Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Studies),

I am appealing to drop HIST242 (Fall 2016) and ECON222 (Winter 2017) past the deadline. I am appealing these courses because I faced circumstances which were beyond my control and made it impossible for me to pursue my studies for that period of time. Specifically, I had a previously unknown underlying condition which compromised my ability to complete my coursework. Due to not being aware of my underlying issues, it caused complications with my initial diagnosis and treatment in 2016/2017. Consequently, the numerous changes in my treatment caused unexpected changes in my behaviour and chemical imbalances impeded by ability to succeed in my studies. I faced several barriers as a result of an underlying condition which recently came to light through treatment with Student Wellness Services this year. I wish to have 20-day appeal deadline waived because of new information that has arisen since the completion of my courses.



Timeline

In the Fall of 2016, I was receiving treatment and academic accommodations for a neurobiological disorder was diagnosed in the previous year. My academic accommodations included receiving extra time for assignments and a semi private stall for exams. Over the course of the year, I continued to have significant trouble adjusting to my medication and found it difficult to improve my academic situation. This was despite my diagnosis and accommodations. At this time, I was enrolled in HIST 242, ECON 222 and two other full year courses. Dr. Ngo and Dr. Billing routinely spoke to me about my progress and worked diligently to ensure that I was being given the best treatment with the information that was available at the time. Over the course of the year, I had changed medication prescriptions and doses several times. In 2018, it became clearer that this was largely due to having an underlying trauma which had a significant impact on my treatment. Being unaware of an underlying condition related to an untreated trauma, I was unable to be given the accommodations which I needed.

HIST242

Over the course of HIST242 specifically, I recognized that I was struggling in Dr. Aivalis¿¿ course in October of that semester. At the time I was also being given a new medication and looking into further treatment plans for my diagnosis in the previous year. This was a result of unsuccessful attempts in the previous year to find a suitable treatment. Though normally this type of course work would not be difficult for me to complete, the pressure that I had been put under to both address a lifelong issue and complete core components of my degree took a taxing toll on me. The stress had caused me to lose a significant amount of weight, I became depressed and began questioning my identity. Further, it was becoming clear to me there were underlying issues that were left unaddressed last year and as a result, I would need to dedicate more time than I had anticipated to treating my outstanding medical conditions. I tried to express my concerns to Dr. Aivalis on three occasions. The first time was in person to discuss the completing the second paper. The result was a new negotiated deadline. On the second occasion, I reached out to him because I continued to fall behind in the class and hoped to renegotiate the deadlines. I found that Dr. Aivalis compared my situation to the standard student with accommodations and did not recognize my specific needs.

Specifically, he stated:



Regarding your current paper (due in a few minutes), I can grant an extension, but not to the extent requested. Going until the final day of classes is not only more than I have given to other students with accommodation forms, but it would post complications with regards to marking and end-of-term scheduling with the TA team. Ultimately, I will give you one full week, which is actually is quite generous in comparative terms. I am also willing to meet with you in Office Hours on Monday to work with you on hammering out your topic and after you've had a couple days to work on it.


Though I understand it was within his right to establish a deadline, these deadlines ultimately weren't understanding towards my specific circumstances and though I met with him, what I needed was additional time which I did not receive to the extent that I required. My underlying condition also played a role as it prevented me from discussing the extent of my needs. As what I was going through was extremely sensitive, I was not yet at a point where I was able to openly discuss my issues. For me, discussing this issue would put me at risk for self-harm which I was not willing to risk at the time. On the third occasion, I met with Tess Grant at the Accessibility Office to assist me in forming a request to complete the course. Professor Aivalis, denied my request, instead supporting a retroactive drop of the course. He wrote:

I understand your points listed here, and I am sympathetic to them (as I was last term). Nevertheless, my view is that the first term of History 242 is done, and I won't accept an assignment from that class.

One thing that may be possible is that you could be allowed to retroactively drop the class, which would mean that the F wouldn't be on your transcript, though you wouldn't obtain credit for the class.

I have gone through similar processes like this before with some students, working with Haley Everson from the Arts and Science office. I have spoken with her about this, and she has given me permission to CC her to this email so that she can help in any way possible.

Given that it was impossible for me to both address this class and graduate within a 5-year timeline, I chose to re-take a similar Canadian History course in the following summer.


ECON222

As can be inferred from my performance in HIST242, my underlying condition had an impact on other academic courses as well. Specifically, it impacted my ability to succeed in ECON222 in Winter 2017 with Dr. Sepideh Dolatabadi. On January 27th, I had requested an extension for Assignment 1, which was granted. Following this, I was able to find the support needed to complete Assignment 2 and the Midterm. However, things had gotten especially difficult for me in March as my underlying condition was gradually becoming apparent to me. I sought unhealthy coping habits because I was still suffering, even after being given medications and the attention of a physician. The re-adjustment of my medication was not adequate for me at the time because I did not know about the extent of assistance that I needed from Student Wellness Services. In March, I attempted to contact Professor Dolatabadi on two occasions, one asking for assistance and one ask to meet in person; no response was given. It was not possible to visit her office hours due to the times interfering with my other courses at the time. Subsequently, I consulted both accessibility services and the Faculty of Arts and Science about next steps. By an academic advisor, I was told that the Economics Department is known for being rigid on accommodations. On March 23rd, 2017 my accessibility advisor Tess Grant and I discussed the best course of action, which was:

You plan to email your professor for ECON 222 to request an in-person appointment. In this appointment you can discuss a plan to complete the remainder of the course, whether she is aware of a contact for tutoring, or the potential to late drop the course.



Unfortunately, it was difficult to begin such a conversation given my past attempts to do so. My underlying circumstances created a barrier for me to appeal the course at the time.


Academic Plan and Next Steps

Though my experience in third year was extremely challenging, I have had success over-coming my disability. With regards to my diagnosis in second year, I successfully gained the confidence to use my accommodations and understand when it is appropriate to do so. Despite this, I have needed more time to understand how my underlying circumstances have impacted my disability. It is only recently (2018-2019) that I have been able to receive counselling for a traumatic incident that occurred to me. Over the course of the year, I learned about how my underlying circumstances manifested itself in my day to day functioning as well as with my interaction with authority figures.


Retrospectively, addressing a long-standing disability as well as trauma made it impossible for me to complete my studies in a traditional way. It was necessary to deal with these issues, even though it was time consuming and compromised my academic progress. Coming to Queen's, I do not believe I could have been able to predict the challenges I would have had to overcome. However, there were complications with my diagnosis which caused me to have my medication and dosage changed numerous times. This in itself had a negative effect on my wellbeing. I have received support from Professor Aivalis, Tess Grant that a Late Drop would be warranted, and Counselling Services can confirm that I have shown improvement.


Going forward, my plan of action will be to complete my final undergraduate course (HIST213) which I have, which has been graded incomplete. When interacting with Professors, I will assert more confidence when communicating when communicating my accessibility needs. Due to the counselling I received this year, I am better able to identify where I need additional support and accommodation. As a result, I will be working closely with accessibility to modify my accommodations and Student Wellness Services to appropriately modify my medication.