Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 13335
Submitted: June 11, 2025 at 11:49:28 PM
First Name: Zaina
Last Name: Chowdhury
Pronoun: She/Her
Student Number: 20237881
Email: 20zc10@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: N/A
Level of Study: 2
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the requirement to withdraw for a minimum of three years
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Dear Dr Jenn Stephenson,
I submit this appeal with a heavy heart as I received a ruling from the Faculty of Arts and Science to Withdraw for 3 Years.
There is no excuse for not meeting the university’s standard of education, but I wanted to provide insight on the situation that has caused the deterioration of my academics.
My life had taken a turn for the worse on March 23rd 2023 when there was a break-in at my house in Toronto while my family was out of town (I was the main caretaker of that house and lived there alone months on end as my parents worked overseas). I had to rush to Toronto immediately amidst my studies in order to deal with the matter at hand. Unfortunately, that was not the last of that situation, our house had another break-in on April 2nd 2023, a mere week after the initial one. My family had no choice but to clear out the entire house for our own safety immediately, as per advice from the detective dealing with the situation. The entire exam season of Winter 2023, I was running back and forth between Toronto and Kingston trying to juggle studying for my exams and and packing up my entire house alone (my parents did not get time off work on such a short notice) and putting everything in a storage (the house took more than 3 month to organize into storages alone). The case ID for the break in is 648378, event number: 23-726952 with Detective Ed Adich (ref #:(437)-995-0043 and badge: 6315).
By the time I received my Letter of Withdrawal for One Year, I admitted defeat instead of appealing as I was still dealing with the situation at hand and realized it is for the best that I don’t take on academic weight at this time. Prior to my withdrawal in Winter 2023, I was also visiting Student Wellness once a week. My mental health had already been suffering greatly due to familial issues. I had sent my forms to SWS and never heard back. I have attached the emails in my petition.
During my year off, I experienced the worst mental health of my life, where I felt too burnt out from even the thought of getting up and seeking therapy. I felt like I had no purpose in life without my education.
Around March 2024, I had started rehabilitating my life. By May, I was back in university and on track this time. But then I was hit with another wave in life as my parents decided to file for divorce in early November 2024. At first, I was still able to focus on my studies, finishing Fall 2024 with grades better than previous terms. But, in February 2025. My mental health was back to square one as there was this sense of responsibility to keep my family together. I prioritized trying to keep things amicable between my parents to the best of my ability. In the process of doing this, my family had gotten too dependent on me being the middle person and I sabotaged my own self and future.
I couldn’t find the balance between excelling in my classes without any academic considerations (something I take responsibility for not applying for) and looking after my family. May 2023-May 2024, I had time to consider the steps I need to take in order to restore my education. I had started retaking the courses I had failed in previously. I have been taking some time off to consider my options. I had been on track to fixing my grades up until the recent semester where my familial issues had grown a further amount.
Moreover, though this might seem as an un-modern way of life to some, my religion promotes education to be of the utmost importance in one’s life (an ideology I believe in as well) and sees you unfit to start any new chapter of your life whether it is related to your education or not until you have excelled in academics. As a now 23 year old girl, I must take the initiative to organize every aspect of my life, being young and naive is no longer an excuse to slack on the things that are important to settle into your life and future. Holding off on every aspect of my life until I’m 26 years old is something I am willing to do anything to prevent.
I request from the bottom of my heart for the registrar and Queen’s University to review my letter of appeal with consideration of my circumstances. I am willing to comply with any regulations set on me by the Faculty to not put my life on hold for another 3 years. I am truly begging at the chance to redeem myself and prove I have what it takes to be a Queen’s University Alumni one day. I want nothing more than to be able to graduate from Queen's University proudly.
Best Regards,
Zaina Chowdhury
I submit this appeal with a heavy heart as I received a ruling from the Faculty of Arts and Science to Withdraw for 3 Years.
There is no excuse for not meeting the university’s standard of education, but I wanted to provide insight on the situation that has caused the deterioration of my academics.
My life had taken a turn for the worse on March 23rd 2023 when there was a break-in at my house in Toronto while my family was out of town (I was the main caretaker of that house and lived there alone months on end as my parents worked overseas). I had to rush to Toronto immediately amidst my studies in order to deal with the matter at hand. Unfortunately, that was not the last of that situation, our house had another break-in on April 2nd 2023, a mere week after the initial one. My family had no choice but to clear out the entire house for our own safety immediately, as per advice from the detective dealing with the situation. The entire exam season of Winter 2023, I was running back and forth between Toronto and Kingston trying to juggle studying for my exams and and packing up my entire house alone (my parents did not get time off work on such a short notice) and putting everything in a storage (the house took more than 3 month to organize into storages alone). The case ID for the break in is 648378, event number: 23-726952 with Detective Ed Adich (ref #:(437)-995-0043 and badge: 6315).
