Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean of Arts and Science,

I am appealing to the faculty to drop CLST 103 and HLTH 230 from my current transcript. I was fortunate to understand the material in GPHY 101, and to perform well enough in PSYC 100 and FREN 150 in first semester to receive a final passing grade. Due to an extenuating circumstance during my first year, I was unable to perform to the best of my abilities.
Over the 2016-2017 Christmas break I struggled severely with anxiety. The ways in which I coped with my anxiety was through an eating disorder commonly referred to as bulimia. I used bulimia as a form of escape from the harsh realities of what was going on in my world. Mental health issues run in my family; my mother has struggled with severe depression and bipolar disorder ever since I was young. During the holidays, she was extremely ill. My winter break consisted of helping my father care for her because she was bed ridden due to her mental health conditions. My anxiety stemmed from the unpredictability of my mothers¿¿ illness. My lack of control over the situation triggered me into the only way I knew how to take control. Through food.
Bulimia is not just about seeing yourself as being overweight and going to extreme measures to see a smaller number on the scale. It is a mechanism of control. I am the only one who can decide if food will go into my body and I can control whether that food will stay inside or not. It is a vicious mental disorder that tricked me into believing that I was in control, however in reality it controlled me. Binge eating and purging took priority over anything else in my life, specifically academically. I could not focus in any of my classes because I sat in my lectures and longed for the next time I could stuff my face, just to force it to exit my body practically immediately. During my time in class I would sit in agony writing down everything I had eaten in the last 24 hours and calculating how many calories I had consumed while I criticized and judged myself for it. I used this as a coping method to numb the feelings of anxiety, but in the long run it only made things worse. I experienced frequent anxiety attacks due to the impulse to binge and purge. There were days I physically could not leave my room because of the feelings of anxiety, the insecurities brought on by bulimia made it unbearable to sit in class where it felt like all eyes were on me all the time. I repeatedly called home desperate for my parents to calm me down, however it was difficult for something to be done over the phone. I felt as though I had no one to turn to, no support system, and that no one could help me.
I request this appeal because bulimia is not who I am, it is something I have struggled with and worked very hard to overcome. I am an intelligent individual who worked exceptionally hard to earn a position at Queen¿¿s, and I do not want to let my mental illness jeopardize my academic career.
Summer 2017 I began seeing a therapist, Andrew Lundy. Andrew has taught me useful strategies to cope with my anxiety and eating disorder. Throughout the summer, all of my energy was focused on healing. I went through many low points as I revisited the troubles that led to the brutality of bulimia. My focus was not directed towards my summer course (HLTH 230) because I had to focus on my mental health. Before seeking help, I did not even recognize that I was putting my health in danger. It took months for me to admit that I had a problem, which prevented me from appealing within the deadline. Since I have admitted to struggling with an eating disorder I have taken action to continue to improve my mental health so my academic career at Queen¿¿s can thrive. I have spoken to an academic advisor, Melody Monte, to discuss future plans and what I can do to take further steps in recovering from my previous battles. One of her instructions included applying to student accessibility services, which I am in the process of doing.
In the future, to achieve academic success, I plan to continue my weekly therapy sessions with Andrew to sustain a healthy support system. I have also taken a lighter course load so I have time to continue to improve my mental health without being overwhelmed.

Thank you for your consideration,

Marijke Helm