Manage Appeals
Petition Type: 2
ID: 14516
Submitted: June 24, 2026 at 7:48:32 AM
Relevant Petition: 14509
New Information: Dear Associate Dean (Academic),
I am writing to submit an updated petition requesting that the Faculty waive my Requirement to Withdraw from Queen’s for a minimum of three years.
I was disappointed to receive this notice. I appreciate the opportunity to submit this appeal and provide information that was not included in my previous petition.
First, I would like to apologize for the late submission of my petition. In recent months, I have experienced significant mental health difficulties that affected my ability to manage important matters and respond to university communications on time. As a result, I did not fully understand the academic standing process and the requirement to submit a petition until I discovered the hold on my SOLUS account. After reading the notice, I submitted my petition as quickly as possible. However, because of the limited time available, I did not have access to all supporting documents and was unable to explain my circumstances in full.
In addition, this matter involves sensitive family issues and personal privacy. For this reason, I was hesitant to disclose the details during my initial petition. As a result, my previous submission did not fully reflect the circumstances that affected my academic performance. After careful consideration, I have decided to provide a complete explanation because these events had a direct impact on my studies.
After reviewing the University's appeal policy, I believe my circumstances fall within the category of serious medical and personal difficulties that affected my academic performance during the relevant period. The challenges I faced were not typical academic difficulties but were closely connected to a family medical emergency and the mental health problems that followed.
The main factor was my grandfather's sudden hospitalization due to a sudden fall. On January 23, 2026, my grandfather collapsed and was taken to the emergency department in the local hospital. He was diagnosed with a cerebral infarction (stroke) and admitted to a high-dependency ward for intensive monitoring and treatment because of the seriousness of his condition.
This event was distressing because my grandfather had previously suffered a stroke in early 2025. At that time, doctors informed our family that his condition required close monitoring and that another stroke could have serious consequences. Therefore, when I learned that he had been hospitalized again, I became concerned about his health.
As I was studying in Canada, I was unable to be with my family during this period. I spent much of my free time contacting family members to obtain updates about my grandfather's condition and treatment. However, his condition remained unstable for an extended period, and family visits were restricted to designated hours. The uncertainty surrounding his recovery caused me ongoing stress and anxiety.
My grandfather has played an important role in my life. Because my parents were often occupied with work when I was young, I spent much of my childhood with my grandfather. He cared for me, supported me throughout my upbringing, and had a significant influence on my development. His illness therefore had a strong emotional impact on me.
At the same time, I have always been a reserved person. After arriving in Canada, I experienced a financial dispute with a former roommate, which affected my trust in others. Since then, I have often dealt with personal difficulties on my own, including language, living environment, study system and daily study missions. When my grandfather became critically ill, I had no close support network around me and struggled to cope with the situation.
As my concerns about my grandfather increased, I began experiencing a range of physical and psychological symptoms. I suffered repeated emotional breakdowns, persistent headaches, trembling hands, and serious sleep disturbances. My sleep quality declined, and there were many nights when I could not sleep properly. As these symptoms became more severe, I sought professional medical assistance.
The insomnia and anxiety affected my academic performance throughout the semester. I struggled to concentrate during lectures, revision, and examinations. My academic results declined, and I failed two courses.
I still remember my condition during the examination period. Because of the lack of sleep, I felt exhausted and had difficulty focusing on examination questions. I experienced severe headaches and hand tremors during some examinations, which affected my ability to demonstrate my knowledge and perform at my usual academic standard.
As my grandfather's condition continued to worsen, my mental health deteriorated further. After experiencing multiple emotional breakdowns, I arranged an appointment with a mental health specialist. Because these symptoms persisted, I decided to seek professional psychological support and a formal mental health assessment. During the consultation, the doctor provided psychological support and emotional counselling. (The official medical documentation is currently being prepared by the mental health service. Once it is issued, I will submit the supporting medical evidence to supplement my application.)
Since then, I have continued to reflect on these challenges and have taken steps to seek professional support. Through actively addressing these difficulties and developing healthier routines, my sleep has improved, and I found it easier to manage daily activities. As my condition became more stable, I was able to reflect on the circumstances that had affected my studies. For this reason, I decided to disclose my family situation to the University. In fact, these events were the primary cause of my poor academic performance during the semester.
As an international student, time is particularly important. A three-year withdrawal would have a major impact on my academic progression, future career plans, and financial circumstances. It would also place additional pressure on my family during an already difficult period.
I respectfully ask the Committee to consider the medical evidence and my future study plan (attached file) submitted with this appeal. In addition, I have taken active steps to improve academic performance, including enrolling in summer courses and developing a detailed academic study plan to demonstrate my commitment to my studies. For this reason, I was surprised to receive the withdrawal decision while taking active steps to improve my academic standing.
I remain committed to my education and to meeting the academic requirements of the program. My circumstances have become more stable, and I believe I am now in a position to continue my studies successfully.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I sincerely hope the Committee will reconsider my case and allow me to continue my education. I am determined to demonstrate my academic ability and complete my degree.
