Petition Letter
Dear Dr. Bénard,
I am writing to you to appeal the requirement to withdraw for one year.
Throughout university but especially in the previous two years (2015-2017) I have dealt with depression and anxiety which affects my academic school work. These issues make it very difficult for me to leave the house, attend classes, and reach out and collaborate with other students or university staff. These issues are not only limited to school and have also greatly affected my day to day personal, social, and financial life. Almost all the failing class grades on my transcript currently were due to these issues preventing me from attending class and contacting the professors to inform them that I was having difficulty. Many of the courses of Winter 2016, and Winter 2017 were failed because I didn¿¿t feel able to attend even a single class. These symptoms and their results cause me a large amount of shame and embarrassment which makes it difficult for me to seek help both during the academic year, and after it to deal with the damage that has been done.
These symptoms caused me to fail the entirety of my 2015-2016 courses. Additionally, the stress and anxiety which was associated with this prevented me from seeking help for these issues until very late in the summer and I was not able to enroll in classes until the second week of September. Despite this I successfully returned to studies and passed all my courses for the Fall 2016 semester. Unfortunately, my symptoms worsened and returned late in the fall semester and both contributed to my lower grades in that semester, and the failing, in Winter 2017, of all except the full year course which I had been previously enrolled in. These issues were exacerbated by my financial status which has me receive almost the entirety of my living expenses and tuition from OSAP, and because these issues cause me great difficulty in seeking and gaining employment.
Should my appeal be granted I hope to be able to appeal to waive the one term deadline so that I may appeal my winter 2016 courses, as well as appeal my winter 2017 courses to fix my transcript. I also hope to retake the courses which I have previously failed in the Health Studies department to work towards my degree and contribute to repairing my average. I intend to return to Kingston earlier in the summer so that I may begin consultation with my Doctor in SWS earlier in the year and start on a course of antidepressants and anti anxiety medication so that I am fully acclimated to it before classes begin, and I have chosen to live alone to both save additional money over the summer months by not renting a house, and to ensure that my time is spent productively and my energy can be reserved for personal matters. I have also been investigating taking a slightly lighter course load, although due to the nature of OSAP this has proved difficult in the past. Throughout the year, I hope to become more involved in both faculty societies, and more course specific clubs to help my issues with social anxiety, and to build a network of familiar people in my faculty. Although my plan had always been to swap my current major (Drama) with my current minor (Health Studies) I am now considering taking a fuller course load in Drama due to finding the course expectations, size, and setting lower stress and more accommodating to my needs. I additionally intend to investigate more readily and fully means of help and counselling other than what is offered through SWS.
Thank you for your time and consideration and I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely Grant C. Robertson
10155363
I am writing to you to appeal the requirement to withdraw for one year.
Throughout university but especially in the previous two years (2015-2017) I have dealt with depression and anxiety which affects my academic school work. These issues make it very difficult for me to leave the house, attend classes, and reach out and collaborate with other students or university staff. These issues are not only limited to school and have also greatly affected my day to day personal, social, and financial life. Almost all the failing class grades on my transcript currently were due to these issues preventing me from attending class and contacting the professors to inform them that I was having difficulty. Many of the courses of Winter 2016, and Winter 2017 were failed because I didn¿¿t feel able to attend even a single class. These symptoms and their results cause me a large amount of shame and embarrassment which makes it difficult for me to seek help both during the academic year, and after it to deal with the damage that has been done.
These symptoms caused me to fail the entirety of my 2015-2016 courses. Additionally, the stress and anxiety which was associated with this prevented me from seeking help for these issues until very late in the summer and I was not able to enroll in classes until the second week of September. Despite this I successfully returned to studies and passed all my courses for the Fall 2016 semester. Unfortunately, my symptoms worsened and returned late in the fall semester and both contributed to my lower grades in that semester, and the failing, in Winter 2017, of all except the full year course which I had been previously enrolled in. These issues were exacerbated by my financial status which has me receive almost the entirety of my living expenses and tuition from OSAP, and because these issues cause me great difficulty in seeking and gaining employment.
Should my appeal be granted I hope to be able to appeal to waive the one term deadline so that I may appeal my winter 2016 courses, as well as appeal my winter 2017 courses to fix my transcript. I also hope to retake the courses which I have previously failed in the Health Studies department to work towards my degree and contribute to repairing my average. I intend to return to Kingston earlier in the summer so that I may begin consultation with my Doctor in SWS earlier in the year and start on a course of antidepressants and anti anxiety medication so that I am fully acclimated to it before classes begin, and I have chosen to live alone to both save additional money over the summer months by not renting a house, and to ensure that my time is spent productively and my energy can be reserved for personal matters. I have also been investigating taking a slightly lighter course load, although due to the nature of OSAP this has proved difficult in the past. Throughout the year, I hope to become more involved in both faculty societies, and more course specific clubs to help my issues with social anxiety, and to build a network of familiar people in my faculty. Although my plan had always been to swap my current major (Drama) with my current minor (Health Studies) I am now considering taking a fuller course load in Drama due to finding the course expectations, size, and setting lower stress and more accommodating to my needs. I additionally intend to investigate more readily and fully means of help and counselling other than what is offered through SWS.
Thank you for your time and consideration and I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely Grant C. Robertson
10155363