Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: May 17, 2018

Associate Dean (Studies)
Queens University
Kingston, ON

Subject: Request for reconsideration

Dear Associate Dean,

I am writing to appeal the request for me to withdraw from Queen's University for one year. I was devastated and disappointed when I found out my first-year grades. I was even more upset when I found out I would have to withdraw for a year. I am writing this with the hopes that you will reinstate me and allow me to attend Queen's University for the Fall 2018 semester. Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to explain my situation.

My first year at university took a significant toll on my physical and mental health which prevented me from excelling in my studies and achieving my goals. This was caused by two main problems: my treatment of my Crohn's disease symptoms and the condition of my mental health as the year went on. I started the year by moving back to Canada from the United States to attend Queen's. It took a couple of months to transfer my Humira prescription (treatment for Crohn's) which was very stressful as I worried that my harsh symptoms would return. I missed several lectures to attend appointments at Hotel Dieu Hospital with Dr. Ropeleski(1) and Dr. Stienhart(2) at Mt Sinai Hospital in Toronto. Although my symptoms decreased, I still experienced flare ups that would leave me with debilitating stomach pain that would force me to lay in bed and miss lectures. At the start of the year, I did not submit an extenuating circumstances form because at the time (Spring 2017), my symptoms were under control. As a result, when I requested the occasional extension for assignments, it was not granted because I had not submitted that form.

Before coming to Queen's University, I was very excited to enter my program, having come from a strong academic background from high school, including 2 AP courses and a strong ACT score. However, the US curriculum differs from the Canadian system and they taught many courses such as Calculus and Chemistry quite a bit differently. When coming to Queen's I specifically chose a challenging program because I wanted to pursue a career in medicine and possibly go to medical school. When I attended chemistry, physics, and biocalculus lectures during the year I felt overwhelmed by the amount of material that I didn't understand. This was a major blow to my academic confidence. As my self-esteem declined I began missing lectures, my sleeping schedule began to deteriorate, I stopped going to the gym, and I rarely ate, losing 35 pounds and taking my BMI from healthy to underweight. The physical and mental state that I found myself in due to my disease symptoms, appointments that caused me to miss lectures, and the stress of my schoolwork culminated to an all-time low for me. I felt as though I was in a pit that I could not climb out of, though at the time I believed I could do so alone. I withdrew from my friends to try to regain control of my studies, which only further increased my isolation and anxiety. Looking back, I realize that I should have asked for help, both for academic guidance and mental health services. I believe I may have shown signs of early depression, but I did not realize any of this at the time. As the semester progressed, I became more stressed and anxious as work stacked up and I started to fall behind from missing lectures and tutorials.

Words cannot explain how devastated I felt when I saw my grades. It was the first time I had ever truly failed at anything. However, after much self-reflection I decided that this would be a learning opportunity for me. I decided that from now on, I was in this for me, and that I would heal myself mentally and physically and return to Queen's in the fall with the best version of myself possible. Since then, I have researched and found a local psychologist who specializes in school issues and self-esteem. I believe I have begun my journey to health: mental and physical. I am putting in place all the support that I need to succeed at Queen's this fall. Specifically, the psychologist who I found can video chat with me while I am in Kingston. Additionally, I have a very supporting and hardworking group of housemates, compared to my first year when I was alone with my thoughts for the second term because my roommate was removed due to allegations against him. Furthermore, I have committed to retake control of my health by going to the gym four times a week, eating at least three meals a day, and getting at least seven hours of sleep per night.

I am committed to recovering my GPA by taking a summer course, retaking courses, engaging a tutor, and taking a lighter load in the fall. Specifically, I plan to retake Biology 103 and Psychology 100 as I remain passionate about the sciences. My academic performance does not reflect my ability or my potential; it reflects my physical and mental challenges that overtook me during my first year. I have an appointment with an academic advisor for support in the appeals process and to discuss the right academic choices for me.

I believe that I have made adjustments that will ensure my physical health, mental health, and academic success at Queen's. I respectfully request that you allow me to continue my studies this fall. I love this school so much and I feel so at home and a part of the culture at Queen's University. I truly could not imagine spending my undergraduate career anywhere else.

Thank you so much for your consideration,

Simon Lindberg
Student ID: 20063098
16srl3@queensu.ca / (647) 549-2783


1. Dr. Mark Ropeleski- (Have requested supporting documentation, to follow)
GI Division, Hotel Dieu Hospital, 166 Brock Street, Kingston ON, K7L 5G2
Phone: (613) 544-3400 Fax: (613) 544-3114
2. Dr. Hillary Steinhart-
GI Division, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Ave, Toronto ON, MSG 1X5
Phone: (416) 586-5121 Fax: (416) 586-3174