Yours faithfully,
Bruce Li
Student ID: 20343621
I am writing to submit an updated petition requesting that the Faculty waive my Requirement to Withdraw from Queen’s for a minimum of three years.
I was disappointed to receive this notice. I appreciate the opportunity to submit this appeal and provide information that was not included in my previous petition.
First, I would like to apologize for the late submission of my petition. In recent months, I have experienced significant mental health difficulties that affected my ability to manage important matters and respond to university communications on time. As a result, I did not fully understand the academic standing process and the requirement to submit a petition until I discovered the hold on my SOLUS account. After reading the notice, I submitted my petition as quickly as possible. However, because of the limited time available, I did not have access to all supporting documents and was unable to explain my circumstances in full.
In addition, this matter involves sensitive family issues and personal privacy. For this reason, I was hesitant to disclose the details during my initial petition. As a result, my previous submission did not fully reflect the circumstances that affected my academic performance. After careful consideration, I have decided to provide a complete explanation because these events had a direct impact on my studies.
After reviewing the University's appeal policy, I believe my circumstances fall within the category of serious medical and personal difficulties that affected my academic performance during the relevant period. The challenges I faced were not typical academic difficulties but were closely connected to a family medical emergency and the mental health problems that followed.
The main factor was my grandfather's sudden hospitalization due to a sudden fall. On January 23, 2026, my grandfather collapsed and was taken to the emergency department in the local hospital. He was diagnosed with a cerebral infarction (stroke) and admitted to a high-dependency ward for intensive monitoring and treatment because of the seriousness of his condition.
This event was distressing because my grandfather had previously suffered a stroke in early 2025. At that time, doctors informed our family that his condition required close monitoring and that another stroke could have serious consequences. Therefore, when I learned that he had been hospitalized again, I became concerned about his health.
As I was studying in Canada, I was unable to be with my family during this period. I spent much of my free time contacting family members to obtain updates about my grandfather's condition and treatment. However, his condition remained unstable for an extended period, and family visits were restricted to designated hours. The uncertainty surrounding his recovery caused me ongoing stress and anxiety.
My grandfather has played an important role in my life. Because my parents were often occupied with work when I was young, I spent much of my childhood with my grandfather. He cared for me, supported me throughout my upbringing, and had a significant influence on my development. His illness therefore had a strong emotional impact on me.
At the same time, I have always been a reserved person. After arriving in Canada, I experienced a financial dispute with a former roommate, which affected my trust in others. Since then, I have often dealt with personal difficulties on my own, including language, living environment, study system and daily study missions. When my grandfather became critically ill, I had no close support network around me and struggled to cope with the situation.
As my concerns about my grandfather increased, I began experiencing a range of physical and psychological symptoms. I suffered repeated emotional breakdowns, persistent headaches, trembling hands, and serious sleep disturbances. My sleep quality declined, and there were many nights when I could not sleep properly. As these symptoms became more severe, I sought professional medical assistance.
The insomnia and anxiety affected my academic performance throughout the semester. I struggled to concentrate during lectures, revision, and examinations. My academic results declined, and I failed two courses.
I still remember my condition during the examination period. Because of the lack of sleep, I felt exhausted and had difficulty focusing on examination questions. I experienced severe headaches and hand tremors during some examinations, which affected my ability to demonstrate my knowledge and perform at my usual academic standard.
As my grandfather's condition continued to worsen, my mental health deteriorated further. After experiencing multiple emotional breakdowns, I arranged an appointment with a mental health specialist. Because these symptoms persisted, I decided to seek professional psychological support and a formal mental health assessment. During the consultation, the doctor provided psychological support and emotional counselling. (The official medical documentation is currently being prepared by the mental health service. Once it is issued, I will submit the supporting medical evidence to supplement my application.)
Since then, I have continued to reflect on these challenges and have taken steps to seek professional support. Through actively addressing these difficulties and developing healthier routines, my sleep has improved, and I found it easier to manage daily activities. As my condition became more stable, I was able to reflect on the circumstances that had affected my studies. For this reason, I decided to disclose my family situation to the University. In fact, these events were the primary cause of my poor academic performance during the semester.
As an international student, time is particularly important. A three-year withdrawal would have a major impact on my academic progression, future career plans, and financial circumstances. It would also place additional pressure on my family during an already difficult period.
I respectfully ask the Committee to consider the medical evidence and my future study plan (attached file) submitted with this appeal. In addition, I have taken active steps to improve academic performance, including enrolling in summer courses and developing a detailed academic study plan to demonstrate my commitment to my studies. For this reason, I was surprised to receive the withdrawal decision while taking active steps to improve my academic standing.
I remain committed to my education and to meeting the academic requirements of the program. My circumstances have become more stable, and I believe I am now in a position to continue my studies successfully.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I sincerely hope the Committee will reconsider my case and allow me to continue my education. I am determined to demonstrate my academic ability and complete my degree.
Yours faithfully,
Bruce Li
Student ID: 20343621
Student Number: 20343621
Documentation
Professional Letter: Medical Certificate -0.pdf
Document: Future Study Plan_Fall2026.pdf