Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Letter: To the Board of Studies,

I am submitting a second level appeal to withdraw the Associate Dean's decision to withdraw for one year. The two reasons for denying my appeal that the Associate Dean has stated in the letter is that I have experienced ongoing or extreme academic difficulties and that my academic performance was not affected by a significant physical or psychological event beyond my control. While I do agree that I have been experiencing ongoing academic difficulty, I believe that my extenuating circumstances were inadequately recognized.

As stated in the Associate Dean's letter, the ruling of my appeal is not intended to be punitive, I strongly disagree. While I may not be punished by the university, I feel that I am going to be punished in multiple ways during the course of the year. I will lose the structure and stability that university provides while still developing my independence. My mental health will get worse because of the feeling that I am not good enough and I am not reaching the goals I have set for myself during the summer term. I will also be extremely sad that I won't be able to return to the campus I love and the university experience as life is slowly returning back to normal after the pandemic.

The extenuating circumstances that I outlined in my first appeal included the adjustment to university during a pandemic, the stress of my immediate family being stuck in a China during the pandemic for three years, and the number of times that I have been very sick during academic periods. It is proven from many studies that a lot of people were diagnosed with major depressive disorder and anxiety during the course of the pandemic. I did not seek out professional help because I thought I was able to handle what I was feeling myself. I was clearly mistaken.

In this appeal I would also like to reiterate that my extenuating circumstances are now resolved and that my academic performance is being managed. My family has returned to Canada the stress about worrying about their safety and not having them close to me has been resolved. I have been able to openly discuss the issues I was facing during the past three years with them and now feel the weight of the events are lifted. During the time I submitted my appeal I have been vigorously planning for the fall term by selecting courses and trying to get ahead by preparing for them.

I do not believe that my supporting documentation is strong enough because it is not supported by a professional. I hope that you can understand that the extenuating circumstances that I have experienced are extreme. I was not brave enough to seek out psychological help or treatment from doctors and was not well supported by family for the past two years that I was attending university. It is my opinion that a year away from school will not provide me with time a way to reflect on and repair the factors holding back my academic success. I believe that it will only cause further issues for myself, and I have had more than enough time to do so during the summer term.

Thank you for your consideration,

Leo Maloney