Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dr. Johanne Bénard, I am writing this letter to appeal the Faculty¿¿s decision to have me withdraw from Queen¿¿s University for one year. Although my GPA was just below what was necessary for me to continue my education at Queen¿¿s, I was faced with unfortunate circumstances that adversely affected my studies.

My personal issues started to arise towards the end of summer 2016, as that was when my parents decided to separate from one another. In my family I was always the individual trying to make everything right, especially when it came to my parents¿¿ differences. As I came into my second year of university, I found it very difficult to focus on myself since my mind was constantly wandering to my family back home. I have a brother who is ten years younger than myself and my mind would always drift back to him, because I knew I could not physically be there to offer him any moral support or comfort. I spent the first semester of my second year worrying and with my mind on my parents, I tried to help them resolve their marital conflicts. This eventually led them to reconciling in mid to end of November. This is when I began seeing a psychoanalyst as a form of therapy. I would confide in him how I would constantly worry about the current state of my family, and how I am unable to be there to help. The constant concern and drifting of my mind led into the second semester. Although my parents were back together and had agreed to see a marriage counselor, my mind would constantly return to a state of anxiety. At this point I started to distance myself from my friends and housemates; I would hide away in my bedroom for hours and not speak to anyone. I had no desire to hang out with my friends or spend an evening having fun socializing. I started to feel very lonely in Kingston as a result of subconscious decision to isolate myself from those around me. I even stopped my therapy in an effort to be independent, but this only led to a deeper isolation which took a toll on my mindset. My anxiety translated into my studies; I would try to manage my time but even the thought of beginning an assignment or exam would cause an uncomfortable tightening in my chest. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I was not mentally and emotionally present at the time, I was unable to give one hundred percent of myself to my studies.