Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 660
Submitted: January 11, 2015 at 2:28:14 PM
First Name: Trevor G
Last Name: Robinson
Student Number: 6255849
Email: trevor.robinson@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: GPHY
Level of Study: 4
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the 21-day or one term deadline
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: I am writing this letter to ask for an exemption to the requirement that an appeal must be submitted within 21 days of the final day of examinations. In this case, I am asking for extensions beyond the end of the Winter 2011 and Fall 2011 terms.
In addition to this letter, as part of my appeal application, I will be attaching an appeal letter and appeal date extension letter I originally submitted on April 16, 2012 along with relevant accompanying documentation. Please take all of the included documents into consideration. (See attached document, Trevor Robinson-Appendix Documents).
I am appealing for credit standing in PHIL 115 (Fall 2010-Winter 2011), ECON 110 (Fall 2010-Winter 2011), and ECON 280 (Fall 2011); and to drop ECON 222 (Fall 2011) past the final day of examinations. Please note that the circumstances surrounding my low achievement in these four classes are similar; however, my reasons for not submitting appeals within the 21-day deadlines for the two terms in question--Winter 2011 and Fall 2011--are different to the extent that I will detail these circumstances separately within this letter.
In April of 2012, I submitted an appeal to the Faculty of Arts & Science, in which I requested to drop three courses beyond the final of examinations: HIST 124 (Fall 2010-Winter 2011), POLS 110 (Fall 2010-Winter 2011), and PHYS P16 (Winter 2011). I did not, however, submit a credit standing appeal for PHIL 115 and ECON 110, two additional courses I was enrolled in during the Fall 2010-Winter 2011 academic year, though I wish to do so now. The reason I did not submit a credit standing request along with my request to drop the other three courses is that I was never advised of my ability to do so. During both the student services counseling I received prior to submitting the appeal and the appeal process itself, I was never made aware of the credit standing appeal or encouraged to submit one. Had I known to submit a credit standing appeal for these two courses, I am certain that I would have submitted one along with my appeal to drop the three classes beyond the last day of the course. In fact, it was my full intention to drop PHIL 115 beyond the last day of the course, despite the fact that I had passed the course (albeit with a very poor grade). I originally submitted a request to drop PHIL 115 along with the other three courses, but on April 18, 2012 I received an e-mail from a representative for the Associate Dean of Studies telling me that I was unable to do so, and that I must have made a mistake (please refer to a copy of the e-mail attached). I feel as though this would have been a prime opportunity for this representative or anyone else in Student Services with knowledge of my appeal to advise me of the credit standing request. Whereas the recently updated Academic Appeal page on the Faculty of Arts & Science website is clear in its description of the credit standing appeal, the previous version of the website was not. I do not dispute that it was my responsibility to fully inform myself of the Academic Appeal process, but as someone who was not familiar with the process prior to submitting an appeal, I sought counsel from Student Services while submitting my appeal. Regrettably, neither Student Services nor this representative advised me of the credit standing appeal, despite having multiple opportunities to do so. Had I been made aware, I would have submitted a credit standing appeal at that time; and, now that I am aware, I am asking for an extension to submit the accompanying credit standing appeal beyond the 21 days of the final day of the Winter 2011 examinations.
I experienced an emotionally depressive episode in my first year at Queen's, which was the reason for my appeal in April 2012. The impact of this episode on my academic performance was notable, and in addition to failing the classes I successfully appealed to have dropped past the deadline, it adversely impacted me in the other courses I was enrolled in at the time. Even though I did not fail these courses, my performance in them was equally as inferior to my failed classes as a result of this depressive episode. The final marks I received in ECON 110 and PHIL 115, as is the case for the classes I successfully appealed to have dropped past the end of examinations, are not indicative of my academic abilities and work ethic. Now that I am aware of the credit standing appeal, I would appreciate the opportunity to ensure that my poor achievement from a time in which I was mentally unwell does not impair my future academic or professional endeavours.
