Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 1224
Submitted: June 15, 2015 at 11:05:19 PM
First Name: Callum
Last Name: Anderson
Student Number: 10098509
Email: 12cma7@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: PHIL
Level of Study: 2
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the requirement to withdraw for one year
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Callum Anderson's Appeal Letter to Mandatory One Year Withdrawal From Studies
During my first two years at Queen's University my academic performance and final grades were anything but an accurate representation of my true academic abilities. Coming to university was a very tough decision and a very difficult transition, one that I had ongoing difficulties making. I hope this very brief appeal letter and academic plan will help to restore confidence in my abilities and allow for me to be excused from the mandatory one year withdrawal from studies I am currently facing.
I will be incredibly brief in describing the setting for my first month of university. The summer between grade twelve and first year was a very difficult one for me. The illness and loss of a close family member had me second guessing university at this time. So I enrolled in summer school with every intention of heading back to high school that September. However, I was foolish and enrolled in courses at Queen's for September instead, enrolling fairly late, toward the end of the summer. Upon arriving at Queen's it was very clear from very early on that I was from a very different background than my floor mates and classmates, both economically and socially. Needless to say, I didn't fit in.
Significantly increased workload, social isolation, lingering grief, financial pressure, over commitment, to name a few of the challenges I faced throughout my first year at Queen's. Upon finishing first year I was so certain that I wasn't going to return in September of 2014 that I did not pick a major until August of that year. As I write this, and say it to myself out loud for the first time, it becomes even more clear to me how unprepared I truly was for university at that time. There was a mountain of reasons for me to not come, and many resources on campus I should have reached out to, I was very unprepared.
In this letter I do not want to focus so much on the negative events and past mistakes that lead me to this situation. Rather, I would like to focus on what I have been doing, and what I can do to make it right. I hope I will win your confidence, or at least persuade you enough to give me a final chance to prove myself, academically.
At the beginning of second year I enrolled in psychology courses hoping to transfer into the psychology department despite not performing well in PSYC 100, looking back on this choice, it was another reckless and irresponsible decision. I had new found feelings of optimism regarding the upcoming year, and was careless, and much too over confident. This psychology plan I was so hoping to pursue required me to enroll in a statistics course, math has never been my strong suit. Throughout second year I did learn a lot about what university was really like and what it really took to be a university student, however I feel that that was not the most important thing I took away from those eight months. During second year I got much more involved in my courses and activities and events on campus and in the Queen's community. To summarize, I felt much more integrated into the university community and less isolated. This helped me feel more welcome at Queen's, gave me increased access to information and on campus resources, made me enjoy classes, learning and everything Queen's has to offer, and above all, it made me more mature.
Becoming more mature in the post secondary environment was the most important thing about second year to me and to my future in education. I have realised the value of a post secondary education and become able to set much more realistic goals for myself. I think the real strength of this appeal rests in my academic plan which is already getting me back on track. To quickly summarize, it has been a rough transition into the post secondary world, one that I did not make as easily as I should have and I am not proud of that or of my performance at Queen's University so far. However, all of that is changing, I have set realistic goals and despite working a forty hour work week this summer, am enrolled in a total of five courses (15.0 units) from May to August. I am ready to boost my GPA and get back on track and I hope that you will give me the chance to prove this to you. Thank you very much for your time.
Respectfully yours,
Callum Anderson
During my first two years at Queen's University my academic performance and final grades were anything but an accurate representation of my true academic abilities. Coming to university was a very tough decision and a very difficult transition, one that I had ongoing difficulties making. I hope this very brief appeal letter and academic plan will help to restore confidence in my abilities and allow for me to be excused from the mandatory one year withdrawal from studies I am currently facing.
I will be incredibly brief in describing the setting for my first month of university. The summer between grade twelve and first year was a very difficult one for me. The illness and loss of a close family member had me second guessing university at this time. So I enrolled in summer school with every intention of heading back to high school that September. However, I was foolish and enrolled in courses at Queen's for September instead, enrolling fairly late, toward the end of the summer. Upon arriving at Queen's it was very clear from very early on that I was from a very different background than my floor mates and classmates, both economically and socially. Needless to say, I didn't fit in.
