Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Leah Field. I am in my second year at Queen??s University in General Sciences planning to pursue Life Science. I am writing this letter to request changing my courses with a failed grade from my first year and from first semester of my second year into late drops. I am also seeking ways to pass my full-year courses, Chem 112 and Math 121. I am willing to do whatever is necessary, such as reweighting my semesters, having an extension into the summer to complete missed tests or quizzes, rewriting first semester exams, or doing extra credit work, etc.
I would like to start with a brief outline/timeline of the mistakes I made and the circumstances out of my control that affected my ability to be successful in my courses. Then, I will move on to the changes I have made to ensure future success.

When I started out at Queen??s in September, two significant issues negatively impacted my studies. Firstly, my ADHD was completely unmanaged. I had been untreated for many years due to previous negative experiences with medication and accommodations. I??ll admit I was naïve to the pace and challenges of university and didn??t realize until it was too late that I should have made sure I was being treated, with accommodations in place, before starting at Queen??s. My ADHD has a detrimental effect in all aspects of my academic and personal life. Most significantly, getting to class, working memory, keeping up with assignments, and meeting deadlines. These issues were further complicated by being in an abusive relationship. Without going into too much detail, it was a situation where leaving my house to go to class or taking time away from him to do school work was met with extreme backlash.
By mid-October I had managed to end that relationship and was in the process of getting back on medication with little success. Unfortunately, by this point, I was struggling with extremely poor mental health and I had missed so much course work that catching up was a huge challenge and ultimately unsuccessful.

At the end of first semester and over the course of winter break things took a turn for the worse. I went home with the intention of taking a mental health break, getting on medication, and coming back in the new semester stronger than ever. Unfortunately, my ex-boyfriend from the previously mentioned relationship had heard I was coming back to town and began harassing me. At the end of December he escalated to destroying my property and throwing it in my front yard while sending taunting text messages. I filed a police report, and after officers spoke to him, they advised getting a protection order. At this point, instead of the desired mental health break, I experienced even more trauma, and my mental health plummeted. I had also only been able to receive a 2 week supply of my medication and wasn??t able to get an appointment with the wellness centre until late March. I struggled immensely throughout this semester, especially with leaving my apartment, as my anxiety and depression had taken over. By the end of second semester, the damage I had done to my grades for my-full year courses was irreparable. There were many points over last year that I should have reached out for help, either to professors or counsellors. I wasn??t in a state mentally where that was possible for me.

Desperately wanting to put this year behind me and make up my grades and courses, I made the mistake of retaking some of those courses in the summer semester. While my intentions were good, I should not have dove right into more classes without taking time to recover. I also was still unmedicated and without accommodations. Expecting myself to balance those classes with my mental health and the three jobs I had to work was entirely unrealistic, and I have learned from that mistake.

At the end of August 2022 I approached my second year ready to rectify my mistakes. My plan was to see tutors weekly to help bridge the gap my ADHD causes, be consistent with medication, and meet with an accommodations advisor. While it was a good plan, many roadblocks out of my control started popping up just days into my semester. It started with issues receiving my medical records from my previous doctor. This delayed by ability to get medication, arrange accommodations, and receive funding from Manitoba Student Aid. I finally received medication at the beginning of November and was able to get an appointment for accommodations at the end of November. At this point, I had not received any of my loans, and due to this, I was not able to afford the tutors I needed. I was under extreme financial stress and didn??t receive my funding until late December. More issues arrived in November as my backpack with all my notes, school supplies, some technology and the majority of my things were stolen. Just after that, I came down with a chest infection that lasted well into December. As I??m sure you can imagine, all of this was extremely disruptive to my learning over the semester.

The current semester is going much better. I have been consistently medicated for my ADHD and have accommodation plans in place. I have also been meeting with tutors regularly in an effort to catch up on content for my full year courses. I am moving houses to a location significantly closer to campus and am taking a much needed break over the summer to make sure I come back to school next year in the best way possible. Being able to move forward without the failed grades on my record and with the passing of my courses this semester will put me in a great position for success. Overall, the grades on my transcript over the last two years are not representative of my abilities as a student. I have persevered and grown tremendously throughout my years at Queen??s, despite the challenges I??ve faced. I sincerely look forward to proving what I am capable of.

Thank you kindly for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Leah Field