I am also requesting an exemption to submit an appeal to drop ECON 222 beyond the final day of the Fall 2011 examinations and receive credit standing in ECON 280. As I will detail in my appeal letter, I was still feeling the effects of my depressive episode in January of 2012, although I realize now that I did not want to admit it. I was focusing at the time on appealing my courses from the previous year, which, as my letters from that time reflect, was not an easy process for me. The lingering effects of my depressive episode, when combined with the reality that I was not in the right program (Economics) extended the period in which my academic performance did not match my abilities or effort. Around that time, I had just transitioned from Economics to Geography, and was focused on getting myself back on track following this additional setback. I realize that I should have submitted this additional appeal earlier, but I simply was not ready to risk experiencing the feelings associated with that time in my life yet again. Today, however, my situation has improved considerably, and I am better prepared to deal with the academic implications from this difficult period in my life. I would be grateful for an opportunity to share my experiences from that time with the Associate Dean in my appeal letter, and I would encourage the Dean to understand that the factors impacting my studies at this time also hindered by ability to speak about them. I truly believe that because of the circumstances surrounding my first few semesters at Queen's I struggled not only to attain success in my courses, but also to appeal my lack of achievement during those semesters.
For all the reasons contained within this letter, I would encourage the Associate Dean to grant this exemption to the 21-day limit, thereby allowing me to continue with the progress I have shown in terms of both my academics and my mental health since this challenging period in my life.
Thank you very much for your consideration of my appeal and for taking the time to read my letter.
Sincerely,
Trevor Robinson
In addition to this letter, as part of my appeal application, I will be attaching an appeal letter and appeal date extension letter I originally submitted on April 16, 2012 along with relevant accompanying documentation. Please take all of the included documents into consideration. (See attached document, Trevor Robinson-Appendix Documents).
I am appealing for credit standing in PHIL 115 (Fall 2010-Winter 2011), ECON 110 (Fall 2010-Winter 2011), and ECON 280 (Fall 2011); and to drop ECON 222 (Fall 2011) past the final day of examinations. Please note that the circumstances surrounding my low achievement in these four classes are similar; however, my reasons for not submitting appeals within the 21-day deadlines for the two terms in question--Winter 2011 and Fall 2011--are different to the extent that I will detail these circumstances separately within this letter.
In April of 2012, I submitted an appeal to the Faculty of Arts & Science, in which I requested to drop three courses beyond the final of examinations: HIST 124 (Fall 2010-Winter 2011), POLS 110 (Fall 2010-Winter 2011), and PHYS P16 (Winter 2011). I did not, however, submit a credit standing appeal for PHIL 115 and ECON 110, two additional courses I was enrolled in during the Fall 2010-Winter 2011 academic year, though I wish to do so now. The reason I did not submit a credit standing request along with my request to drop the other three courses is that I was never advised of my ability to do so. During both the student services counseling I received prior to submitting the appeal and the appeal process itself, I was never made aware of the credit standing appeal or encouraged to submit one. Had I known to submit a credit standing appeal for these two courses, I am certain that I would have submitted one along with my appeal to drop the three classes beyond the last day of the course. In fact, it was my full intention to drop PHIL 115 beyond the last day of the course, despite the fact that I had passed the course (albeit with a very poor grade). I originally submitted a request to drop PHIL 115 along with the other three courses, but on April 18, 2012 I received an e-mail from a representative for the Associate Dean of Studies telling me that I was unable to do so, and that I must have made a mistake (please refer to a copy of the e-mail attached). I feel as though this would have been a prime opportunity for this representative or anyone else in Student Services with knowledge of my appeal to advise me of the credit standing request. Whereas the recently updated Academic Appeal page on the Faculty of Arts & Science website is clear in its description of the credit standing appeal, the previous version of the website was not. I do not dispute that it was my responsibility to fully inform myself of the Academic Appeal process, but as someone who was not familiar with the process prior to submitting an appeal, I sought counsel from Student Services while submitting my appeal. Regrettably, neither Student Services nor this representative advised me of the credit standing appeal, despite having multiple opportunities to do so. Had I been made aware, I would have submitted a credit standing appeal at that time; and, now that I am aware, I am asking for an extension to submit the accompanying credit standing appeal beyond the 21 days of the final day of the Winter 2011 examinations.
