Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: April 24nd, 2018
Ashlyn Fielding
Student 10169666
230 University Ave
Kingston, ON K7L 3P6

Letter of Appeal for Ashlyn Fielding

Dear Dr. Jill Atkinson
Associate Dean (Studies)
Faculty of Arts and Science
Queens University

Request:
I am appealing to drop Psyc 342 (Psychology of Social Influence) and requesting Credit Standing in the following courses Biol 330 (Cell Biology), Psyc 205 (Intro to Comparative Cognition) and Psyc 332 (Health Psychology).

Explanation of Extenuating Circumstances:
I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder just before my second year of university (summer 2016). My symptoms began to get worse the following summer (2017). My psychiatrist decided we needed to move to a stronger prescription treatment. We added the new medication near the beginning of the first semester of third year (Fall 2017). We have spent this past 8 months adjusting the levels trying to get to a stable state. While we are making progress, it has been a challenging time. The treatments have had significant additional side effects such as nausea, headaches, loss of fine motor skills and difficulty with memory. The disorder itself has draining effects. Either the depression makes it hard to get myself going some days and the manic days I can't focus easily and cannot cope well with my day or the people around me. Both the side effects and the effects of the disorder cause me to have challenges with concentration, long periods of study, ability to take notes at the speed of the lecture being delivered as well as joining into class discussions.

In addition, late November, my grandfather, with whom I was very close, was diagnosed with late stage cancer. He managed one last trip from England to say goodbye to me. This took place the last week of school just before exams. Along with all of my health issues, this was overwhelming, and I really struggled with concentration even more at the end of the semester.

The steps I took to deal with my challenges included more frequent psychiatrist visits and the addition of therapy to cope with my challenges. I also engaged a tutor for Bio 330 as I realized I was not keeping up with the flow of the class and was not grasping all of the content. I applied for and was granted accommodations through the Student Accessibility Services department this past January. In the second semester of third year (current semester), I chose to lighten my course load to four versus five courses to allow more study and catch up time per course. And of course, I am applying for this appeal.

Future Plan:
My goal is to complete my Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Bio/Psych. I love my program and I love what I am learning. I remain committed to this program and my education. While I would like to complete the degree by May 2019, I am open to extending the time it will take to complete my degree if it means I will have a more successful academic experience. I also plan to take one or two online summer courses to help with spreading out the course load. I have engaged Kathryn Morrissey, my academic advisor and will continue to do so to create the best course plan for my success.

I plan to engage tutoring support to help me gain any knowledge I may be missing during the regular lecture time. I have a note taker, so the tutor would help with added comprehension and approach to assignments.

Another part of my plan is to continue with my medical and therapy support through my psychiatrist with the hopes of stabilizing my condition.

I will work with my QSAS advisor, Meg Hall and Kathryn, early on in the semester ahead if I encounter any further challenges and make frequent visits to the Student Academic Success Services (SASS) in order to connect with a Learning Strategist to discuss new skills to help me further my education.

Thank you very much for considering this appeal,
Regards,


Ashlyn Fielding
10169666