Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Grounds Details: Dear Members of the Board,

I am writing to appeal the decision made by the Associate Dean (Academic) to deny my petition to waive the requirement to withdraw for the 2025–2026 academic year.

Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that this appeal is being submitted after the July 21st deadline. Unfortunately, I was unable to access the Associate Dean’s decision earlier due to ongoing authentication issues again with my Queen’s email account. While I was outside of Canada, my Canadian phone number no longer worked, which prevented me from completing the two-factor login process. I did not expect a decision before August. I only recently regained limited access and acted immediately upon seeing the decision. I respectfully ask the Board to accept this late submission on compassionate grounds.

I am appealing on the grounds that the Associate Dean’s decision was not reasonable and did not fully reflect procedural fairness. Specifically, I believe that the decision:
-Overemphasized the absence of formal documentation, while not adequately considering the explanation for why documentation was difficult or impossible to obtain in the midst of crisis;
-Assumed I should have dropped courses or acted differently, without accounting for the severe mental, emotional, and physical health issues I was experiencing, which made it extremely difficult to recognize how much I was struggling;
-Applied policy without sufficient flexibility, which, in cases involving serious distress and complete lack of support, should be reviewed with greater compassion and nuance.

In 2024, I was completely financially and emotionally abandoned by my parents. I was alone for the first time in my life, responsible for my rent, groceries, emotional well-being, and full-time university workload. I worked an average of 25 hours per week in a toxic, high-pressure environment just to survive. At the same time, I kept everything to myself. I told no one what I was going through, and I truly believed I had to handle it on my own. That silence, combined with the pressure, quietly destroyed me.

The amount of stress I was under severely harmed my mental and physical health. I was constantly sick, exhausted, and emotionally shut down. I even had to go to the hospital once. But because I internalized everything, I didn’t reach out, didn’t document it, and didn’t realize how far I had fallen until it was too late.

The Associate Dean’s reasoning suggests that I should have either submitted stronger documentation or dropped courses by the proper deadlines. I respectfully disagree with this conclusion, because it does not reflect the reality of a student in deep, unmanaged crisis. It assumes that I had the mental clarity, time, and resources to take administrative action when I was in survival mode. In fact, the reason I didn’t drop courses or access support earlier is directly connected to the extenuating circumstances themselves. That’s what makes the decision feel unreasonable to me: it holds me accountable for not acting in a way that was beyond my capacity at the time.

Despite the difficulties, I made real efforts to recover. In second semester, I reduced my work hours and tried to stabilize my routine. Since then, my job has ended, and I’ve reconnected with extended family who are now supporting me emotionally and financially. I am working this summer and preparing to return to Queen’s with a solid foundation and clear academic plan.

I’m not asking for an exception, I’m asking for fairness. The Associate Dean’s decision, while procedurally sound on the surface, did not fully consider the complexity of my situation or how deeply it impacted my ability to take action. I believe I’ve shown growth, accountability, and a plan for success. If you give me this chance, I know I can prove I’m capable of much more than what this past year reflects.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Camille Gomis-Pepin