Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Studies):

I want to start off by thanking you for understanding and granting me to appeal beyond the 21-day deadline. I would like to appeal the faculty¿¿s decision to withdraw from Queen¿¿s University for one year.

As mentioned in the previous appeal, there were some extenuating circumstances that directly affected my academic performance and I believe the circumstances were beyond my control. The beginning of my academic year was off to a good start; I was able to complete all my readings and assessments on time and excel. However, there was a personal situation starting mid-October that affected my academic performance. Although I am not comfortable elaborating on the situation, it was an internal struggle for me to concentrate on my studies as well as deal with the situation. As it was my second year at this university, I knew the expectations of my program and course workloads and I was well adjusted to that in the beginning of the school year. My academic performance was on track and I was able to manage my courses and time efficiently. However by mid-October, I could tell there was an internal struggle to stay motivated and focused, I felt drained and exhausted both physically and exhausted. Initially, I thought it was due to lack of rest and poor diet so I ensured I had eight hours of sleep each night and consulted with a health care professional to improve my eating habits. After a couple weeks, I saw no improvements, it affected me to the point where I could not focus on my studies and I found that there was an immense lack of energy. After however I did reach out to Queen¿¿s Student Health Services in the LaSalle Building so that I could be given a proper diagnosis and assistance. I was diagnosed with Mild to Severe Depression and I have been receiving proper medication and counseling to cope with this condition since the diagnosis. I was able to improve my mental health from taking my required medication and receiving personal counseling. After these adjustments and balancing my academics with my physical health as well as my mental health, I was able to get back on the right track of my academic performances. I would be able to attach a medical documentation from the Queen¿¿s Health Service if that is necessary. This situation did not affect my entire academic session, I was able to recover and cope with the situation. It was an obstacle but I was able to overcome it. However, I think the tipping point was in the second semester when I received news that my immediate family member (my grandmother) was very ill and that greatly affected my academic performance immensely because I was very close with my grandmother. The situation affected me from the night I received the news to the last day of my academic session. It affected my overall performance because I was unable to study to my best potential, which had a domino effect throughout the year. I was mentally exhausted by the time of second-semester final exams. Unfortunately, my grandmother passed away a week after I returned from my final examinations but I know she is at a better place now. I have included a photocopied attachment of my grandmother¿¿s death certificate as a supporting document. This was another factor as to why I did not appeal within the deadline. I was dealing with the funeral and the loss of my grandmother and I quite frankly needed time to think whether I am in the right mindset to continue my studies next academic term. Since then I have had so many resources available to get me through this situation and I am so grateful. I was able to regain my motivation through moral support from my family, academic advisors and religious groups. I consciously allotted time before I applied for an appeal because I wanted to be certain that that was what I truly thought was best.