I experienced an emotionally depressive episode in my first year at Queen's, which was the reason for my appeal in April 2012. The impact of this episode on my academic performance was notable, and in addition to failing the classes I successfully appealed to have dropped past the deadline, it adversely impacted me in the other courses I was enrolled in at the time. Even though I did not fail these courses, my performance in them was equally as inferior to my failed classes as a result of this depressive episode. The final marks I received in ECON 110 and PHIL 115, as is the case for the classes I successfully appealed to have dropped past the end of examinations, are not indicative of my academic abilities and work ethic. Now that I am aware of the credit standing appeal, I would appreciate the opportunity to ensure that my poor achievement from a time in which I was mentally unwell does not impair my future academic or professional endeavours.
I am also requesting an exemption to submit an appeal to drop ECON 222 beyond the final day of the Fall 2011 examinations and receive credit standing in ECON 280. As I will detail in my appeal letter, I was still feeling the effects of my depressive episode in January of 2012, although I realize now that I did not want to admit it. I was focusing at the time on appealing my courses from the previous year, which, as my letters from that time reflect, was not an easy process for me. The lingering effects of my depressive episode, when combined with the reality that I was not in the right program (Economics) extended the period in which my academic performance did not match my abilities or effort. Around that time, I had just transitioned from Economics to Geography, and was focused on getting myself back on track following this additional setback. I realize that I should have submitted this additional appeal earlier, but I simply was not ready to risk experiencing the feelings associated with that time in my life yet again. Today, however, my situation has improved considerably, and I am better prepared to deal with the academic implications from this difficult period in my life. I would be grateful for an opportunity to share my experiences from that time with the Associate Dean in my appeal letter, and I would encourage the Dean to understand that the factors impacting my studies at this time also hindered by ability to speak about them. I truly believe that because of the circumstances surrounding my first few semesters at Queen's I struggled not only to attain success in my courses, but also to appeal my lack of achievement during those semesters.
For all the reasons contained within this letter, I would encourage the Associate Dean to grant this exemption to the 21-day limit, thereby allowing me to continue with the progress I have shown in terms of both my academics and my mental health since this challenging period in my life.
Thank you very much for your consideration of my appeal and for taking the time to read my letter.
Sincerely,
Trevor Robinson
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: NO DOC (Letter in other document)
Document: Trevor Robinson-Appendix Documents.pdf
Documentation Detail: Appendix Documents: April 2012 21 Day Deadline Wave, April 2012 Appeal Letter, Document from Professional, E-mail From Representative
Decision Letters
Amendment to Appeal 660
Relevant Petition: 660
First Name: Trevor
Last Name: Robinson
Student Number: 6255849
Email: trevor.robinson@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: GPHY
Level of Study: 4
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Drop a course after the academic deadline, Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Code: ECON 110A
Term: Fall
Year: 2010
Petition Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: Ian James Cromb
Code: ECON 110B
Term: Winter
Year: 2011
Petition Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: Ian James Cromb
Code: PHIL 115A
Term: Fall
Year: 2010
Petition Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: Stephen Robert Leighton
Code: PHIL 115B
Term: Winter
Year: 2011
Petition Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: Mark Rosner
Code: ECON 280
Term: Fall
Year: 2011
Petition Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: Anya Hageman
Code: ECON 222
Term: Fall
Year: 2011
Petition Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: To whom it may concern,
I am appealing for credit standing in PHIL 115 (Fall 2010-Winter 2011), ECON 110 (Fall 2010-Winter 2011), and ECON 280 (Fall 2011); and to drop ECON 222 (Fall 2011) past the final day of examinations.
