Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dr. Johanne Bénard
Associate Dean of Studies
Queen¿¿s University
Kingston, ON

April 30, 2017



Dear Dr. Johanne Bénard,
I am appealing to drop the following courses: CHEM 311, CHEM 312, and CHEM 313. All three courses were taken in the Fall semester of 2016, at Queen¿¿s University.

I started my first year at Queen¿¿s in the general Arts and Sciences program, not sure what I wanted to major in, but knowing it would be one of the sciences. I took biology, chemistry, physics, psychology and calculus, and was relatively successful in each one. At the end of first year, I decided I wanted to pursue chemistry, and I was accepted into the major. I chose chemistry because I faired well in my first-year chemistry course, and because I felt interested in the subject material. Second year was my first experience with a concentrated course load. I had five core chemistry courses and two other courses required for chemistry major. I found myself struggling in my required courses, much more than I had in my first year. I failed one of my chemistry courses and did poorly in the others. I took two electives, one in economics and one in computer science. I enjoyed both courses but found it difficult to give my best effort in them as I was primarily focused on my chemistry courses. At the end of the year, I knew I was struggling in my major but I believed I could turn it around.

In the fall semester of my third year, I was enrolled in three 300-level chemistry courses as well as the chemistry course I failed in second year. I also decided to leave the Queen¿¿s Rowing team after being a member for two years. I believed that without the commitment of rowing, I would have more time and energy for school and I would see improvements in my marks. The semester began well and I had hopes that I would be able to turn my academic career around. However, by October I was beginning to fall behind again and found myself feeling worried and anxious about school. I feared tests and assignments because I was not confident in the course material, yet I could not find the motivation to study harder and keep up with the workload. Midway through the semester, I found myself sleeping through classes and skipping assignments. I felt trapped in courses that I was not enjoying and a major that felt haphazardly picked after my first year. I thought I might be experiencing symptoms of depression and sought assistance through Student Wellness Services. I spoke with a counsellor but we came to no decisive conclusions and I left with some suggestions for maintaining motivation in my work. I also maintained fairly high levels of physical activity throughout the semester, hoping it would translate to better performance in class but I was still struggling. My mood and working habits improved slightly towards the end of the semester, thinking I could perform well on my exams and make up for the rest of the semester but it was too late. I failed all 4 courses I took in fall 2016 and I realized I needed to make serious changes if I wanted to succeed in school.

I decided to take three courses in the winter semester of 2017, two computer science courses and an art history course. I was very successful in these courses and enjoyed my semester, experiencing none of the symptoms. I also spoke with a professional counsellor in Kingston, and she was able to help me understand how my lack of connection with my area of study, as well as my decision to not participate in competitive sports, may have lead to my failure in school and my symptoms of depression.

I have decided to switch majors, from chemistry to computer science, as I have found myself to be interested and much more successful in this area of study. However, the failed courses from the fall 2016 semester are seriously affecting my GPA and could prevent me from switching majors. If I could have these courses dropped it would drastically increase my chances of transferring and could allow me to pursue a degree in a field that I am excited about and where I know I can succeed.

I recognize the factors that caused my previous failures and I have strategies for dealing with the issues should they return in the future. I have developed a relationship with a clinical psychologist in Kingston and I am willing to speak with her if I find myself experiencing feelings of depression or any other issues of mental heath in the future. Should my appeal be granted, I will transfer into the Department of Computer Science at Queen¿¿s and pursue my honours degree. I have committed myself to interests outside of class, such as intramural sports, to keep myself involved in the community at Queen¿¿s. I have also worked to establish relationships with other students that will be in my classes to keep myself accountable to my academics.

Thank you very much for your consideration of my request.

Sincerely,
Mitchell Mathieu