked another appointment with the Student Accessibility Advisor for the first
available appointment for April 17th, 11:00am - 12:00pm.
April 17th: Student Accessibility Advisor reached out to course IDIS199 and course PHAR100
prof and requested extensions for outstanding assignments. The extensions were granted.
April 17th: I also went to a drop-in appointment for Academic Advising and since there was no
availability, a virtual appointment was booked for April 21st, 11:30am.
April 17th-May: With support from my TA’s and Professors including extended timelines to
complete assignments, I returned home after classes ended to prepare for exams and tackle the
completion of the outstanding assignments. I wrote ANAT100 proctored exam at home which
went well. I also completed assignments for PHAR100 and IDIS199 by the extended timelines.
Considering the accommodations and efforts made, my academic standing shows that I was
unsuccessful in completing IDIS199 yet successful in completing my other courses.
My health and academic performance has improved since the Fall term. Winter term proved to
be difficult as well but with demonstrated improvement since I was able to learn and complete
some of my courses. As I continue to recover and progress, I believe that I am on the trajectory
for continued improved health and therefore, improved academic performance. My academic
goal is well within my reach in my second year at Queen’s University.
What has changed: I now accept my diagnoses and necessary treatments and health strategies. I
participate in my therapeutic treatments with medication, Doctor and Social Worker with
regularity and have become much healthier, stronger and focussed. I seek support from loved
ones, from my community groups and from the university.
It is my hope to continue to heal, to grow and to thrive; to continue to learn to use and improve
my awareness and skills to manage my symptoms, which allows me to learn, to focus on my
studies and to reach my academic goals.
My Academic Plan for the upcoming 2026-2027 year as well as supporting documentation from
my Physician and Social Worker are included in my petition for your consideration. Thank you
for reviewing my petition and I look forward to your continued support and favourable response.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me anytime.
Respectfully,
Sophie D’Aigle Edwards