In April of 2012, I submitted an appeal to the Faculty of Arts & Science in which I requested to drop three courses beyond the final day of examinations: HIST 124 (Fall 2010-Winter 2011), POLS 110 (Fall 2010-Winter 2011), and PHYS P16 (Winter 2011). I would like to submit a credit standing appeal for the two additional courses I was enrolled in during the Fall 2010-Winter 2011 academic year: PHIL 115 and ECON 110. Please refer to the appeal letter I submitted in April of 2012 (pages 2-3 of the documents attached), which describes the extenuating circumstances that led to my poor performance during the Fall 2011-Winter 2012 school year. Referenced below is the key section describing the depressive episode I experienced during my first year Queen¿¿s:
I am asking for this consideration because of the depression and emotional distress I experienced during my first year of university. These feelings were triggered by a combination of leaving home and breaking up with my long-term girlfriend. They exposed what I believe to be residual issues I have had with body image and self esteem. These issues manifested within me as feelings of sadness, regret, and depression that I had never experienced before. I became increasing pessimistic about life, and I stopped looking forward to anything in my future. I detached myself from my friends and family and retreated into myself. I attempted to internalize these feelings and deal with them myself. I did not seek any help from friends or family or consult with any of the services available to students on campus. Undoubtedly, these decisions only made things worse.
As I became overwhelmed with these emotions, my effort level towards my schoolwork dropped as I began to effectively sabotage my future prospects. At the time, my state of mind made me feel like I had little hope for the future, and for that reason, I saw no purpose in my education. I experienced extreme bouts of insomnia in the evening, as I could not stop thinking about my regrets or stop my mind from racing. Sometimes I had no motivation to get out of bed in the morning, and often spent the whole day in my room. Not surprisingly, I quickly fell behind in my lectures and struggled to complete my assignments on time, if at all. These feelings of hopelessness and depression truly made me unable to accomplish anything productive, and by Christmas, I seriously contemplated dropping out of school. It was at this point that I had given up on my education at Queen¿¿s, and continued down a path of self-destruction of my future success.
The impact of this depressive episode on my academic performance was significant. In addition to failing the courses I successfully appealed to have dropped past the end of examinations in April 2012, my poor mental health adversely impacted my achievement in the other courses I was enrolled in. Even though I did not fail ECON 110 and PHIL 115, my performance was equally inferior to my failed classes and is not indicative of my academic abilities and work ethic. Considering that I was successful in my appeal to drop HIST 124, POLS 110, and PHYS P16, and my justifications for requesting credit standing in ECON 110 and PHIL 115 are identical to the reasons behind my April 2012 appeal, I would encourage the Associate Dean of Studies to allow me to receive credit standing in the additional Fall 2010-Winter 2011 courses I was enrolled in that are specified in this appeal. Please also refer to the documentation provided by my physician, Dr. Katherine Healy (page 4 of documents attached), which was also included in my April 2012 appeal.
I am also appealing to drop ECON 222 beyond the final day of the Fall 2011 examinations and receive credit standing in ECON 280. Even though my mental health had begun to improve over the summer and into my second year at Queen¿¿s, the lingering effects of my depressive episode continued to have an adverse affect on my academic achievement during the Fall 2011 term. Improvements to an individual¿¿s mental wellbeing do not take place in a linear fashion; mental health can improve for several months before a crisis, challenge, or change in circumstances can reverse the progress made. During my first summer back home from Queen¿¿s, I returned to the job at a hardware store I had worked at during high school. As I returned to fulltime work near my home in Toronto, I became more optimistic about life, and decided to return to Queen¿¿s in September, selecting Economics as my major. Despite my renewed positivity and effort, I still struggled to succeed academically with my Economics course load, reigniting and prolonging some of the depressive emotions I had experienced during my first year of study. While I had begun an ultimately eventually successful process of improving my mental wellbeing, my academic performance during the Fall 2011 term was not yet indicative of the work ethnic and achievement I would, and have displayed since.
