Petition Letter
Dr. Jenn Stephenson
Associate Dean (Academic)
Dunning Hall
94 University Avenue
Queen’s University
Kingston, ON K7L 3N6
My name is Manuel Chavarria (20369593) and I am writing to request a waiver of the requirement to withdraw from Queen’s University for a year, following my completion of six months of the mandatory period. Additionally, I seek your consideration to adjust my standing in certain courses to Credit Standing or to allow me to drop them, as per the guidance of my academic advisor. This letter aims to provide a detailed account of the extenuating circumstances that have significantly impacted my academic and personal life, and to outline my plans for a successful return to my studies.
My petition is twofold: firstly, to waive the remainder duration of the one-year withdrawal period, and, secondly to modify the standing of certain courses impacted by my circumstances. My first year at Queen’s had me experiencing extenuating circumstances that impacted my mental health and ultimately my academic performance, as follows:
Living Arrangements
I was originally accepted into the West Campus for residence. I was advised instead to rent a sublet closer to my classes which lead me to have a couple sublet situations before settling into a place in Winter semester. In hindsight, not having stable living situation was not a wise decision.
Financial Difficulties
I was experiencing extreme financial hardship during my first year. I applied for Alberta Student Aid but I did not receive this money until March 2023. I was basically just surviving off minimal savings and loans from friends. My parents do not live in Canada and do not have the means to provide the financial help required.
Family Situation
My parent’s separated during the first year as well. This took a huge toll on me. My parents live outside of Canada and I am living alone in Canada without family. I felt I could not share my experience at Queen’s with them as I didn’t want to add to their stress and burden them further. The last semester definitely was impacted by my declining mental health.
Student Status
I also learned during the school year that I missed the deadline to have my student status changed from International to Domestic. I was not aware of this deadline which increased my tuition obligation from approximately $8,000 to $60,000. Thankfully, this situation has been rectified (just recently) but at the time was a massive burden on me.
All of the above situations played a role in my poor academic performance and I take full responsibility for that. To say the past year and a bit has been challenging for me is an understatement.
To summarize, I am requesting the opportunity to enroll in a couple of Winter semester classes so I can re-start my academic journey here at Queen’s. I think it would benefit me greatly to have the opportunity to re-enter Queen’s this winter.
I would also like to request the opportunity to have my classes from the fall and winter semesters classified as Credit Standing. This will allow me a clean slate so to speak when I return to Queen’s.
I am committed to making the most of this opportunity to continue my education at Queen’s. I am going to work closely with an academic advisor in taking a lighter course load in the beginning to not overload and overwhelm me when I return. I have been working with a therapist to help me work through my emotional issues surrounding my family and personal situation. This has been very positive. I have also been able to stabilize my financial position and all of this will be able to allow me to fully commit to my academic responsibilities.
I am grateful for the opportunity to study at Queen’s University and sincerely appreciate your consideration of my situation. I am committed to making the most of this chance to continue my education and am looking forward to a positive response,
Sincerely,
Manuel Chavarria
20369593
Associate Dean (Academic)
Dunning Hall
94 University Avenue
Queen’s University
Kingston, ON K7L 3N6
My name is Manuel Chavarria (20369593) and I am writing to request a waiver of the requirement to withdraw from Queen’s University for a year, following my completion of six months of the mandatory period. Additionally, I seek your consideration to adjust my standing in certain courses to Credit Standing or to allow me to drop them, as per the guidance of my academic advisor. This letter aims to provide a detailed account of the extenuating circumstances that have significantly impacted my academic and personal life, and to outline my plans for a successful return to my studies.
My petition is twofold: firstly, to waive the remainder duration of the one-year withdrawal period, and, secondly to modify the standing of certain courses impacted by my circumstances. My first year at Queen’s had me experiencing extenuating circumstances that impacted my mental health and ultimately my academic performance, as follows:
Living Arrangements
I was originally accepted into the West Campus for residence. I was advised instead to rent a sublet closer to my classes which lead me to have a couple sublet situations before settling into a place in Winter semester. In hindsight, not having stable living situation was not a wise decision.
Financial Difficulties
I was experiencing extreme financial hardship during my first year. I applied for Alberta Student Aid but I did not receive this money until March 2023. I was basically just surviving off minimal savings and loans from friends. My parents do not live in Canada and do not have the means to provide the financial help required.
Family Situation
My parent’s separated during the first year as well. This took a huge toll on me. My parents live outside of Canada and I am living alone in Canada without family. I felt I could not share my experience at Queen’s with them as I didn’t want to add to their stress and burden them further. The last semester definitely was impacted by my declining mental health.
Student Status
I also learned during the school year that I missed the deadline to have my student status changed from International to Domestic. I was not aware of this deadline which increased my tuition obligation from approximately $8,000 to $60,000. Thankfully, this situation has been rectified (just recently) but at the time was a massive burden on me.
All of the above situations played a role in my poor academic performance and I take full responsibility for that. To say the past year and a bit has been challenging for me is an understatement.
To summarize, I am requesting the opportunity to enroll in a couple of Winter semester classes so I can re-start my academic journey here at Queen’s. I think it would benefit me greatly to have the opportunity to re-enter Queen’s this winter.
I would also like to request the opportunity to have my classes from the fall and winter semesters classified as Credit Standing. This will allow me a clean slate so to speak when I return to Queen’s.
I am committed to making the most of this opportunity to continue my education at Queen’s. I am going to work closely with an academic advisor in taking a lighter course load in the beginning to not overload and overwhelm me when I return. I have been working with a therapist to help me work through my emotional issues surrounding my family and personal situation. This has been very positive. I have also been able to stabilize my financial position and all of this will be able to allow me to fully commit to my academic responsibilities.
I am grateful for the opportunity to study at Queen’s University and sincerely appreciate your consideration of my situation. I am committed to making the most of this chance to continue my education and am looking forward to a positive response,
Sincerely,
Manuel Chavarria
20369593