By the time I received my Letter of Withdrawal for One Year, I admitted defeat instead of appealing as I was still dealing with the situation at hand and realized it is for the best that I don’t take on academic weight at this time. Prior to my withdrawal in Winter 2023, I was also visiting Student Wellness once a week. My mental health had already been suffering greatly due to familial issues. I had sent my forms to SWS and never heard back. I have attached the emails in my petition.
During my year off, I experienced the worst mental health of my life, where I felt too burnt out from even the thought of getting up and seeking therapy. I felt like I had no purpose in life without my education.
Around March 2024, I had started rehabilitating my life. By May, I was back in university and on track this time. But then I was hit with another wave in life as my parents decided to file for divorce in early November 2024. At first, I was still able to focus on my studies, finishing Fall 2024 with grades better than previous terms. But, in February 2025. My mental health was back to square one as there was this sense of responsibility to keep my family together. I prioritized trying to keep things amicable between my parents to the best of my ability. In the process of doing this, my family had gotten too dependent on me being the middle person and I sabotaged my own self and future.
I couldn’t find the balance between excelling in my classes without any academic considerations (something I take responsibility for not applying for) and looking after my family. May 2023-May 2024, I had time to consider the steps I need to take in order to restore my education. I had started retaking the courses I had failed in previously. I have been taking some time off to consider my options. I had been on track to fixing my grades up until the recent semester where my familial issues had grown a further amount.
Moreover, though this might seem as an un-modern way of life to some, my religion promotes education to be of the utmost importance in one’s life (an ideology I believe in as well) and sees you unfit to start any new chapter of your life whether it is related to your education or not until you have excelled in academics. As a now 23 year old girl, I must take the initiative to organize every aspect of my life, being young and naive is no longer an excuse to slack on the things that are important to settle into your life and future. Holding off on every aspect of my life until I’m 26 years old is something I am willing to do anything to prevent.
I request from the bottom of my heart for the registrar and Queen’s University to review my letter of appeal with consideration of my circumstances. I am willing to comply with any regulations set on me by the Faculty to not put my life on hold for another 3 years. I am truly begging at the chance to redeem myself and prove I have what it takes to be a Queen’s University Alumni one day. I want nothing more than to be able to graduate from Queen's University proudly.
Best Regards,
Zaina Chowdhury
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: Prior to Winter 2025, I had retaken ECON 110, HIST 108, CLST 102, ECON 239 and fixed my grades for the following subjects. I have also managed to fix my grade for SPAN 111 this last semester. I had attempted to take EMPR 100 and LLCU 110 in Fall 2024 but the random block on my Solus had to be manually removed by an Academic Advisor, allowing me 5 days to enrol in Fall classes. By then, the classes were already full. I would like to take those courses this fall semester if I am given the chance, in order to improve my GPA.
Since finishing Winter 2025 semester, I have been working closely with my family doctor in order to find as new therapist that works well for me and I had realized myself that a BAH degree might be too much for me to handle and would like to switch to BA instead, as I believe I would be able to take on the load better and achieve my degree properly. I have also come to the conclusion that as long as I am in this household, I will be stuck in the same sport for years upon years. So, I have moved out of my family's household this summer in order to pursue my education and hopefully future career in peace. I will also provide the registrar proof of my regular visits to a counsellor once my family doctor and I are able to find the right one in order to prove that I will stay on top of my mental well being in order to be a successful student. I will also apply for apply for Academic Consideration as soon as I am allowed to return to my studies as I found meeting my deadlines in a timely manner the most challenging aspect of keeping my grades up previously. Please allow me the chance to take my life back into my own hands, there is nothing more I want than to be able to finish my degree successfully.