In the Winter 2012 term, I switched out of Economics and enrolled in a variety of social science courses. My academic performance improved considerably alongside my mental health. One reason for this improvement was that additional time had elapsed from the depressive episode in my first year. Additionally, I found success in the new classes I had enrolled in, which also helped improve my mood. I also sought counselling from Health and Disability Services, which helped me to begin the process of talking about my depressive episode¿¿eventually resulting in the submission of my April 2012 appeal¿¿as well as preventing new episodes from occurring. After my second year, I selected Geography as my major, and my academic achievement continued to reach new levels. I am now pursuing a career in real estate development, and last summer, I was employed at a condominium development company in downtown Toronto. In September I will begin graduate school at Queen¿¿s, where my master¿¿s thesis will examine a public housing redevelopment project in Toronto. Compared to my first few semesters at Queen¿¿s, my mental health and outlook on life has improved considerably. I truly believe that if I had not experienced my depressive episode in first year, and the lingering effects of this episode in my second year, I would have attained a similar level of success in my studies as I do now. For this reason, I would be grateful for a consideration of the circumstances surrounding my lack of academic achievement during the time in question in reviewing my appeal. Receiving permission to drop and receive credit standing in the four courses I have specified would allow me to build on the improvements I have already made in terms of my mental health and academics since this difficult period of my life.
Thank you very much for your consideration of my appeal and for taking the time to read my letter.
Sincerely,
Trevor Robinson
I am appealing for credit standing in PHIL 115 (Fall 2010-Winter 2011), ECON 110 (Fall 2010-Winter 2011), and ECON 280 (Fall 2011); and to drop ECON 222 (Fall 2011) past the final day of examinations.
In April of 2012, I submitted an appeal to the Faculty of Arts & Science in which I requested to drop three courses beyond the final day of examinations: HIST 124 (Fall 2010-Winter 2011), POLS 110 (Fall 2010-Winter 2011), and PHYS P16 (Winter 2011). I would like to submit a credit standing appeal for the two additional courses I was enrolled in during the Fall 2010-Winter 2011 academic year: PHIL 115 and ECON 110. Please refer to the appeal letter I submitted in April of 2012 (pages 2-3 of the documents attached), which describes the extenuating circumstances that led to my poor performance during the Fall 2011-Winter 2012 school year. Referenced below is the key section describing the depressive episode I experienced during my first year Queen¿¿s:
I am asking for this consideration because of the depression and emotional distress I experienced during my first year of university. These feelings were triggered by a combination of leaving home and breaking up with my long-term girlfriend. They exposed what I believe to be residual issues I have had with body image and self esteem. These issues manifested within me as feelings of sadness, regret, and depression that I had never experienced before. I became increasing pessimistic about life, and I stopped looking forward to anything in my future. I detached myself from my friends and family and retreated into myself. I attempted to internalize these feelings and deal with them myself. I did not seek any help from friends or family or consult with any of the services available to students on campus. Undoubtedly, these decisions only made things worse.
As I became overwhelmed with these emotions, my effort level towards my schoolwork dropped as I began to effectively sabotage my future prospects. At the time, my state of mind made me feel like I had little hope for the future, and for that reason, I saw no purpose in my education. I experienced extreme bouts of insomnia in the evening, as I could not stop thinking about my regrets or stop my mind from racing. Sometimes I had no motivation to get out of bed in the morning, and often spent the whole day in my room. Not surprisingly, I quickly fell behind in my lectures and struggled to complete my assignments on time, if at all. These feelings of hopelessness and depression truly made me unable to accomplish anything productive, and by Christmas, I seriously contemplated dropping out of school. It was at this point that I had given up on my education at Queen¿¿s, and continued down a path of self-destruction of my future success.
