Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Stephenson,
My name is Marron Dagenais. I am in the Bachelor of Science program with an interest in wildlife biology/conservation. I started my post-secondary career in September 2021 and last month I received notification for a requirement to withdraw for one (1) year due to my academic performance. The notification I received indicated a June 13, 2023 deadline for appealing the requirement to withdraw, hence this letter.
My overall GPA after first year was 1.13, in large part because I failed Math 121. I did not declare a plan after my first year as I did not want to choose a program that did not fit with my career goal and my academic performance would not allow me to declare Biology as my plan. Therefore, I remained undeclared last year (2022/23) and I took 2-level courses in Biology and Chemistry, as well as repeating Math 121. Unfortunately, I failed Math 121 again this year. While my marks did improve this last year compared to my first year (GPA 1.53 compared to GPA 1.13, when Math 121 is included for both), it was not enough for my cumulative GPA to achieve the minimum 1.6 required to stay in the BSC program.
I was a straight A student in secondary school and was recognized for my academic performance by Queen’s as evidenced by the university’s offer of an entrance scholarship. My recent academic performance is not up to my usual standard, which is my I am contacting you to appeal the requirement to withdraw. There are two extenuating circumstances that led to my poor performance over the last two years.
Firstly, the global COVID pandemic had a significantly negative effect on my overall health and mental well-being. I am an outgoing, social person and the social restrictions and limitations enforced during many periods of the pandemic were particularly difficult for me. I am also a visual, hands-on learner and the remote teaching sessions implemented during COVID did not suit my learning style. Feeling disconnected from my professors, TAs and fellow students was a driving factor in my sub-standard academic performance, and it has become clear to me that despite my best efforts, an online learning environment is not conducive for me to put in my best work.
Secondly, and most importantly, a pre-existing mental health issue (anxiety and depression) was greatly exacerbated by COVID. I have been taking medication for both my anxiety and depression since my diagnosis in 2020 (see attached documentation), but by Christmas of 2021, both conditions were significantly worse than at the start of the Fall semester and I had to increase my dosage. Knowing that I was struggling, I had applied for accommodations for the Winter semester final examinations, but these were not granted in time and I had to write my exams in large rooms filled with hundreds of students, adding to my already high levels of anxiety associated with exam writing in general.
Over the summer break in 2022, I made great effort to improve my mental health because I had been placed on academic probation and did not want to have to withdraw if I could not improve my academic performance in the 2022/23 year. This self-awareness and accountability led me to re-apply for accommodations as soon as I returned to school in September 2022. This time I did receive the accommodations and was able to write my Christmas (2022) and April (2023) exams in private rooms with extended completion times (50% additional time). Unfortunately, the accommodations in and of themselves were not enough to offset the ongoing impacts of my anxiety and depression. Being on academic probation, while potentially serving as a catalyst and motivator for some students to improve their performance, had the opposite effect on me. It pre-occupied my mind, only adding to my anxiety and affecting my ability to study and concentrate. I even went so far as to get an emotional support animal to try and help with my anxiety (see attached documentation).
Knowing that I had to repeat Math 121 again in 2022/23, I arranged for tutoring (again), starting in September so that I could stay on top of the coursework and not fall behind as I had the first time around in 2021. I had weekly, and often twice weekly, tutoring sessions (see attached documentation showing payments from October 2022 at $40/hr), but despite this extra effort, I was not able to pass. By my calculations, without Math 121 being considered in my GPA, I would have achieved 1.46 in my first year and 2.03 this last year, for an overall cumulative GPA of 1.72, which would have gotten me out of academic probation.
My biggest frustration about this is that it is unlikely that I will need to use calculus for what I really want to do and am passionate about – wildlife biology/conservation. I understand that first year math is a required course for the Bachelor of Science degree, but without this requirement, I would have been able to get out of academic probation and continue to pursue my academic career at your amazing university. I am generally very strong in mathematics and feel that I will not struggle with statistics and any other math-related courses in 2nd year and beyond. It just seems that calculus does not click with me.
I know that asking to waive the 1st year level Math requirement is unlikely, but at the very least I would ask that you consider waiving my requirement to withdraw for the upcoming school year.