Since finishing Winter 2025 semester, I have been working closely with my family doctor in order to find as new therapist that works well for me and I had realized myself that a BAH degree might be too much for me to handle and would like to switch to BA instead, as I believe I would be able to take on the load better and achieve my degree properly. I have also come to the conclusion that as long as I am in this household, I will be stuck in the same sport for years upon years. So, I have moved out of my family's household this summer in order to pursue my education and hopefully future career in peace. I will also provide the registrar proof of my regular visits to a counsellor once my family doctor and I are able to find the right one in order to prove that I will stay on top of my mental well being in order to be a successful student. I will also apply for apply for Academic Consideration as soon as I am allowed to return to my studies as I found meeting my deadlines in a timely manner the most challenging aspect of keeping my grades up previously. Please allow me the chance to take my life back into my own hands, there is nothing more I want than to be able to finish my degree successfully.
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: NO DOC
Document: 2025-06-04-standard-lease-signed.pdf
Document: SWS emails.pdf
Decision Letters
Level 1 Status
Status: DeniedLevel 2
Appeal Type: Level 2
ID: 331
Submitted: July 21, 2025 at 11:15:15 PM
Relevant Petition: 13335
Decision(s) Being Appealed: Waive the requirement to withdraw for a minimum of three years
Appeal Grounds
Appeals to the Board of Studies must include a letter based on one or more of the Grounds for Appeal (Appeal Regulation 3.4). What are the grounds you are basing your appeal on?
- The Associate Dean's decision did not follow the rules of procedural fairness. A breach of procedural fairness includes such things as the Associate Dean failed to:
- Make a reasonable decision in your appeal. A “reasonable” decision is one that is based on evidence, thought out and supported by facts and logical inferences from the facts. To be reasonable, the decision must contain adequate reasons for the conclusions.
Appeal Grounds Details: I am apealling the Associate Dean’s decision because I feel like I have met the requirements for the Academic Petition and Appeal Regulation 1.7.1.8 for the first situation mentioned in my previous appeal and I have further proof of the second situation I have mentioned. I have been taking necessary steps to take myself out of a situation that caused distraction and distress leading to my academic setbacks.
Appeal Letter
Appeal Letter: Dear Board of Studies,
I am appealing the Associate Dean, Scott-Morgan Straker’s decision to deny my First-Level appeal to waive my Academic Withdrawal for 3 years. In my previous appeal, I had spoken about two incidents during my academic probation that have caused a falter in my academics. The first incident was two back to back robberies in my house that occurred during my Winter 2023 exam season that I was forced to take care of due to the fact that my parents live overseas now. The Associate Dean had noted the Academic Petition and Appeal Regulation 1.7.1.8 but I had included Case ID, event number and contact information of the detective that was overseeing the case of the robberies for confirmation. I will include the information in this letter as well, the case ID for the break in is 648378, the event number is 23-726952 with Detective Ed Adich, his contact number is (437)-995-0043 and badge is 6315. As for the second incident that took place mainly during Winter 2025, I was unable to provide proof of my parent’s divorce in my previous appeal as their divorce has not been finalized yet, with ongoing back and forth between them to come to a settlement. Initially, I was hit with a sense of shame due to my unsuccessful academic career so far and did not know how to tell anyone in my family without feeling further shame. Since my initial appeal, I had finally built up the courage to confide about my academic standing with a family member, my cousin, who was more than willing to provide a letter confirming the extenuating circumstances beyond my control.
Another point that Dr Scott-Morgan Straker had brought up is the lack of appropriate support in place to manage ongoing challenges currently in place, I had mentioned I have been trying to find a counselor that is suitable and feel comfortable confiding and have offered to keep the registrar in the loop during the course of my academic studies to ensure I am staying on top of my mental well being to prevent academic setbacks. I included in my plan of actions to apply for academic consideration in order to manage deadlines (something I admittedly had not done in my previous academic years). I also provided proof of my leasing agreement of an apartment I am currently paying the rent of through saved up funds with only my name on the lease to prove I have moved out of my family’s environment even in Toronto (as it is the city I live in and is home when I am not in Kingston for university). Though it may not seem like much, it was a difficult decision to detach my family during this difficult time but it was a necessary step for me to assert boundaries in order to prevent further setbacks in life. I can only bank on my future to be able to create a living for myself and my education plays a key role in this. I had not dropped the necessary courses last semester (the time frame I had the worst academic and mental struggle due to familial issues) as SPAN 111 and ECON 243 were repeated courses I took to try and fix my GPA, if I had dropped my courses, I would have been under the threshold for the academic probation to be lifted so I had kept the courses and tried my best to juggle my personal and academic life. I understand that I have not been an ideal Queen’s University student and it takes a lot more discipline than I have portrayed so to be a successful alumni but I am willing to put in all my effort and dedication to undo my previous shortcomings if given the chance. I truly believe I have created an environment for myself where I can peacefully shift my focus towards myself and my future only. I want to thank the Board of Studies for taking the time to read my letter and giving me a second chance to try and win my future back.