The impact of this depressive episode on my academic performance was significant. In addition to failing the courses I successfully appealed to have dropped past the end of examinations in April 2012, my poor mental health adversely impacted my achievement in the other courses I was enrolled in. Even though I did not fail ECON 110 and PHIL 115, my performance was equally inferior to my failed classes and is not indicative of my academic abilities and work ethic. Considering that I was successful in my appeal to drop HIST 124, POLS 110, and PHYS P16, and my justifications for requesting credit standing in ECON 110 and PHIL 115 are identical to the reasons behind my April 2012 appeal, I would encourage the Associate Dean of Studies to allow me to receive credit standing in the additional Fall 2010-Winter 2011 courses I was enrolled in that are specified in this appeal. Please also refer to the documentation provided by my physician, Dr. Katherine Healy (page 4 of documents attached), which was also included in my April 2012 appeal.
I am also appealing to drop ECON 222 beyond the final day of the Fall 2011 examinations and receive credit standing in ECON 280. Even though my mental health had begun to improve over the summer and into my second year at Queen¿¿s, the lingering effects of my depressive episode continued to have an adverse affect on my academic achievement during the Fall 2011 term. Improvements to an individual¿¿s mental wellbeing do not take place in a linear fashion; mental health can improve for several months before a crisis, challenge, or change in circumstances can reverse the progress made. During my first summer back home from Queen¿¿s, I returned to the job at a hardware store I had worked at during high school. As I returned to fulltime work near my home in Toronto, I became more optimistic about life, and decided to return to Queen¿¿s in September, selecting Economics as my major. Despite my renewed positivity and effort, I still struggled to succeed academically with my Economics course load, reigniting and prolonging some of the depressive emotions I had experienced during my first year of study. While I had begun an ultimately eventually successful process of improving my mental wellbeing, my academic performance during the Fall 2011 term was not yet indicative of the work ethnic and achievement I would, and have displayed since.
In the Winter 2012 term, I switched out of Economics and enrolled in a variety of social science courses. My academic performance improved considerably alongside my mental health. One reason for this improvement was that additional time had elapsed from the depressive episode in my first year. Additionally, I found success in the new classes I had enrolled in, which also helped improve my mood. I also sought counselling from Health and Disability Services, which helped me to begin the process of talking about my depressive episode¿¿eventually resulting in the submission of my April 2012 appeal¿¿as well as preventing new episodes from occurring. After my second year, I selected Geography as my major, and my academic achievement continued to reach new levels. I am now pursuing a career in real estate development, and last summer, I was employed at a condominium development company in downtown Toronto. In September I will begin graduate school at Queen¿¿s, where my master¿¿s thesis will examine a public housing redevelopment project in Toronto. Compared to my first few semesters at Queen¿¿s, my mental health and outlook on life has improved considerably. I truly believe that if I had not experienced my depressive episode in first year, and the lingering effects of this episode in my second year, I would have attained a similar level of success in my studies as I do now. For this reason, I would be grateful for a consideration of the circumstances surrounding my lack of academic achievement during the time in question in reviewing my appeal. Receiving permission to drop and receive credit standing in the four courses I have specified would allow me to build on the improvements I have already made in terms of my mental health and academics since this difficult period of my life.
Thank you very much for your consideration of my appeal and for taking the time to read my letter.
Sincerely,
Trevor Robinson
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: NO DOC (letter from professional in other documentation)
Document: Trevor Robinson-Appendix Documents-0.pdf
Documentation Detail: Original Letter to Submit Appeal Past 21 Day Deadline, Original Appeal Letter, Letter from Professional, Letter from Arts and Science Representative
History
Originally submitted January 11, 2015 at 2:28:14 PM.
| Field | Reference | Old Value | New Value | Note | User | Date/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| status | N/A | Received | Prepared for Review | Carrie Roosenmaalen | 2015-01-12 10:58:41 AM | |
| status | N/A | Prepared for Review | In Review | Haley Everson | 2015-01-14 11:31:47 AM | |
| status | N/A | In Review | Granted | Haley Everson | 2015-01-28 9:39:23 AM | |
| associate_dean | N/A | Johanne Benard, Ph.D. | Haley Everson | 2015-01-28 9:39:23 AM | ||
| decision_letter | N/A | N/A | Decision letter sent | Haley Everson | 2015-01-28 9:39:52 AM |