Significantly increased workload, social isolation, lingering grief, financial pressure, over commitment, to name a few of the challenges I faced throughout my first year at Queen's. Upon finishing first year I was so certain that I wasn't going to return in September of 2014 that I did not pick a major until August of that year. As I write this, and say it to myself out loud for the first time, it becomes even more clear to me how unprepared I truly was for university at that time. There was a mountain of reasons for me to not come, and many resources on campus I should have reached out to, I was very unprepared.
In this letter I do not want to focus so much on the negative events and past mistakes that lead me to this situation. Rather, I would like to focus on what I have been doing, and what I can do to make it right. I hope I will win your confidence, or at least persuade you enough to give me a final chance to prove myself, academically.
At the beginning of second year I enrolled in psychology courses hoping to transfer into the psychology department despite not performing well in PSYC 100, looking back on this choice, it was another reckless and irresponsible decision. I had new found feelings of optimism regarding the upcoming year, and was careless, and much too over confident. This psychology plan I was so hoping to pursue required me to enroll in a statistics course, math has never been my strong suit. Throughout second year I did learn a lot about what university was really like and what it really took to be a university student, however I feel that that was not the most important thing I took away from those eight months. During second year I got much more involved in my courses and activities and events on campus and in the Queen's community. To summarize, I felt much more integrated into the university community and less isolated. This helped me feel more welcome at Queen's, gave me increased access to information and on campus resources, made me enjoy classes, learning and everything Queen's has to offer, and above all, it made me more mature.
Becoming more mature in the post secondary environment was the most important thing about second year to me and to my future in education. I have realised the value of a post secondary education and become able to set much more realistic goals for myself. I think the real strength of this appeal rests in my academic plan which is already getting me back on track. To quickly summarize, it has been a rough transition into the post secondary world, one that I did not make as easily as I should have and I am not proud of that or of my performance at Queen's University so far. However, all of that is changing, I have set realistic goals and despite working a forty hour work week this summer, am enrolled in a total of five courses (15.0 units) from May to August. I am ready to boost my GPA and get back on track and I hope that you will give me the chance to prove this to you. Thank you very much for your time.
Respectfully yours,
Callum Anderson
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: A Brief Overview of Projected Academic Plan for Callum Anderson (2015-2016 School Year)
In the interest of saving your time I will give a brief overview of my projected academic plan for the 2015-2016 school year. As you learned from the appeal letter, I am a philosophy major who took almost all psychology courses. I have acknowledged this to be a critical mistake, and have already set out to right this right and will continue to do so in September should this appeal be granted.
Before I present my course outline I would like to quickly point out a few important points that strengthen my plan and demonstrate how dedicated I am to my continuing education. For starters, I have enrolled in 15.0 units over the summer semester made up of the following courses: BIOL 102, GNDS 125, MUSC 171 (does not start until July), HLTH 230, and STAT 263. In the past I have received an 'F' grade in BIOL 102, by the end of July I am confident I will have that credit, I am currently averaging an 'A' grade in the course. Similarly I am also re-enrolled in STAT 263, which I am also confident I shall earn a passing grade this time. After earning both of these credits the two 'F' grades will no longer be factored into my GPA which will raise it past the minimum 1.60 required to continue. It is worth noting that by the end of the summer my GPA will be at a satisfactory level for the faculty. This is not counting the other three courses (GNDS 125, MUSC 171, and HLTH 230), of which I am either currently receiving a grade of 'B' or more in the course and in the case of MUSC 171 I anticipate to pass with at least 'B' grade. Taking these new summer grades into account, my GPA will be above 1.60 by the start of the fall term in 2015. I have consulted an academic advisor and we went over the heavy workload that these summer courses are proving to be. I think it is a testament to my strong commitment to turning around my academic situation that I am enrolled in all of these courses and receiving much better grades, to note, I am also working a forty hour work week, I mention this only to further outline my extreme commitment to this cause. Further, at present my GPA is 1.47, which is below the standards laid out by the faculty. Although I would like to respectfully point out that it is not much lower than required and I am turning my poor academic situation around, things are getting better in that regard and with the credits I earn in the summer semester my GPA will be a satisfactory one that will make me eligible to return to my studies, and I believe that this is worth emphasizing. I am completely aware that academic assessment is decided in May, but before the regular school year begins I will be eligible to return.
