Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 10024
Submitted: January 25, 2023 at 8:05:36 PM
First Name: Riyan
Last Name: Khan
Student Number: 10180963
Email: 14rrk@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: ECON
Level of Study: 4
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the 21-day or one term deadline
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Dear, Dr. Jenn Stephenson
I am petitioning to drop courses ECON 482 (F21), ECON 485 (F20), ECON 480 (W20) and ECON 435 (W20) after the deadline. Currently, I require credits from a seminar course to complete my Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree with a major in Economics. I am also pursuing re-enrollment at Queen??s University. The winter 2020 semester was scheduled to be my final semester at Queen??s, however, March 2020 marked the induction of the pandemic, an extraordinary global event that wholly altered the dynamic of the academic experience. This caused an intense anxiety in me that left me incapable of managing my academic responsibilities. During W20, I was taking courses ECON 480, ECON 435 and ECON 426. Due to my crippling anxiety, I failed ECON 480, ECON 435 and passed ECON 426 with a D.
ECON 480 was a seminar course that required a final paper accounting for roughly 80% of the final grade. Due to my spiralling mental health, I submitted the paper 2 weeks late, resulting in an approximately 30% deduction in the paper??s final grade. My final grade for ECON 480 was 46%. I had requested an extension due to the circumstances, but I was denied. This only worsened my anxiety and diminished my work capacity further. This same behaviour transpired in all my courses as I was unable to submit my final project for ECON 435 and performed poorly on the ECON 426 exam. This level of anxiety was novel to me, I did not know how to manage it, I mistakenly assumed it would pass with time. My plan following W20 was to retake my failed 6 credits in the F20 semester. However, with prolonged time in quarantine without proper treatment, my anxiety had worsened, and a depression had developed. I re-enrolled for the F20 semester into courses ECON 485 (seminar) and ECON 411. The isolation of the pandemic had exacerbated my anxiety and depression, I passed ECON 411 but was unable to submit my final paper for ECON 485. I did not drop ECON 485 before the deadline because the summative assessments were due by the end of the semester, and I assumed I would be able to complete them by then.
At this point, I realized that the pandemic??s impact on my mental well-being was too severe to immediately re-enroll for a 3rd attempt. I was raised in a South Asian household, there is often stigma and social pressure against seeking help for mental health, this mindset ingrained the idea that professional help was not necessary to overcome my challenges. Instead, I opted to take a semester off to work. However, without professional guidance, my mental health struggles were ultimately left unresolved. With passing time untreated and repeated failure, my mental health deteriorated further. During the F21 semester, I enrolled into ECON 482 (seminar), and my pattern of behaviour repeated as I was unable to submit my final paper resulting in my 3rd failed grade in a seminar course.
In August 2022, I went to my family physician to seek guidance and was referred to a therapist. Since then, I have been engaging in cognitive behavioural therapy biweekly. Through this, I have been practicing confronting my mental obstacles and in turn, have discovered some tools to help the process. This includes journaling and open communication with my support system. I have reached a better understanding of myself and have learned methods to manage my mental health effectively. Consequently, I now recognize how compromised my mental health had become between semesters W20 ?? F21, this knowledge has become a primary motivator for this petition.
I am aiming towards re-enrollment. I have gotten in contact with the head of the Economics Undergraduate Faculty, Dr. Ian Cromb, but I was informed that only in exceptional cases can a 4th attempt be made, therefore my aim with this petition is to drop my failed courses between W20 and F21 and re-enroll for the F23 semester. If I am successful in re-enrolling, I plan to exhaust any academic support available; examples being SASS and office hours while continuing my regular therapy sessions to manage any forthcoming challenges. I would be taking 1 course, although I have failed to complete this in the past, with my current guidance, I believe I can succeed.
This request is long overdue, I apologize for the lateness and any difficulties this may cause. I understand it is unconventional to consider a petition so far removed from the date in question, but considering the unconventional circumstances created by the pandemic, I kindly request to grant my petition as this may be the only opportunity to complete my degree for which I have worked so hard for the last 5+ years. I sincerely thank you for your consideration and look forward to hearing back from you soon.
