Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Hello, my name is Paige McCord (20296795), and I am a first-year student in the Arts and Science program. I am writing this appeal letter to waive a requirement to withdraw for one year. I am submitting this letter past the 21-day deadline as I wished to exhaust all my available resources, formulate a return-to-studies plan, receive advisement, and to complete a period of self-reflection. All of which will allow me to better perform mentally and academically when I return to studies in the Fall. I attempted to book an appointment with a physician to seek a possible diagnosis; however, due to unforeseen scheduling conflicts out of my control, I was unable to do so??which led me to submit this letter later than the original 21-day deadline. However, I believe these are reasonable circumstances to submit an appeal past the 21-day deadline. As submitting an appeal is a decision requiring many considerations and planning. I hope you and those at the appeal board and whomever else this letter may concern consider the listed factors when deciding to grant my appeal.

Within the first few weeks of my first year (September 2021), my struggles became noticeable. I struggled immensely in adapting to the major academic changes, thus negatively impacting my mental health??something I have never experienced before. I noticed myself not adapting as well as my peers were to the new lifestyle, and I began to fall behind. Throughout my academic career, I have always been a bright and driven student who was never shy to speak up. However, being thrown into a large student environment amidst a pandemic, I felt entirely alone and that my voice had disappeared. I lacked the knowledge of available resources to access the help and care I needed, and my problems grew. By November, I was experiencing the height of my impairment and often struggled to complete basic academic activities such as attending lectures and submitting assignments. As a result, I began to bottle up my mental health struggles and did not reach out for help. Something I will certainly not hesitate to do now. One of the largest challenges I faced was the ability to communicate my problems. However, after researching the available resources and discussing them with my supporters, I can ensure there will be an open dialogue.

Since I was in the 7th grade Queen??s University had been my dream school. I wish for nothing more than to be granted a clean slate to put my mistakes behind me and move to greener pastures. I implore you and those at the appeal board to hear my plea and allow me to return to studies in Fall 2022.

Please do not hesitate to reach out if further information or documentation is required.

I can be reached by email at 21prm10@queensu.ca and by phone at (705) 288-2670

Thank you and best,
Paige McCord