Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean of Studies,

I am appealing to drop two Fall term courses after the published deadline date. The courses are as follows, HIST245 (Imperial Russia) and CLST102 (Introduction to Greek Civilization). I met with an academic advisor last week and told her of my difficulties last term. She discussed the appeal process with me and suggested that based on my extenuating circumstances that I appeal to drop those two classes.

As an international transfer student to Queen¿¿s University this academic year, I have faced a number of challenges that have affected my studies. Moving to Canada has been a huge adjustment. The extreme winter weather conditions, sickness, and the change in academic standards, has all had a major impact on my academics. Growing up in the Middle East, I was unprepared for the harsh Canadian winter this year has seen, and I spent most of my days sick and bedridden. This greatly interfered with my ability to attend classes on a regular basis. Additionally, from the months of September to December, I visited the campus clinic multiple times each month, as I found myself dealing with a health problem that was both debilitating and painful. I am attaching a letter from the Health, Counselling and Disability Services (HCDS) Centre for your information.

The doctors at the clinic were unable to find a suitable treatment, and I was treated with a host of different medications, each bringing their own set of side effects. As I was unfamiliar with the healthcare process in Canada, I was not able to see a specialist. This resulted in extreme physical pain, which affected my mobility significantly, and my grades suffering beyond my control. Finally, after months of discomfort and a change in doctor, a diagnosis was made and proper medication was administered. This semester, I have managed to keep the pain under control as the medications given to me by the new doctor proved to be effective. I can say that I am on the road to recovery and hope to succeed in the Winter term examinations. In the future, I have planned to have regular meetings with a medical professional who will help me improve my health condition, and I am optimistic about this course of action.

Transferring from a significantly smaller university, I felt overwhelmed at the drastic changes I had to come to terms with in such a small period of time. The courses were structured in a way that focused more on take home readings, as well as lecture halls of a greater size that at times proved to be extremely daunting. Today, I can say that I have made the adjustment in my current Upper Year classes, and find myself enjoying the learning environment, finding it extremely rewarding and stimulating. Lastly, as a transfer student, I must bring up the culture change I faced when I first arrived. The change in time zones totalled up to 9 hours, and this took a significant toll on me. In all, I left a support system to pursue quality higher education, in the hopes of succeeding, rather, I found myself unhappy and miserable for a greater part of my first semester here at Queen's University. This also affected my mental health and mindset.

In retrospect, looking over my academic progress over the course of the Winter semester, I have understood the academic policies and brought my grades up higher than they were last semester. Although I still faced many of the challenges I did previously, I believe I have integrated myself into the Queen¿¿s community and found my bearings. What started off on a positive note slowly deteriorated this semester, in terms of my health. Yet, I think I have found a good balance and the medications administered were helpful in the process. Next semester, I will also make use of the many resources available to students in need at the university, such as Learning Workshops at Joseph Stauffer Library, as well as the Peer Learning Assistants who are readily available to help students struggling. I believe I have also understood the expectations of my Professors and Teaching Assistants, in terms of essay writing, class assignments and final examinations.

While I am making an argument against academic standards, I feel it is necessary to add that the grading system is considerably more rigorous here than at my previous university. This meant that it has taken me a considerable amount of time to adjust to the Queen¿¿s grading standards. That being said, although I was aware of the policies beforehand, by no means am I diverting the blame onto another individual or department at Queen's University. Rather, I felt that as a transfer student, I had to maintain my grades and my Honours status at the university in order to be successful.

Finally, I also believe that, by speaking to the Undergraduate Chair of my department, I can plan future courses in a way that will help me to succeed. (i.e., scheduling courses during the Spring or Summer semesters.)


Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,

Tarini Pahwa
Student ID: 10075756