Petition Letter
Dear Associate Dean of Studies
I am appealing to drop SOCY 112 and attain credit standing in CLST 110, POLS 110, and PSYC 100 for the academic year of 2013/2014 due to extenuating circumstances that had reduced my attendance in Kingston and thus my ability to participate fully in my courses. In conjunction with an untreated, but diagnosed mental disorder that had reduced my ability to participate and remain engaged with the material in these courses.
I should initially state that I was recommended this course of action by both the Student Wellness Center and Academic Counseling in March/April 2016. This appeal will be my the second I have submitted due to their recommendation as seen in my supporting documentation by the Student Wellness Center. The lateness of my appeal past the deadline is on account of my need for supporting documentation that is required for this appeal, as well as a recommendation from the Student Wellness Center to only appeal once I have received accommodations so I may attest to my experience with them vs. without them.
When I came to Queens in September of 2013, I did so with a diagnosis of moderate to severe ADHD, an illness that I underestimated and had hard feelings about since my original diagnosis when I was fourteen. My experience with health care professionals is negative on account of over prescribing medication without monitoring of my mental and physical health. This negative experience resulted in my rejection of the drug Concerta (54mg) on account of its behavioral and mood altering side effects that left me numb to the world around me. I couldn¿¿t laugh or smile; food would feel like glass in my mouth ¿¿ to an extent I would gag whenever I attempted to swallow leaving me severely underweight for my height (120 pounds, for a 5¿¿11 male). Therefore, left to my own devices at Queens in my first year I made the decision to stop taking my medication. I wanted to feel things again, and I thought that I could fight through my ADHD. Initially, I had high hopes in my capacity to cope, until October 2013, when my grandmother made me aware during Thanksgiving of my single mother's depression on account of my leaving, as she resides in Edmonton. She has celiac disease, and to cope with my parting she had withdrawn herself from the celiac diet. This withdrawal left her severely iron deficient to an extent she started receive blood transfusions in November 2013. Once I was made aware of my mother's health, I tried to relieve her of her pain by seeing her every month, resulting in me returning to Edmonton at least once a month from January 2014 through to April 2014. I was present at most three of the four weeks of instruction in the second semester. These absences also resulted in my neglecting of my ADHD as I believed I had more pressing issues at home to deal with, to the extent that I did not apply to receive accommodations for my final exams in which I had four of them, one for each class.
It was these factors cause me to flunk most of my courses and to fail one resulting in academic probation that would have me withdraw from Queens for one year. I had been made aware that I could appeal at that time. However, I was given some excellent advice by the woman that informed me of my need to withdraw. She told me that in her experience if I had not dealt with the issues at home before returning that I may fail out a second time, as she has seen many students make that mistake. Therefore, I took her advice and withdrew for one year. My presence at home resulted in my mother going to therapy and taking on more responsibility at work to compensate for my absence and keep her busy, as well as putting her back on her diet. However, I still had not dealt with my ADHD- until this summer.
This summer I was told by the Student Wellness Centre that to fully deal with my disability I should try medication again. Therefore, they recommended me to a local psychiatrist name Dr. Obrien (see supporting documentation), who immediately took me off Concerta and prescribed me a different medication called Intuniv (2mg), later a psychiatrist in Edmonton prescribed me an anti-depressant called Bupropion (150mg). I noticed the effects right away during the summer, as well as this academic year. Which worked in conjunction with my accommodations that I had received, and resulted in me feeling like for the fist time in my academic career that my grades reflected my knowledge of the course material rather than my ability to sit still during exams. It was like night and day; I could smile, and eat without gagging- It had completely changed my life, which brings me to this appeal. Every day I regret my first year at this school and want beyond anything else to go back with the knowledge I know now and change it. I can¿¿t time travel, however, so looking back at those grades and that time in my life I can't help but feel like it¿¿s holding me back. I am capable of so much more than that now; my brain chemistry does not define me ¿¿ I acknowledge that my ADHD means I may have to do things differently, but now I understand that it¿¿s okay, it does not make me less than a person without ADHD. This appeal will be my rectification of something that is not longer relevant in my life and with it I¿¿m hoping to start a new chapter in which I can be proud of my accomplishments without feeling hopeless because of my first year's mistakes. I hope that after reading this, you get a sense of my sincerity for a second chance. Thanks for your time and consideration,
Matthew Allan.
