Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 4251
Submitted: February 21, 2018 at 12:54:53 PM
First Name: Sarah
Last Name: Cook
Student Number: 20028935
Email: 16smc4@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BA
Plan: SOCY
Level of Study: 2
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the 21-day or one term deadline
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Johanne Bénard,
I would like to appeal my current probation status, but I understand I am past the deadline to do so. Therefore, in this letter I ask you grant me permission to make a late appeal of my academic probation. There are several factors contributing to my delayed appeal. First, there was a lack of understanding about what I was able to do. I called and spoke with an academic advisor in May. I expressed concerns about my marks, but we only discussed changing from a major in sociology to a specialization. In our discussion, being able to appeal grades was not an option mentioned. When I received the probation letter, I misinterpreted the section stating, ¿¿no part of Academic Regulation 13.3 may be appealed.¿ I interpreted this as prohibiting all appeals because probation is based on grade point.
In addition to being unaware of the ability to make an appeal, my mental health concerns have further pushed back the date of my appeal. A traumatic event occurred in my previous year of studies. This was an unforeseen circumstance beyond my control, which had a heavy impact on my regular performance. As a result, I was dealing with symptoms as follows: I was avoiding tasks, I had difficulty concentrating, I could not sleep through the night, I had trouble leaving my living space and engaging in regular activities, and I was engaging in additional self-destructive behaviour. This made it incredibly difficult to attend my classes and follow through with resources and appointments. This meant that although I sought resources, and even booked appointments with health professionals, due to the trauma I experienced, I could not manage to attend them. These behaviours were atypical for me before this downward turn. I was also treated for depression at the hospital, and now I have a regular counselor at LaSalle Counselling Services. With this help, I have a better understanding of what was causing me difficulty, and therefore, I can work on improving myself, as to prevent this from occurring again.
It was Deb Koegh at Counselling Services who informed me that making an appeal was possible. Since then, I¿¿ve been making appointments and contacting those who have been helping me to get documentation, while subsequently handling my regular coursework, and working on healthier strategies for managing my mental health struggles. Furthermore, technical issues in the form of a laptop malfunction recently caused a further delay. All these factors have taken considerable time, further postponing the date of my appeal and, as a result, my appeal could not be completed within 21 days or one term of being placed on probation. I am asking that you keep these considerations in mind and grant me permission to make an appeal for my grades. The grades I received in my first year do not truly represent my ability as a Queen¿¿s student, a title I hold with pride. And so, should this appeal be accepted, I¿¿ll be requesting credit standing and a late drop on courses from my previous year.
Moving forward, I¿¿m much more confident in my academic ability. I¿¿m taking advantage of the resources available to me now so that I can perform at a level I know I¿¿m capable of, and to ensure this does not occur again. I have a much more active role in improving the state of my mental health. I meet with my counselor biweekly, I attend PEGaSUS support group meetings weekly, I¿¿m participating in Physical Education at Queen¿¿s (PEQ) three times a week, as well as following the treatment plan given to me by multiple doctors I¿¿ve visited. I¿¿ve also taken on a lighter workload to make sure I can handle the demands of the courses, while enacting these new positive mental health strategies. Already, my grades have started improving, and just this past semester I received my highest grades at Queen¿¿s University yet. With these considerations in mind, I ask that you waive the 21-day or one term appeal deadline, and in doing so, grant me permission to appeal my academic probation.
Thank you for your consideration,
Sarah Cook
I would like to appeal my current probation status, but I understand I am past the deadline to do so. Therefore, in this letter I ask you grant me permission to make a late appeal of my academic probation. There are several factors contributing to my delayed appeal. First, there was a lack of understanding about what I was able to do. I called and spoke with an academic advisor in May. I expressed concerns about my marks, but we only discussed changing from a major in sociology to a specialization. In our discussion, being able to appeal grades was not an option mentioned. When I received the probation letter, I misinterpreted the section stating, ¿¿no part of Academic Regulation 13.3 may be appealed.¿ I interpreted this as prohibiting all appeals because probation is based on grade point.
In addition to being unaware of the ability to make an appeal, my mental health concerns have further pushed back the date of my appeal. A traumatic event occurred in my previous year of studies. This was an unforeseen circumstance beyond my control, which had a heavy impact on my regular performance. As a result, I was dealing with symptoms as follows: I was avoiding tasks, I had difficulty concentrating, I could not sleep through the night, I had trouble leaving my living space and engaging in regular activities, and I was engaging in additional self-destructive behaviour. This made it incredibly difficult to attend my classes and follow through with resources and appointments. This meant that although I sought resources, and even booked appointments with health professionals, due to the trauma I experienced, I could not manage to attend them. These behaviours were atypical for me before this downward turn. I was also treated for depression at the hospital, and now I have a regular counselor at LaSalle Counselling Services. With this help, I have a better understanding of what was causing me difficulty, and therefore, I can work on improving myself, as to prevent this from occurring again.
It was Deb Koegh at Counselling Services who informed me that making an appeal was possible. Since then, I¿¿ve been making appointments and contacting those who have been helping me to get documentation, while subsequently handling my regular coursework, and working on healthier strategies for managing my mental health struggles. Furthermore, technical issues in the form of a laptop malfunction recently caused a further delay. All these factors have taken considerable time, further postponing the date of my appeal and, as a result, my appeal could not be completed within 21 days or one term of being placed on probation. I am asking that you keep these considerations in mind and grant me permission to make an appeal for my grades. The grades I received in my first year do not truly represent my ability as a Queen¿¿s student, a title I hold with pride. And so, should this appeal be accepted, I¿¿ll be requesting credit standing and a late drop on courses from my previous year.
Moving forward, I¿¿m much more confident in my academic ability. I¿¿m taking advantage of the resources available to me now so that I can perform at a level I know I¿¿m capable of, and to ensure this does not occur again. I have a much more active role in improving the state of my mental health. I meet with my counselor biweekly, I attend PEGaSUS support group meetings weekly, I¿¿m participating in Physical Education at Queen¿¿s (PEQ) three times a week, as well as following the treatment plan given to me by multiple doctors I¿¿ve visited. I¿¿ve also taken on a lighter workload to make sure I can handle the demands of the courses, while enacting these new positive mental health strategies. Already, my grades have started improving, and just this past semester I received my highest grades at Queen¿¿s University yet. With these considerations in mind, I ask that you waive the 21-day or one term appeal deadline, and in doing so, grant me permission to appeal my academic probation.
Thank you for your consideration,
Sarah Cook
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: Letter from Deb Koegh, my regular counsellor, and a letter from Dr. Billings, who treated me for depression after the hospital.