Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Johanne Bénard,

a) I am appealing to waive the 21 day deadline to appeal the Faculty¿¿s decision that I must withdraw from Queen¿¿s for one year, and the 21 day deadline to appeal to drop courses from Fall 2015 ¿¿ Winter 2017. These courses are as follows:

Fall 2015/Winter 2016:

ENGL 215A&B
ENGL 292A&B
PHIL 111A&B
PROF 210A&B
Fall 2016:

ENGL 258
ENGL 237
ENGL 234
ARTH 120 A
PSYC 235 A
Winter 2017:

ARTH 120 B
PSYC 235 B
ENGL 257
ENGL 217
ENGL 271

b) My name is Rebecca La Barr, and I am going into my fourth year at Queen¿¿s; however, you will notice that I am appealing to drop over half of the courses I have taken since starting in September 2014. During my time at Queen¿¿s, my mental health has plummeted, (starting in first year and reaching a low at the end of my second year) and has severely affected my ability to function from day to day, never mind perform well academically. However, in the last few months, (approx. since March), when unfortunately, it was too late to save my grades that semester, I finally noticed a recovery beginning, and have seen myself beginning to thrive again this summer (2017).
I have been battling the serious and sever effects of a decade of a stressful home-life, in the form of psychological and emotional abuse, as well as multiple childhood traumas. By the time I came to university, my desire was not only to prepare myself academically for my future career; but for the first time in a decade, I was free from the stress that had put me in a survival only mental-state and I was trying to cope with the shock of environment change. I believe previously my survival instincts (fight or flight adrenaline) had sustained me until I finally found relief from the exhausting environment I was in. When I came to university, I was determined to continue succeeding as I had been, but my grades began declining as I began to feel the physical, emotional and mental toll of the decade of abuse sink in.
This is when I began to struggle to go to classes and complete assignments, because many of my courses covered the suffering of different peoples, and suffering itself had become triggering for me. In desperate attempts to still succeed, I would randomly attend a class here or there, and meet with professors, asking for extensions on assignments I couldn¿¿t bring myself to write or complete. I was in denial, at first, that my past was affecting me, and that I needed to do more. I believed I could simply try harder and ignore my symptoms, and only sought help when I was desperate.
During my recovery, I have been pursuing mental health assistance through Queen¿¿s counselling services, seeing general practitioners and seeking other wellness advice. This finally became effective this year (third year) as I accepted I was mentally ill, and began actively using these resources, (not just when I had no other choices). Fortunately, my situation was circumstantial.

This summer I have seen myself thrive, and noticed my mood and motivation return to more normal levels. I have completed my first year practicum for Con-Ed, and have built my resume by working at a school board this summer, in the hope of preparing for my future career. Most of all, I was able to write this appeal, which, for myself, means that I am ready to begin life again.


c) I know that what I went through with my mental health was situational, and that these extenuating circumstances have finally come to an end. My recovery, now, which I have spent the past three years learning the ¿¿how to¿ of, I plan to sustain by the following:

1 Continue to see a counsellor/mental health professional on a regular basis, and not simply when I am already struggling.
2 Continue to follow the advice of my family practitioner and natural path to cover all physical aspects related to my mental health. (taking iron supplements, as low iron can look similar to depression, exercising, eating healthy foods, etc.)
3 Continue to uphold my safety network of friends and family.
4 Develop a relationship with my professors by meeting with them on a regular basis to ensure communication and continued motivation.
5 Make a schedule with someone in my safety network, to ensure that I am meeting my goals in a visible and manageable way. If that someone is far away, make someone who lives with me aware of this set schedule as well.
6 Seek out academic advising for any questions during the year, or need for referrals regarding moving forward successfully.


Thank you very much for considering my appeal.

Most sincerely,

Rebecca La Barr