Petition Letter
To the Associate Dean of Arts and Science,
I am appealing to drop KNPE 251 (Fall 2019) later than the official drop date. I am requesting this drop because I will not be able to finish the course successfully due to illness. I have been sick all semester, but until November 16th did not have an official diagnosis. On this date I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease.
I have been struggling in all of my classes throughout the semester due to my extreme fatigue, cognitive slowness, and constant illness (strep throat twice, conjunctivitis, stabbing stomach pains etc). Since September, I have been to CDK family medicine twice, Student Wellness Services 4 times, and Kingston General Hospital twice. The amount of time I have spent in clinic and hospital waiting rooms has significantly impacted my ability to complete all of my course work. Until my final visit to KGH on November 3rd, not much testing was done to figure out why I was constantly ill, and several doctors discounted me throughout this time, saying that I was not in fact sick, but just stressed. Had I received the diagnosis of Lyme Disease earlier in the semester, I would have dropped at least one class to focus on my health and my remaining courses. I did not drop this class earlier because until now, I had no official reason to drop a course. I was working very hard to bring my grades up in KNPE 251; I saw a tutor once a week and enlisted help from classmates. There is no doubt in my mind that had I not been so sick this semester I would have done much better in not only this class, but all of my classes. I am asking to drop this course specifically because I feel that the structure of the course is such that I will not be successful. One of my primary symptoms has been confusion and slow processing, and this course is very quiz-heavy, as opposed to my other courses which are more writing-based, giving me more time to process my thoughts. I feel that I will still be able to pass my other courses, however this one I will not. I am currently taking medication to treat my Lyme Disease, as well as seeing an occupational therapist. I am also working with this occupational therapist to gain access to my official diagnosis documentation from KGH. After consulting with an academic advisor in my faculty, I plan on taking another statistics course next year to ensure that I will still have the credits necessary for my degree.
I appreciate you taking the time to consider this request and would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.
Sincerely,
Abby Duncan
20101769
I am appealing to drop KNPE 251 (Fall 2019) later than the official drop date. I am requesting this drop because I will not be able to finish the course successfully due to illness. I have been sick all semester, but until November 16th did not have an official diagnosis. On this date I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease.
I have been struggling in all of my classes throughout the semester due to my extreme fatigue, cognitive slowness, and constant illness (strep throat twice, conjunctivitis, stabbing stomach pains etc). Since September, I have been to CDK family medicine twice, Student Wellness Services 4 times, and Kingston General Hospital twice. The amount of time I have spent in clinic and hospital waiting rooms has significantly impacted my ability to complete all of my course work. Until my final visit to KGH on November 3rd, not much testing was done to figure out why I was constantly ill, and several doctors discounted me throughout this time, saying that I was not in fact sick, but just stressed. Had I received the diagnosis of Lyme Disease earlier in the semester, I would have dropped at least one class to focus on my health and my remaining courses. I did not drop this class earlier because until now, I had no official reason to drop a course. I was working very hard to bring my grades up in KNPE 251; I saw a tutor once a week and enlisted help from classmates. There is no doubt in my mind that had I not been so sick this semester I would have done much better in not only this class, but all of my classes. I am asking to drop this course specifically because I feel that the structure of the course is such that I will not be successful. One of my primary symptoms has been confusion and slow processing, and this course is very quiz-heavy, as opposed to my other courses which are more writing-based, giving me more time to process my thoughts. I feel that I will still be able to pass my other courses, however this one I will not. I am currently taking medication to treat my Lyme Disease, as well as seeing an occupational therapist. I am also working with this occupational therapist to gain access to my official diagnosis documentation from KGH. After consulting with an academic advisor in my faculty, I plan on taking another statistics course next year to ensure that I will still have the credits necessary for my degree.
I appreciate you taking the time to consider this request and would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.
Sincerely,
Abby Duncan
20101769