Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

New Information: Petition Letter:

Dear Associate Dean (Academic),

I am writing to petition for the waiver of the “Requirement me to Withdraw for a Minimum of Three Years” ruling. I understand the gravity of this request and I believe that my academic performance is solely my responsibility. However, I would like to highlight the extenuating personal events that severely impacted my academic performance this past year as well as touch upon the steps I have taken—and am committed to continually take– to ensure success moving forward.

The series of challenges I faced began in November 2022 with issues regarding an interpersonal relationship. While this had a major impact on my mental health, I sought support from resources such as Queen’s Student Accommodation Services and the Queen’s Peer Support Centre to complete the semester. The exacerbation of my mental health issues led me to fall behind and achieve grades that were less than ideal.

The Winter 2023 term is when several major issues began to compound. In February 2023, the heightened tension within family and relationship matters as well as the deteriorating health of an immediate family member further affected my already fragile mental state. The cumulative weight of these challenges led me to a point of severe suicidal ideation by March 2023. While my memory of that period is blurred due to the severity of the circumstances, I do recall my mindset at the time being: “Why bother if you’re going to be dead in a few months anyway?” During this period, I was unable to seek the help I needed from the appropriate resources to tend to my health and my academics. The slightest issue was simply too much to bear and I found comfort in the misguided belief that nothing will matter shortly once I am gone.

Since then, I have sought help in counselling to address my mental health. This has been immensely beneficial in allowing me to recognize patterns in my behaviour, take responsibility for issues I face, and enact the change required to rectify the setbacks I incur. Given my situation, I have since contacted the professors of my Winter Term courses to determine the best course of action. I was given support by the IDIS173 professor to appeal to the Faculty of Health Sciences for a late drop and the professors of the remaining courses have given me permission to complete the outstanding requirements.
Although I was originally scheduled to complete these courses in May, the death of my immediate family member led me to file for academic consideration, delaying completion. I am, however, determined to fulfil these obligations by the end of next month. I have also enrolled in summer courses; I hope that through the successful completion of the Winter and Summer Term courses, I am able to demonstrate my commitment to improving my academic and mental state.

I would finally like to stress that I take full responsibility for my shortcomings this past year. While I have taken steps in the past to manage my mental health concerns, I was not prepared to remain resilient in light of the severe challenges I faced this year. Through the process of self-reflection in journaling, therapy, and meditation, I have been able to identify my pattern of avoidance and tendency toward self-hatred and self-sabotage. I take accountability for these behaviours and have spent the last two months actively addressing these issues and challenging past beliefs. I understand that this is not fixable overnight and will require consistent, meaningful effort on my part. To supplement counselling, I have contacted the Queen’s University Online Psychotherapy Lab to participate in their CBT-based study. I am currently awaiting assessment and look forward to implementing the strategies I will learn.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for your consideration. I understand the importance of maintaining academic standards and do not intend to shift blame or absolve myself of responsibility. I wish to convey that I was not well-equipped to handle the extenuating circumstances I faced this year; however, I am entirely committed to putting in the consistent work required for me to succeed.




Academic Plan:

I wish to pursue a BSc (Hons) in Statistics. While I am not currently enrolled in this plan, I have spoken with Prof. Peter Taylor, Chair of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, who has agreed to substitute certain requirements when I am eligible to enrol in my desired plan. I am currently in the process of completing courses from the 2023 Winter, two of which are requirements for my desired plan.

During periods in which I was mentally healthy, I found that I was considerably better at retaining concepts, managing my time, and engaging in coursework than I had been in the past. As addressed in the petition letter, my poor academic performance this year is largely a result of the severe impact of the extenuating circumstances I faced. Through time, counselling, and the implementation of daily habits such as journaling, meditation, and exercise, I have found that the circumstances I faced this year weigh on me far less. I feel confident that remaining consistent with these, as well as implementing skills I learn in the CBT-based study, will ensure that I work through issues in a healthier manner and remain mindful of my mental state as challenges arise. This requires me to be realistic in assessing how challenges I face may impact my mental health, making adjustments to my routine, goals, and use of resources accordingly.