Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

My name is Lindsey Walker, and I am writing to appeal for aegrotat status for PSYC 301 from the Fall 2018 semester, to drop PSYC 397 from the Fall 2018 semester, and to have CR standing in PSYC 323, PSYC 423, and PSYC 480, also from the Fall 2018 semester. I would also like to appeal to drop my Winter 2019 (BIOL 350 and PHYS P20) and Summer 2019 (MATH 121) courses. During the last few weeks of the Fall 2018 semester, there was a traumatic extenuating circumstance that prevented me from completing my coursework and exams for the Fall 2018 semester and continued to negatively impact my ability to be a student for the following two semesters, as well. Even though all semesters listed were impacted by the event, if only one aspect of the request could be granted, I would graciously ask that it please be changing my PSYC 301 course from an F to AG standing as it is my last mandatory course to take before I am eligible to graduate. It is only offered on campus, and I am not able to mentally or physically be on campus again safely and I had completed more than 60% of the course and had met the learning outcomes.

I had to leave campus expeditiously in order to remove myself from the setting where the event occurred and have not returned to on campus courses since. In order to cope with what I had been through, I had to completely remove myself physically and mentally from Queen's and Kingston in their entirety. I did not disclose what happened to anyone for more than a year and a half as I felt a great amount of personal shame, even though I know now that it was not my fault.

Since the event occurred, I have been dealing with feelings of intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, nightmares, anhedonia, self-isolation, guilt, anger, irritability, insomnia, hypervigilance, avoiding people, places, and things that connect me to the event, trembling, excessive and maladaptive nervousness, a fluctuating heart rate, cold sweats, and an impending feeling of danger and doom regardless of whether I am objectively safe. I also developed bulimia in a subconscious and misguided attempt to feel some form of control over my life and have since dealt with a distorted body image, tooth decay leading to a medically necessary root canal, facial swelling, and cessation of menstruation.

I did not submit an appeal within the 21 day timeline as my attempt to cope with what I had been through was to act in a manner as though Queen's did not even exist. I was not a student there, I had never been to Kingston, and I was certainly not logging on to Solus to drop my courses or look at the ArtSci website to determine what the appropriate steps for an appeal in my novel situation were. It was an insufficient, but temporarily effective coping mechanism, as if I did not do any of those things, then the extenuating circumstance had never happened.

I began counselling in September 2020 in an attempt to overcome what I have been through and have found it beneficial and cathartic enough to now be able to continue with and complete my degree. My counsellor has helped me exponentially in terms of processing what has happened and finally being able to be borderline optimistic about my future. Some days, I feel like a survivor and am proud of myself for having continued with my education and gotten the help that I need and deserve and some days I feel like a victim, angry that I am in this situation at all. Since I have started counselling, I have found the strength to continue with my degree and took PSYC 365 and PSYC 335 online in Winter 2021 and earned a B in both courses. I then took CHEM 113 and CHEM 114 online during the Summer 2021 semester and earned an A- and an A, respectively. I am also currently enrolled in BIOL 350 and should my appeal for PSYC 301 be granted for aegrotat status, I will be eligible to graduate as I only need 3 more credits on top of PSYC 301. I also completed one of the six courses that I was taking Fall 2018 prior to the incident occurring and earned an A-, which is a more accurate reflection of how my semester would have ended, had I been able to continue with my coursework and exams uninterrupted by the traumatic event. When I am physically safe, I am able to mentally perform at a level more aligned with my abilities and the marks from the Fall 2018, Winter 2019, and Summer 2019 courses are not an accurate reflection of those abilities.

I am continuing with counselling and speak with my counsellor weekly and sometimes more as necessary and will continue to do so indefinitely. I ask humbly, to please grant my appeal to have aegrotat status for PSYC 301, to have credit status for PSYC 323, PSYC 423, and PSYC 480, and to drop PSYC 397 (Fall 2018), BIOL 350 (Winter 2019), PHYS P20 (Winter 2019), and MATH 121 (Summer 2019). Thank you very much for your consideration.