Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dr. Jill Atkinson Associate Dean, (Studies)

RE: CR Appeal, Milena Smith (20076863) May 28, 2018

Dear Dr. Atkinson,

I wish to appeal for a Credit Standing in the courses PHYS117 (2017/18) and MATH121 (2017/18) that were completed in my first year at Queen¿¿s University. After consulting with my physician she has encouraged me to do so based upon my particular situation. My appeal is based upon extenuating circumstances that arose from a severe and debilitating medical condition that I experienced, which directly led to my inability to achieve the results I am capable of during my first year in university.

Prior to my first year at Queen¿¿s, I had suffered from anxiety, depression, and learning disabilities. All of these became exacerbated when I went away from home to attend school without the support mechanisms that I had previously relied upon to help me cope with my condition. Without these mechanisms in place, I soon found myself struggling to finish assignments, maintain attention and focus during classes, and significantly during the end of the second semester I experienced an almost paralyzing inability to engage sufficiently with my studies.

All of this was completely new to me as I could not have possibly imagined the level of stress that I would come to experience during my first year of studies. In fact this did not happen suddenly but was a slow progression that reached its pinnacle in February of 2018. My first semester grades are an indication that while I was suffering from my condition, I was able to complete my coursework adequately. The problem was incremental, and as the level of stress built during the second semester, so too did my inability to focus and engage with school.

When I finally recognized the position I found myself in and gained the courage to reach out for help, I contacted the Student Wellness Services Center. At the time I thought the main issue was my inability to focus and maintain attention as this was the symptom ¿¿ though the underlying cause of all of my issues were firmly rooted in my anxiety and depression. When I did eventually get an appointment later in the second semester, I was referred to the RARC and was given an overwhelming amount of forms to complete that further exacerbated my condition as I was behind in my coursework and completely overwhelmed.

My first year at Queen¿¿s has taught me a great deal about myself, and specifically what I need to do to be successful in my academic studies. I have come to recognize that I must seek out and put into place an adequate support system to help me achieve my potential similar to that which I had at home. I plan to work closely with my doctor over the course of the summer months to learn coping strategies that I can effectively implement when I¿¿m away at school. To this end, I have already had several appointments with my doctor and I have been prescribed new medication that has had a positive impact upon my condition. Additionally, I have an appointment scheduled with a psychiatrist to go over additional treatments and remedies for my condition that will help me be successful in my studies. I also plan on making an appointment with the Student Wellness Services Center when I come back to campus in September and register with Queen¿¿s Student Accessibility Services to explore various accommodations that may be available to me. Lastly I am taking a course online this summer (PHAR100), which will give me a reduced course load this coming semester.

Thank you very much for your time, I¿¿m deeply appreciative for your consideration of this appeal.

Sincerely, Milena Smith