Sincerely,
Riyan
I am petitioning to drop courses ECON 482 (F21), ECON 485 (F20), ECON 480 (W20) and ECON 435 (W20) after the deadline. Currently, I require credits from a seminar course to complete my Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree with a major in Economics. I am also pursuing re-enrollment at Queen??s University. The winter 2020 semester was scheduled to be my final semester at Queen??s, however, March 2020 marked the induction of the pandemic, an extraordinary global event that wholly altered the dynamic of the academic experience. This caused an intense anxiety in me that left me incapable of managing my academic responsibilities. During W20, I was taking courses ECON 480, ECON 435 and ECON 426. Due to my crippling anxiety, I failed ECON 480, ECON 435 and passed ECON 426 with a D.
ECON 480 was a seminar course that required a final paper accounting for roughly 80% of the final grade. Due to my spiralling mental health, I submitted the paper 2 weeks late, resulting in an approximately 30% deduction in the paper??s final grade. My final grade for ECON 480 was 46%. I had requested an extension due to the circumstances, but I was denied. This only worsened my anxiety and diminished my work capacity further. This same behaviour transpired in all my courses as I was unable to submit my final project for ECON 435 and performed poorly on the ECON 426 exam. This level of anxiety was novel to me, I did not know how to manage it, I mistakenly assumed it would pass with time. My plan following W20 was to retake my failed 6 credits in the F20 semester. However, with prolonged time in quarantine without proper treatment, my anxiety had worsened, and a depression had developed. I re-enrolled for the F20 semester into courses ECON 485 (seminar) and ECON 411. The isolation of the pandemic had exacerbated my anxiety and depression, I passed ECON 411 but was unable to submit my final paper for ECON 485. I did not drop ECON 485 before the deadline because the summative assessments were due by the end of the semester, and I assumed I would be able to complete them by then.
At this point, I realized that the pandemic??s impact on my mental well-being was too severe to immediately re-enroll for a 3rd attempt. I was raised in a South Asian household, there is often stigma and social pressure against seeking help for mental health, this mindset ingrained the idea that professional help was not necessary to overcome my challenges. Instead, I opted to take a semester off to work. However, without professional guidance, my mental health struggles were ultimately left unresolved. With passing time untreated and repeated failure, my mental health deteriorated further. During the F21 semester, I enrolled into ECON 482 (seminar), and my pattern of behaviour repeated as I was unable to submit my final paper resulting in my 3rd failed grade in a seminar course.
In August 2022, I went to my family physician to seek guidance and was referred to a therapist. Since then, I have been engaging in cognitive behavioural therapy biweekly. Through this, I have been practicing confronting my mental obstacles and in turn, have discovered some tools to help the process. This includes journaling and open communication with my support system. I have reached a better understanding of myself and have learned methods to manage my mental health effectively. Consequently, I now recognize how compromised my mental health had become between semesters W20 ?? F21, this knowledge has become a primary motivator for this petition.
I am aiming towards re-enrollment. I have gotten in contact with the head of the Economics Undergraduate Faculty, Dr. Ian Cromb, but I was informed that only in exceptional cases can a 4th attempt be made, therefore my aim with this petition is to drop my failed courses between W20 and F21 and re-enroll for the F23 semester. If I am successful in re-enrolling, I plan to exhaust any academic support available; examples being SASS and office hours while continuing my regular therapy sessions to manage any forthcoming challenges. I would be taking 1 course, although I have failed to complete this in the past, with my current guidance, I believe I can succeed.
This request is long overdue, I apologize for the lateness and any difficulties this may cause. I understand it is unconventional to consider a petition so far removed from the date in question, but considering the unconventional circumstances created by the pandemic, I kindly request to grant my petition as this may be the only opportunity to complete my degree for which I have worked so hard for the last 5+ years. I sincerely thank you for your consideration and look forward to hearing back from you soon.
Sincerely,
Riyan
Documentation
Professional Letter: IMG_2437-0.jpeg
Professional Letter Detail: Dr. Hanif said he could provide additional information if he was contacted by the institution. Please let me know if more detailed documentation is needed.
Document: 10180963.jpeg