Now I would like to quickly outline my projected course mapping for the 2015-2016 school year. My transcript reflects that I am strongest in philosophy and political studies, so I would like to propose a plan that would eventually lead me to a philosophy major and a political studies minor. I also believe that I overworked myself in my first two years, which was caused by my post secondary immaturity, lack of knowledge and overconfidence. In the past month I have worked very hard and understand the importance of realistic goal setting and have developed an ability to set more appropriate goals. Having said that, I think a reduced course load would be the best course of action for me to take, especially to ease into things, just to be on the safe side. I would start out by enrolling in just four courses in first semester and if all goes well (a GPA of 3.0 in first semester), enroll in five courses in second semester, (indicated in brackets is the course that I will take conditionally). I also plan on enrolling in summer school again in the summer of 2016, re-taking two courses that I did not perform well in during first year (grade of 'D' in PSYC 100 and grade of 'D-' in SOCY 122). This will help to boost my GPA even more.
Fall 2015
PHIL 250A - Epistemology and Metaphysics (Core course)
PHIL 257A - Ethics (Core course)
PHIL 259 - Critical Thinking (online)
PHIL 204 - Life, Death, Meaning
Winter 2016
PHIL 250B - Epistemology and Metaphysics (Core course)
PHIL 257B - Ethics (Core course)
PHIL 296 - Animals and Society
POLS 212 - Canadian Politics
(POLS 262 - International Political Economy)
Summer 2016
PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology (online) Would re-take this course to boost GPA
SOCY 122 - Introduction to Sociology (online) Would re-take this course to boost GPA
The current intensive summer work has also helped me to mature, both academically and personally. Most of all I have learned the value of time management, balancing all of these course and work along with everything else was at first a real challenge, a challenge that I have overcome. Working in a food service position as a summer job I also have a new found appreciation for higher education and really do realise how privileged I am to be studying at Queen's University. This is not a privilege I want to lose, and I am trying as hard as I can and have never worked harder towards something. I apologize that this has been blunt and to the point with few details. Nevertheless I hope you understand how much my post secondary education means to me and how serious and hard working I am with regards to raising my GPA. I am turning my academic situation around even as I write this, and I sincerely hope you will allow me the chance to prove it to you, the faculty of arts and science, and myself. Associate Dean Benard, thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it, and look forward to hearing your decision.
Best regards,
Callum Anderson
In the interest of saving your time I will give a brief overview of my projected academic plan for the 2015-2016 school year. As you learned from the appeal letter, I am a philosophy major who took almost all psychology courses. I have acknowledged this to be a critical mistake, and have already set out to right this right and will continue to do so in September should this appeal be granted.
