Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Appeal Letter

Amaya Rojas

Student number: 20241021

Address: 121 Pullen Lane, Ajax, ON, L1Z0K9

Phone number: 647 915 4716

School Email: 20ar14@queensu.ca

Personal email: rojasamaya51@gmail.com

July 20, 2021



To:



Associate Dean (Academic)

Queen??s University

99 University Ave, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6

Arts and Science



I am appealing to drop the following courses late: Spanish204(Fall 2020), History106(winter 2021), Art History (summer 2021). I would like to explain my circumstances for not passing these courses. I am a student who has always struggled with my mental health disorder. During high school I had access to a variety of health resources to help support myself and cope with my illness. Upon entering University, I had been at my most healthy however due to the pandemic many of those resources either became unavailable or remote. I found that remote therapy was not helping me in the way that the in-person face to face services did. I felt isolated and much of the progress I had made with counselling and medication was feeling like it was all for nothing. I became overwhelmed trying not only to cope with the decline of my own personal health but with the work load of my courses. I did not reach out for help sooner because I felt that I could still be ??normal,? as asking for my help in my situation can sometimes feel invasive and revealing. In the moment I felt shame about my performance. I was able to complete my visual art courses because for me visual art has always been part of my coping mechanisms in times where I am disassociating. Those courses (visual art courses) were more akin to relief and therapy then work. I also found that my gender studies course helped me understand more about myself and identity and like the art courses helped me developpe a healthier perspective on my situation and myself. It is for those reasons that I was able to complete those courses and struggles with the others. I did drop the Art History course during the year thinking I could reduce the work load and be able to settle myself to then take it again in the summer. However, I was not able to perform the way I had previously intended to. On multiple occasions I contacted anonymous help lines such as kids help phone or 811 nurses because I became increasingly distressed and disillusioned with myself and my performance. I was so lost in my way of thinking, I told myself that everything was okay and that I could do it on my own. I did not drop the course sooner because I thought perhaps there was still hope of completing. One of the main reasons for my regression in positive mental health has been the isolation, with things now opening back to in person as well as health services reopening, I feel that I will be able to properly manage my disorder once more. I will be moving to Kingston this fall to be on campus and I was recently made aware that there are counselling services available for students this will be essential for me to proactively manage my health condition as well as continue with my studies. I will also be taking a lighter course load to not overload myself. Finally, I will seek out the academic student support resources such as peer learning assistants. I would very much like to retake the art history course in person on campus this fall, I have been told by my professor that the learning environment of taking the course in person is vastly different. I plan to speak with medical professionals on a regular basis so that I can do everything to not repeat my current situation. I have contacted my crisis worker from the Lakeridge Health Ajax Pickering Hospital as well as the Carea Community Health Center in Pickering to release my medical information and I hope to send it soon.

Sincerely,

Amaya Rojas

20241021