Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

New Information: New Appeal Letter

To the Associate Dean of Studies,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to appeal the requirement to withdraw for one year from Queen¿¿s due to my academic standing. I recognize the importance of this requirement for students at the University, however, I strongly believe that allowing me to re-enroll and continue my studies would be beneficial to me and that I would be able to improve for the following reasons. To begin, I have been subject to extenuating circumstances for the length of my academic career at Queen¿¿s. These circumstances mainly focus on my issues dealing with anxiety, which manifest themselves as trouble with time management, emotional stress, and ultimately having a difficult time adjusting as a student at Queen¿¿s. During my entire undergraduate career, I had quite a difficult time learning how to manage my time, and ultimately how to manage my learning of course material and developing good study habits. Subsequently, this would trigger feelings of anxiety which then led me to even worse time management skills. This led to quite a bit of emotional distress, and feelings of losing control of the situation at hand. Ultimately, this became a vicious cycle and I found it difficult to cope with the stress of it all. I did reach out for intermittent medical and counselling treatment at HCDS, but did not undergo diligent treatment until the beginning of my fourth year at Queen¿¿s (when I finally recognized I needed help) - where I was on consistent medication and found a counsellor who I had really bonded with. From here, I had reached out to QSAS for exam accommodations in my 2017 Fall term and found that it really helped with my stress. At this point, however, I did not realize how much I would benefit from these accommodations being ongoing and how it would help me in the long term, and did not reach out to QSAS again for my Winter term and unfortunately, did not succeed academically due to this. I decided to go back to counselling and this proved to be very helpful. In the future, I do plan on seeking out continuous counselling at HCDS, as well as continuing the medication prescribed to me, and finding time management and study habits that suit me well. In addition to this, I plan on taking a reduced course load to help with my time management, and seek out tutoring for any academic struggles I may face. In addition, I will register with QSAS for ongoing accommodations throughout the academic year. I have an incredible passion for Chemistry and for learning, this can be seen in my CHEM 397 lab course, where I succeeded due to the hands on, fast-paced nature of the lab. I wish to continue my studies in Chemistry, as I feel very grateful to have found a program that suits me and that impassions me, and a school that allows me to pursue this passion. I am currently an undergraduate research assistant in the Jessop group for green polymer chemistry, and I believe that I have found my career path due to this opportunity. Pending the decision of this appeal, I would like to enroll as a thesis student for this Summer and continue my research in this field. I am very grateful to Queen¿¿s, as the school has helped me gain insight into who I am as a student and as a person, and would appreciate greatly being able to return for my final year.

Thank you for your time and consideration for this appeal, and I hope to hear from you soon regarding your decision.

Regards,
Amelia Churaman


New Academic Plan


My academic plan is as follows, with the focus surrounding a reduced course load and ongoing academic support as needed.

Fall 2018

MATH 112 - This course has been quite difficult for me throughout my academic career at Queen's, however, I plan on finding a tutor from Peer Tutoring as of this Summer so that I have a headstart when I take it in the Fall. This is something I have not done prior and I believe it will benefit me. This course is a requirement for CHEM 313, which I plan on asking for permission to take in tandem from the department.
MATH 121 - Also a course that will require me to reach out for a tutor, and a requirement for CHEM 313.
CHEM 313 - Required course within the Chemistry department. I anticipate that the course material will be on the more difficult side for me to grasp - so I will also reach out for a tutor for this course.


Winter 2019
CHEM 322 - Spectroscopy. A required course from the department. I anticipate enjoying this course material, and creating diligent study habits from reviewing course work, and will reach out for academic support as needed.

CHEM 425 - Self Assembly and Materials. I anticipate enjoying this course as I have a research background in materials chemistry.