I am appealing to drop SOCY 112 and attain credit standing in CLST 110, POLS 110, and PSYC 100 for the academic year of 2013/2014 due to extenuating circumstances that had reduced my attendance in Kingston and thus my ability to participate fully in my courses. In conjunction with an untreated, but diagnosed mental disorder that had reduced my ability to participate and remain engaged with the material in these courses.
I should initially state that I was recommended this course of action by both the Student Wellness Center and Academic Counseling in March/April 2016. This appeal will be my the second I have submitted due to their recommendation as seen in my supporting documentation by the Student Wellness Center. The lateness of my appeal past the deadline is on account of my need for supporting documentation that is required for this appeal, as well as a recommendation from the Student Wellness Center to only appeal once I have received accommodations so I may attest to my experience with them vs. without them.
When I came to Queens in September of 2013, I did so with a diagnosis of moderate to severe ADHD, an illness that I underestimated and had hard feelings about since my original diagnosis when I was fourteen. My experience with health care professionals is negative on account of over prescribing medication without monitoring of my mental and physical health. This negative experience resulted in my rejection of the drug Concerta (54mg) on account of its behavioral and mood altering side effects that left me numb to the world around me. I couldn¿¿t laugh or smile; food would feel like glass in my mouth ¿¿ to an extent I would gag whenever I attempted to swallow leaving me severely underweight for my height (120 pounds, for a 5¿¿11 male). Therefore, left to my own devices at Queens in my first year I made the decision to stop taking my medication. I wanted to feel things again, and I thought that I could fight through my ADHD. Initially, I had high hopes in my capacity to cope, until October 2013, when my grandmother made me aware during Thanksgiving of my single mother's depression on account of my leaving, as she resides in Edmonton. She has celiac disease, and to cope with my parting she had withdrawn herself from the celiac diet. This withdrawal left her severely iron deficient to an extent she started receive blood transfusions in November 2013. Once I was made aware of my mother's health, I tried to relieve her of her pain by seeing her every month, resulting in me returning to Edmonton at least once a month from January 2014 through to April 2014. I was present at most three of the four weeks of instruction in the second semester. These absences also resulted in my neglecting of my ADHD as I believed I had more pressing issues at home to deal with, to the extent that I did not apply to receive accommodations for my final exams in which I had four of them, one for each class.
It was these factors cause me to flunk most of my courses and to fail one resulting in academic probation that would have me withdraw from Queens for one year. I had been made aware that I could appeal at that time. However, I was given some excellent advice by the woman that informed me of my need to withdraw. She told me that in her experience if I had not dealt with the issues at home before returning that I may fail out a second time, as she has seen many students make that mistake. Therefore, I took her advice and withdrew for one year. My presence at home resulted in my mother going to therapy and taking on more responsibility at work to compensate for my absence and keep her busy, as well as putting her back on her diet. However, I still had not dealt with my ADHD- until this summer.
This summer I was told by the Student Wellness Centre that to fully deal with my disability I should try medication again. Therefore, they recommended me to a local psychiatrist name Dr. Obrien (see supporting documentation), who immediately took me off Concerta and prescribed me a different medication called Intuniv (2mg), later a psychiatrist in Edmonton prescribed me an anti-depressant called Bupropion (150mg). I noticed the effects right away during the summer, as well as this academic year. Which worked in conjunction with my accommodations that I had received, and resulted in me feeling like for the fist time in my academic career that my grades reflected my knowledge of the course material rather than my ability to sit still during exams. It was like night and day; I could smile, and eat without gagging- It had completely changed my life, which brings me to this appeal. Every day I regret my first year at this school and want beyond anything else to go back with the knowledge I know now and change it. I can¿¿t time travel, however, so looking back at those grades and that time in my life I can't help but feel like it¿¿s holding me back. I am capable of so much more than that now; my brain chemistry does not define me ¿¿ I acknowledge that my ADHD means I may have to do things differently, but now I understand that it¿¿s okay, it does not make me less than a person without ADHD. This appeal will be my rectification of something that is not longer relevant in my life and with it I¿¿m hoping to start a new chapter in which I can be proud of my accomplishments without feeling hopeless because of my first year's mistakes. I hope that after reading this, you get a sense of my sincerity for a second chance. Thanks for your time and consideration,
Matthew Allan.