Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern:

I, Sean Killin, have been requested to withdraw from Queen¿¿s University for 12 months due to academic underperformance.

Please waive this withdrawal and accept my request to return with academic accommodations and a plan of action in September 2018. This underperformance is a result of an extenuating health related circumstance (disability) that is outlined below.

Over the last ten years I have received over a dozen concussions (4 major) from both my athletic endeavors and accidents that have occurred outside of my athletics. I have been part of studies at the University of Toronto, Toronto Rehab, and Holland Bloorview Children¿¿s Rehabilitation Hospital as a result of these serious incidents and in attempt to treat my disability. Numerous professionals have assisted me in dealing with the lasting implications of my disability including Dr. Michelle Keightley (Holland Bloorview) (Please see attached documentation), Dr. Karen Johnston (Toronto Rehab), and my general practitioner Dr. Claudio Borgono.

I received academic accommodation at my high school St. Michael¿¿s College School in Toronto, and was assisted by the Return to Learn team who specialized in supporting victims of concussions (Please see attached documentation)

As a result of these lasting implications, I have had difficulty completing a myriad of tasks throughout my time at Queen¿¿s. I was unaware of accommodation for my disability at Queen¿¿s until very recently and was anxious to reach out. I have a significantly difficult time completing assignments within deadlines, taking notes, and difficulty concentrating. As a result of this, I become incredibly overwhelmed, anxious, and suffer from depression. I was treated by a clinical psychologist Dr. Matteo Renelli and continue to see him at present.

In February of 2018, I was at a breaking point and found myself with a crisis counsellor at Student Wellness services who recommended my accommodations. She provided me with a recommendation to both Tess Grant, who is an occupational therapist at Student Wellness Services and Spring Forsberg an academic advisor.

I began seeing Tess Grant on a weekly basis, in order to help cope with the difficulties that existed within my academic life. I received a temporary academic accommodation that assisted me to some extent in gathering myself to tackle the semester.