Before I present my course outline I would like to quickly point out a few important points that strengthen my plan and demonstrate how dedicated I am to my continuing education. For starters, I have enrolled in 15.0 units over the summer semester made up of the following courses: BIOL 102, GNDS 125, MUSC 171 (does not start until July), HLTH 230, and STAT 263. In the past I have received an 'F' grade in BIOL 102, by the end of July I am confident I will have that credit, I am currently averaging an 'A' grade in the course. Similarly I am also re-enrolled in STAT 263, which I am also confident I shall earn a passing grade this time. After earning both of these credits the two 'F' grades will no longer be factored into my GPA which will raise it past the minimum 1.60 required to continue. It is worth noting that by the end of the summer my GPA will be at a satisfactory level for the faculty. This is not counting the other three courses (GNDS 125, MUSC 171, and HLTH 230), of which I am either currently receiving a grade of 'B' or more in the course and in the case of MUSC 171 I anticipate to pass with at least 'B' grade. Taking these new summer grades into account, my GPA will be above 1.60 by the start of the fall term in 2015. I have consulted an academic advisor and we went over the heavy workload that these summer courses are proving to be. I think it is a testament to my strong commitment to turning around my academic situation that I am enrolled in all of these courses and receiving much better grades, to note, I am also working a forty hour work week, I mention this only to further outline my extreme commitment to this cause. Further, at present my GPA is 1.47, which is below the standards laid out by the faculty. Although I would like to respectfully point out that it is not much lower than required and I am turning my poor academic situation around, things are getting better in that regard and with the credits I earn in the summer semester my GPA will be a satisfactory one that will make me eligible to return to my studies, and I believe that this is worth emphasizing. I am completely aware that academic assessment is decided in May, but before the regular school year begins I will be eligible to return.
Now I would like to quickly outline my projected course mapping for the 2015-2016 school year. My transcript reflects that I am strongest in philosophy and political studies, so I would like to propose a plan that would eventually lead me to a philosophy major and a political studies minor. I also believe that I overworked myself in my first two years, which was caused by my post secondary immaturity, lack of knowledge and overconfidence. In the past month I have worked very hard and understand the importance of realistic goal setting and have developed an ability to set more appropriate goals. Having said that, I think a reduced course load would be the best course of action for me to take, especially to ease into things, just to be on the safe side. I would start out by enrolling in just four courses in first semester and if all goes well (a GPA of 3.0 in first semester), enroll in five courses in second semester, (indicated in brackets is the course that I will take conditionally). I also plan on enrolling in summer school again in the summer of 2016, re-taking two courses that I did not perform well in during first year (grade of 'D' in PSYC 100 and grade of 'D-' in SOCY 122). This will help to boost my GPA even more.
Fall 2015
PHIL 250A - Epistemology and Metaphysics (Core course)
PHIL 257A - Ethics (Core course)
PHIL 259 - Critical Thinking (online)
PHIL 204 - Life, Death, Meaning
Winter 2016
PHIL 250B - Epistemology and Metaphysics (Core course)
PHIL 257B - Ethics (Core course)
PHIL 296 - Animals and Society
POLS 212 - Canadian Politics
(POLS 262 - International Political Economy)
Summer 2016
PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology (online) Would re-take this course to boost GPA
SOCY 122 - Introduction to Sociology (online) Would re-take this course to boost GPA
The current intensive summer work has also helped me to mature, both academically and personally. Most of all I have learned the value of time management, balancing all of these course and work along with everything else was at first a real challenge, a challenge that I have overcome. Working in a food service position as a summer job I also have a new found appreciation for higher education and really do realise how privileged I am to be studying at Queen's University. This is not a privilege I want to lose, and I am trying as hard as I can and have never worked harder towards something. I apologize that this has been blunt and to the point with few details. Nevertheless I hope you understand how much my post secondary education means to me and how serious and hard working I am with regards to raising my GPA. I am turning my academic situation around even as I write this, and I sincerely hope you will allow me the chance to prove it to you, the faculty of arts and science, and myself. Associate Dean Benard, thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it, and look forward to hearing your decision.
Best regards,
Callum Anderson
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: None.
Documentation Detail: None.
Decision Letters
History
Originally submitted June 15, 2015 at 11:05:19 PM.
| Field | Reference | Old Value | New Value | Note | User | Date/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| status | N/A | Received | Prepared for Review | Niki Kaloudas | 2015-06-16 9:29:59 AM | |
| status | N/A | Prepared for Review | In Review | Haley Everson | 2015-06-17 3:54:17 PM | |
| status | N/A | In Review | Denied | Haley Everson | 2015-07-06 9:20:40 AM | |
| associate_dean | N/A | Sue Blake | Haley Everson | 2015-07-06 9:20:40 AM | ||
| decision_letter | N/A | N/A | Decision letter sent | Haley Everson | 2015-07-06 9:21:53 AM |