Petition Letter
Riley Kapuscinski
46 Sandhill Crt.
Whitby, ON. L1M2J4
August 27th, 2024
Associate Deans Office (Academic)
Faculty of Arts and Science
Queens University
My name is Riley Kapuscinski. I am petitioning to waive the Petition Deadline for late course drops for the Fall 2021 and Winter 2022 terms.
I recognize that Petitions for late course drops must be submitted within one year of the end of the term in which the class was offered. However, I could not meet this Petition deadline due to extenuating circumstances. Following the Winter 2022 term, I was Required to Withdraw for One Year, effective May 18th, 2022. My academics suffered greatly throughout a criminal court process where I was the victim. In April 2022, the accused pled guilty to the charges against me. My poor academic performance led to the Required to Withdraw sanction in May 2022. I was struggling exponentially with my mental health during this period. When I was RTW, I was extremely ashamed and felt it was a consequence I needed to face for poor academic performance despite the traumatic experiences I had endured.
During the period when I was RTW (May 2022-May 2023), I struggled to motivate myself without a constant reminder that I was a failure. I lost the academic and career aspirations I had always strived for. This was a challenging time to navigate, compounded by a lack of support services. As I was not considered a student, I could not access Queen’s Support Services or my parents’ work benefits, which I had always had the privilege of. I was unemployed and could not afford the mental health treatment I needed. At the time, my priorities were not on my transcript and petitioning to late drop courses but on working to improve my well-being. I did not wish to continue to pursue a degree in which I had performed so poorly academically that I had been forced to withdraw or was suspended. I was consumed with shame, and it took an immense amount of self-reflection and growth to regain motivation and return to studies.
Once I returned to studies in Fall 2023, I understood that the Petition Deadline for late course drops had passed for the Fall 2021 and Winter 2022 terms. I was unaware of the option to petition to waive the Petition Deadline and accepted that my transcript would be a constant reminder of the obstacles I faced during my degree. I recently became aware of the petition to waive the Petition Deadline in my meetings with supportive faculty members.
Since returning to studies, I have been released from academic probation and have strived to achieve academic success. I have mapped out an academic plan and regularly correspond with Queen’s Support Services. I plan to continue using the Support Services available to me to reach my goal of improving my overall GPA so that I can attend grad school.
Due to the significant extenuating circumstances, I ask that you consider waiving the Petition Deadline for late course drops for the Fall 2021 and Winter 2022 terms. The consideration of this request would allow for the review of my subsequent petition for late course drops in these terms. I sincerely appreciate your time and review of my petition in advance.
Riley Kapuscinski
20115258
46 Sandhill Crt.
Whitby, ON. L1M2J4
August 27th, 2024
Associate Deans Office (Academic)
Faculty of Arts and Science
Queens University
My name is Riley Kapuscinski. I am petitioning to waive the Petition Deadline for late course drops for the Fall 2021 and Winter 2022 terms.
I recognize that Petitions for late course drops must be submitted within one year of the end of the term in which the class was offered. However, I could not meet this Petition deadline due to extenuating circumstances. Following the Winter 2022 term, I was Required to Withdraw for One Year, effective May 18th, 2022. My academics suffered greatly throughout a criminal court process where I was the victim. In April 2022, the accused pled guilty to the charges against me. My poor academic performance led to the Required to Withdraw sanction in May 2022. I was struggling exponentially with my mental health during this period. When I was RTW, I was extremely ashamed and felt it was a consequence I needed to face for poor academic performance despite the traumatic experiences I had endured.
During the period when I was RTW (May 2022-May 2023), I struggled to motivate myself without a constant reminder that I was a failure. I lost the academic and career aspirations I had always strived for. This was a challenging time to navigate, compounded by a lack of support services. As I was not considered a student, I could not access Queen’s Support Services or my parents’ work benefits, which I had always had the privilege of. I was unemployed and could not afford the mental health treatment I needed. At the time, my priorities were not on my transcript and petitioning to late drop courses but on working to improve my well-being. I did not wish to continue to pursue a degree in which I had performed so poorly academically that I had been forced to withdraw or was suspended. I was consumed with shame, and it took an immense amount of self-reflection and growth to regain motivation and return to studies.
Once I returned to studies in Fall 2023, I understood that the Petition Deadline for late course drops had passed for the Fall 2021 and Winter 2022 terms. I was unaware of the option to petition to waive the Petition Deadline and accepted that my transcript would be a constant reminder of the obstacles I faced during my degree. I recently became aware of the petition to waive the Petition Deadline in my meetings with supportive faculty members.
Since returning to studies, I have been released from academic probation and have strived to achieve academic success. I have mapped out an academic plan and regularly correspond with Queen’s Support Services. I plan to continue using the Support Services available to me to reach my goal of improving my overall GPA so that I can attend grad school.
Due to the significant extenuating circumstances, I ask that you consider waiving the Petition Deadline for late course drops for the Fall 2021 and Winter 2022 terms. The consideration of this request would allow for the review of my subsequent petition for late course drops in these terms. I sincerely appreciate your time and review of my petition in advance.
Riley Kapuscinski
20115258