Petition Letter
Dear Associate Dean (Studies),
I am appealing the faculty¿¿s decision to suspend me from Queen¿¿s for one year.
At the end of my second semester of first year, I was placed on academic probation. And when I returned to school in September, my plan was to accomplish and maintain a 2.0 GPA in order to no longer be on academic probation. During October 2013, my parents became separated because of different lifestyle choices and arguments. My mother now lives with my brother in Toronto and my father moved back to Hong Kong. This separation during the fall semester of 2013 prevented me from focusing on and improving my studies, as I became emotionally exhausted and depressed. My academic performance became neglected, as I frequently had to drive to and from Toronto to provide support for my mother. Before the unexpected separation, I had signed up for 6 courses as opposed to 5, expecting to catch up with my credit requirement. My decision to do so however became far too overwhelming as I was unable to keep up with my studies. My GPA remained low, at a mere 0.95, at the end of the semester and I was significantly deep in a hole that would prove to be hard for me to crawl out of during second semester.
As I came to terms with my lack of success, I realized I desperately needed advice from academic advisors and professors. I met with them several times and they informed me that I had to maintain a ¿B-¿¿ average throughout my 3 courses in second semester to reach my goal of minimum 1.6 GPA to stay in school. I had spoken with my professors and they understood my situation and my final grades between the three courses were, ¿C-, B, B¿¿. My current total grade point average is 71.7 and I have taken 45 units towards GPA. This means my GPA should be 1.593 and I understand that it was rounded down to 1.59. My second reason for appealing is because I think I have shown significant academic improvement and reached my ¿B-¿¿ average requirement and if it was not for a technicality of 0.3 in my total grade point (71.7 becomes 72, and 72 divided by 45 would be a 1.6 GPA), it would have met the requirement. I firmly believe that I would have exceeded the requirement were it not for my parent¿¿s sudden separation in the fall semester that hindered my performance.
I am appealing the faculty¿¿s decision to suspend me from Queen¿¿s for one year.
At the end of my second semester of first year, I was placed on academic probation. And when I returned to school in September, my plan was to accomplish and maintain a 2.0 GPA in order to no longer be on academic probation. During October 2013, my parents became separated because of different lifestyle choices and arguments. My mother now lives with my brother in Toronto and my father moved back to Hong Kong. This separation during the fall semester of 2013 prevented me from focusing on and improving my studies, as I became emotionally exhausted and depressed. My academic performance became neglected, as I frequently had to drive to and from Toronto to provide support for my mother. Before the unexpected separation, I had signed up for 6 courses as opposed to 5, expecting to catch up with my credit requirement. My decision to do so however became far too overwhelming as I was unable to keep up with my studies. My GPA remained low, at a mere 0.95, at the end of the semester and I was significantly deep in a hole that would prove to be hard for me to crawl out of during second semester.
As I came to terms with my lack of success, I realized I desperately needed advice from academic advisors and professors. I met with them several times and they informed me that I had to maintain a ¿B-¿¿ average throughout my 3 courses in second semester to reach my goal of minimum 1.6 GPA to stay in school. I had spoken with my professors and they understood my situation and my final grades between the three courses were, ¿C-, B, B¿¿. My current total grade point average is 71.7 and I have taken 45 units towards GPA. This means my GPA should be 1.593 and I understand that it was rounded down to 1.59. My second reason for appealing is because I think I have shown significant academic improvement and reached my ¿B-¿¿ average requirement and if it was not for a technicality of 0.3 in my total grade point (71.7 becomes 72, and 72 divided by 45 would be a 1.6 GPA), it would have met the requirement. I firmly believe that I would have exceeded the requirement were it not for my parent¿¿s sudden separation in the fall semester that hindered my performance.