Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I am appealing the Faculty¿¿s 21-day appeal deadline for fall of 2013 and winter of 2014. I did not complete an appeal letter before these two deadlines because I did not believe I was in a position to return to school. I was in an abusive relationship throughout these terms and the following summer. In September of 2013, when I had turned 19, I learned that I was pregnant. Three months later I had a miscarriage. Throughout the two terms, and for months after, I was in a deep depression. I had become isolated and lost my group of friends. The relationship did not end until mid-summer in 2014.

I did not appeal my grades by the deadline because I did not think I could return to school. I was terrified of returning to an environment that I felt unsafe in; my previous partner still attends the university. Without a support group, I did not feel that I could come back from what I had been through. It wasn¿¿t until I went to a program in August of 2014 for business that I regained some of my confidence and decided to try to return to my sense of normal.

There is a B on my transcript for Metaphysics (PHIL 250). This was only achieved because the professor took into consideration my situation and allowed me to complete the course over the summer. I finished the remaining coursework after the business program, when I had regained enough confidence to decide to return to school for my fall 2014.

At the time of the appeal deadlines, I did not believe that I was capable of continuing my education. My relationship was both physically and mentally abusive. I was led to believe that my failure was a reflection of my intelligence. This, in addition to the miscarriage, depleted my motivation, self-confidence, and any sense of self-worth. I was ashamed of myself; especially regarding the length of time the relationship lasted, the loss of friendships I had for over a decade, and for how long it took me to regain confidence in myself. There are still aspects of this that I am coming to terms with, and I know some of it will be a long process. In Fall 2014 my brother decided to come to Queen¿¿s and he has been there to support me throughout the year. This past year has proven to me that my failure was not caused by a lack of an ability to succeed in a university environment and that I am on the right track to becoming the person I aspire to be. I am proud of the progress I have made both personally and academically and have regained a huge amount of the self-respect I lost throughout my second year. It is for this reason that I am now writing an appeal.

Thank you for your consideration,

Tandia Hantho

Documentation has been provided by Mary Acreman from the HCDS.