Best Regards,
Zaina Chowdhury
I am appealing the Associate Dean, Scott-Morgan Straker’s decision to deny my First-Level appeal to waive my Academic Withdrawal for 3 years. In my previous appeal, I had spoken about two incidents during my academic probation that have caused a falter in my academics. The first incident was two back to back robberies in my house that occurred during my Winter 2023 exam season that I was forced to take care of due to the fact that my parents live overseas now. The Associate Dean had noted the Academic Petition and Appeal Regulation 1.7.1.8 but I had included Case ID, event number and contact information of the detective that was overseeing the case of the robberies for confirmation. I will include the information in this letter as well, the case ID for the break in is 648378, the event number is 23-726952 with Detective Ed Adich, his contact number is (437)-995-0043 and badge is 6315. As for the second incident that took place mainly during Winter 2025, I was unable to provide proof of my parent’s divorce in my previous appeal as their divorce has not been finalized yet, with ongoing back and forth between them to come to a settlement. Initially, I was hit with a sense of shame due to my unsuccessful academic career so far and did not know how to tell anyone in my family without feeling further shame. Since my initial appeal, I had finally built up the courage to confide about my academic standing with a family member, my cousin, who was more than willing to provide a letter confirming the extenuating circumstances beyond my control.
Another point that Dr Scott-Morgan Straker had brought up is the lack of appropriate support in place to manage ongoing challenges currently in place, I had mentioned I have been trying to find a counselor that is suitable and feel comfortable confiding and have offered to keep the registrar in the loop during the course of my academic studies to ensure I am staying on top of my mental well being to prevent academic setbacks. I included in my plan of actions to apply for academic consideration in order to manage deadlines (something I admittedly had not done in my previous academic years). I also provided proof of my leasing agreement of an apartment I am currently paying the rent of through saved up funds with only my name on the lease to prove I have moved out of my family’s environment even in Toronto (as it is the city I live in and is home when I am not in Kingston for university). Though it may not seem like much, it was a difficult decision to detach my family during this difficult time but it was a necessary step for me to assert boundaries in order to prevent further setbacks in life. I can only bank on my future to be able to create a living for myself and my education plays a key role in this. I had not dropped the necessary courses last semester (the time frame I had the worst academic and mental struggle due to familial issues) as SPAN 111 and ECON 243 were repeated courses I took to try and fix my GPA, if I had dropped my courses, I would have been under the threshold for the academic probation to be lifted so I had kept the courses and tried my best to juggle my personal and academic life. I understand that I have not been an ideal Queen’s University student and it takes a lot more discipline than I have portrayed so to be a successful alumni but I am willing to put in all my effort and dedication to undo my previous shortcomings if given the chance. I truly believe I have created an environment for myself where I can peacefully shift my focus towards myself and my future only. I want to thank the Board of Studies for taking the time to read my letter and giving me a second chance to try and win my future back.
Best Regards,
Zaina Chowdhury
Documentation
Document: Letter of Confirmation .pdf
Document: 2025-06-04-standard-lease-0.pdf
I plan to submit additional documentation at a later date: Once I match with suitable councillor, I will request a letter confirming my consistent visits for mental/psychological management
History
Originally submitted June 11, 2025 at 11:49:28 PM.
| Field | Reference | Old Value | New Value | Note | User | Date/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| status | N/A | Received | Incomplete | Kerri Andrews | 2025-06-13 2:34:08 PM | |
| status | N/A | Incomplete | In Review | Kerri Andrews | 2025-06-24 4:52:19 PM | |
| status | N/A | In Review | Denied | Kerri Andrews | 2025-07-07 3:54:55 PM | |
| associate_dean | N/A | Scott-Morgan Straker (Acting Associate Dean) | Kerri Andrews | 2025-07-07 3:54:55 PM | ||
| decision_letter | N/A | N/A | Decision letter sent | Kerri Andrews | 2025-07-07 3:55:29 PM | |
| new_appeal_level_2 | N/A | Level 2 | Level 2 Appeal ID: 331 | 20zc10 | 2025-07-21 11:15:15 PM | |
| status | N/A | Received | In Review | Kathrine Scott | 2025-07-29 2:39:46 PM | |
| status | N/A | In Review | ADA Amended Decision | Kathrine Scott | 2025-09-10 2:48:11 PM |