Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Associate Academic Dean Dr. Jenn Stephenson,

My name is Giselle Castillejos (She/Her) and I am in my third year of Drama and English Intermediate/Senior.

I am petitioning to drop the course CRWI329: The Literary Screenplay: Adaptation for the Screen by Armand Ruffo (Fall, 2023).

The extenuating circumstances that apply to the reasoning for dropping course CWRI329 is due to family matters with regard to parental separation and the mental impact the separation has had on myself, as well as my family. With my parents’ separation in June 2023, I lived with my mother and brother as my father decided to leave. Many, if not all of the financial burdens have been on my mother such as being the sole contributor to pay for my tuition, with the help of OSAP, when I was in debt and appealing to register with debt at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year. In addition, my mother works at Maple Leaf Foods in Guelph, Ontario, and due to the pandemic, many adjustments had to be made in the workplace to ensure the safety and health of its customers and workers remained at the utmost importance of the management. I was in consultation with Nancy Ryder, the Student Financial Account Representative along with the records and services office of the registrar to outline my opinions of continuing to enroll with debt. Due to this, my mother’s shifts have either been cancelled or reduced many times throughout the 2021-22 academic year, along with her needing to pick up a part-time job at the Wellington Catholic District School Board in Guelph, Ontario as a Student Supervisor. Many of the financial circumstances continue to impact my ability to perform academically within this CWRI397 as it is a 3-hour long course with no breaks allocated.

Also, I wish to drop this course as I am no longer interested in its content, and as it is a 3-hour seminar with required participation and discussion about course content, with no breaks allocated. The outline of the course is affecting my mental health to perform to the best of my ability. Considering future plans to successfully graduate, I am an English minor, thus, I plan on completing an English course in either the second semester of my third year or in the summer. I have 12 units of English (two 6.00 courses or four 3.00 unit courses in my current third and next fourth year of my Bachelor of Arts) to complete to fulfill my English minor (Teachable) for Concurrent Education and I have meticulously organized when to complete them to successfully graduate.

I am petitioning to drop only CWRI327 as it is my only 3-hour seminar. With this time frame, the structure of how the course is laid out (continuous discussion), and how it is affecting my potential diagnosis of ADHD, I am not able to put my best efforts into this class due to mental health circumstances due to financial restrictions and at-home family problems.

One action that I am taking to help with the finances and my mental health is living in Residence as a Don which I help students achieve academic success, build resilience, and find a sense of belonging. In residence, my room and meal plan are all included, and I work as a part-time DRAM100 TA which is financially helping pay for bills, supplies for school such as textbooks and additional support my mother as a single parent will need.

One action I/my family is taking to prevent this situation from reoccurring is to ensure communication is prioritized amongst the family. What this looks like could be researching the Queen’s school policies regarding tuition due dates, being proactive when talking to professors and outlining stressors amongst the family, seeking help and clarification from school faculty members when unsure about information, and setting up a clear, organized plan such as a calendar to ensure deadlines are not missed and that reminders for fees are addressed accordingly. Moving forward, I hope to schedule appointments with Student Wellness Services and/or my family doctor as I wish to inquire about ADHD as my inability to focus in CWRI397 is continuously being affected. These future plans will help me achieve academic success as it encourages me to be proactive, seek the resources on campus and back home such as medical professionals, to take course(s) in the summer as it will be a less busy time, etc.

I vow to continue to do good work in all aspects of University life at Queen’s - academically, socially, and financially.

I truly hope you can consider having my appeal approved,

Thank you and with all sincerity,

Giselle Castillejos