Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Connor McVay
558 Princess Street, Apt. 2
Kingston, Ontario
K7L 1C7
September 15, 2016


Dr. Johanne Benard
Associate Dean of Admissions, Recruitment and Studies
Queen's University
Dunning Hall, 94 University Ave.
Kingston, Ontario
K7L 3N6

Dear Dr. Johanne Benard:
Re: Connor McVay, Student 10148959

I am requesting an appeal in order to have a grade, from the 2017 winter semester, changed to aggregate standing. The course in question is FILM 345.

I am requesting this appeal based on personal and health circumstances which affected my ability to academically perform from January 2017 onwards. I was diagnosed with celiac disease in the spring of 2013, a condition that can have serious affects on my ability to focus and perform in an academic setting. For most of my university career I have been able to operate with this syndrome, but during last Spring, things took a turn for the worst. I began to lose weight, my ability to focus eroded, and I became very overwhelmed by school.
Also, in January of 2013 I was diagnosed with Inattentive subtype, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder through completion of a Psycho-Educational Evaluation. The doctor stated that the symptoms of the disorder appear to be heightened when I am nervous or anxious. The increased irritability of my celiac¿¿s disease exasperated these symptoms, making focusing an even greater challenge than usual.

While I was able to complete all of the major assignments for FILM 345, staying on top of the small week to week assignments that made up a minority of the content became too much. I was unable to balance the consistent culminating assignments and the smaller weekly tasks, feeling overwhelmed and bewildered for most of the semester. I did not bring this to the attention of the professor at the time because I felt that I could turn things around and improve my situation. However, as my health continued to deteriorate, the work became more and more trying.

Upon my decline in health during the spring semester, I had blood work done at the health and wellness centre on campus in order to start putting together strategies to improve my health. I have had a bone density tests performed at the Toronto General Hospital and will continue to meet with specialists in order to better my condition. I will also begin to see a dietitian at the Kingston General Hospital in order to develop a healthier life style with celiac disease. By seeing these specialist I hope to improve my productivity and ability to perform as a student. My health has already started to improve, giving me hope for a far more successful semester.
Thank you for consideration of my requests. I look forward to hearing from you, and plan to work effectively to be a successful Queen's University Graduate.

Sincerely,
Connor McVay