Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 10686
Submitted: June 13, 2023 at 10:27:25 PM
First Name: Miles
Last Name: White
Pronoun: He
Preferred Name: Milo
Student Number: 20133370
Email: 18maw4@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BA
Plan: GPHY
Level of Study: 3
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the requirement to withdraw for one year
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean Stephenson,
My name is Miles White (#20133370) and I am writing to appeal the decision that I must withdraw from Queen’s for a minimum of 1 year and improve academic standing and DR of failed courses.
I am requesting this decision because of medical circumstances that have plagued my entire life and university career. I have suffered from chronic migraines for as long as I can remember, and it has affected every aspect of my life. I get migraines many times a week, which cripples me to a room of darkness for a majority of the day and also experience post migraine effects which leave me exhausted and lethargic. This makes it hard to stay up to date with course work and information. Coming into this year, I had worked with my doctors to reach what we thought was an effective dose of the medication I had been taking for a few years, as well as a good arsenal of resources to aid other aspects of my condition. However, once again as the school year picked up a slipped back in to the all familiar pain and constant stress of chronic migraines. I was already devastated at my performance because of the migraines during my university career, which was compacted every year knowing that I was falling further and further behind. This is why I was not dropping courses when I should have. I had hoped that at any point I would be able to complete the required material for my courses and terrified of once again falling behind and having to return to campus. Although I am enrolled in accessibility services I still often found it difficult to make deadlines or receive accommodation for things that professors were unable to accommodate.
My name is Miles White (#20133370) and I am writing to appeal the decision that I must withdraw from Queen’s for a minimum of 1 year and improve academic standing and DR of failed courses.
I am requesting this decision because of medical circumstances that have plagued my entire life and university career. I have suffered from chronic migraines for as long as I can remember, and it has affected every aspect of my life. I get migraines many times a week, which cripples me to a room of darkness for a majority of the day and also experience post migraine effects which leave me exhausted and lethargic. This makes it hard to stay up to date with course work and information. Coming into this year, I had worked with my doctors to reach what we thought was an effective dose of the medication I had been taking for a few years, as well as a good arsenal of resources to aid other aspects of my condition. However, once again as the school year picked up a slipped back in to the all familiar pain and constant stress of chronic migraines. I was already devastated at my performance because of the migraines during my university career, which was compacted every year knowing that I was falling further and further behind. This is why I was not dropping courses when I should have. I had hoped that at any point I would be able to complete the required material for my courses and terrified of once again falling behind and having to return to campus. Although I am enrolled in accessibility services I still often found it difficult to make deadlines or receive accommodation for things that professors were unable to accommodate.
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: Unlike previous appeals I submitted due to my condition where my goal was to be able to return to campus and complete the current program I am enrolled in, it is now very clear that this has not worked for me. My condition severely worsened when I arrived at Queens in first year and I initially assumed that this was because it was a big new chapter of change in my life and this spike was due to anxiety about my future. However, a pattern I have noticed is that whenever I returned home to Vancouver for summer and Christmas break my condition immediately improves. In the past, this unfortunately lead to me into a false sense of confidence that I had greatly improved my condition during breaks, only to revert back into increased migraine attacks when I returned to campus. Because of this, and talking with my doctor, I have realized that this is not sustainable. This is why my new academic plan is to switch programs to an online arts degree that I can finish from home. This way I have much easier access to my doctors and support systems such as my family and the familiarity of home. In talking to my general doctor as well as my neurologist we are confident that this is the best way for me to receive my degree from Queens. This will also relieve the constant stress of not being able to make a lecture or tutorial because I cannot make the walk to campus, and instead even if I am in pain I can learn the material from the comfort of my own home. I am currently in the trial period of a new medication for chronic migraines which has been helping for the past couple weeks but have also arranged a back up plan with my neurologist of medical Botox, of which she is a leading provider in the country. We are confident that the online degree route combined with new medications, chiropractic therapy, stress management therapy and the backup plan of medical Botox is the best and most promising way towards me not only receiving a degree, but also me finally ridding myself of this huge hurdle I have had to overcome my whole life.
I am currently waiting on some documentation so that will be added as soon as I receive it.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Regards,
Milo
I am currently waiting on some documentation so that will be added as soon as I receive it.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Regards,
Milo
