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