Petition Letter
Dear Associate Dean of Arts and Science,
I am writing to you to appeal the Faculty¿¿s decision that I must withdraw from Queen¿¿s
University for a minimum of one year. I would like to premise this appeal by apologizing for the
appearance of unprofessionalism and insinuating that I do not take my academic career at this
institution seriously, because this is not the case. I have struggled with both the adjustment
process of university as well with mental health and personal issues through first year. Both my
anxiety and depression due to unforeseen circumstances made it difficult for me to get out of bed
and therefore affected my attendance and had contributed to my rather unsuccessful academic
year.
This academic year there had been extenuating circumstances that stunted my academic
success as well negatively affected my mental and physical health. At the end of November I had
become a victim of domestic and sexual abuse. The incident occurred in the place I felt most
comfortable at Queens, which was my dorm room on campus (my home for the year). The
incident had taken a toll on my physical emotional and mental being, as it had involved a partner
that I had pre-existing and established romantic and intimate relationship with.
The specifics of the incident are listen as they had occurred, below: (The abuser is being
referred to as my partner)
- My partner had come over to watch a basketball game and order some pizza one night at the
end of November.
- As the night had proceeded the two of us were joking around and my partner had started to
cross the line.
- He had thrown out my belongings including (cash, school notes, textbooks and designer bag)
from my window.
- When I told him to stop repeatedly he started using his force with me, although he was just
¿¿play fighting¿ he had left bruises on my arms and legs from the force and would not stop
when I asked him to.
- He then proceeded to shove me in my closet of my dorm room. This caused me to have a
panic attack as I was trapped in a small crowded space and was unable to get out. I start to
hyperventilate and am balling my eyes out trying to push the closet door open.
- When I got out my partner gets ahold of me and as I was yelling no and stop, I trip over him
and hit my head on my metal bed frame.
- I hit the floor and I lay there delirious, I am unable to stop crying and am in a not fully
conscious state after hitting my head.
- My partner refuses to leave my room after I ask him repeatedly to and the fear that he would
purposefully do something to hurt me as he was much stronger and larger than I was made me
fearful to call anyone for help in the moment.
- My partner at the time had taken this to his advantage and had taken the opportunity to engage
in sexual intercourse with me (for the second time that night) without being fully consenting/
aware and terrified to anger him. He had decidedly not used any type of contraception even
though i repeatedly asked him to do so.
- He left in the morning and I went to the pharmacy in a hurry to purchase emergency
contraceptive.
This incident left me feeling vulnerable, ashamed and confused. Part of me did not want
to talk about the situation at all, and the other part of me needed to confide in someone. Not
knowing who to go to, and to scared to tell a parent or authority figure I spiraled into a deep
depression and had social anxiety. I had stopped eating regularly (surviving mainly on caffeine),
started to sleep through the days and would stay awake anxious through the night, this schedule
made completing school work and attending lecture difficult, while attending tutorials (where i
needed to speak among a group, with everyone looking at me, very difficult). I had tried to reach
out to my TA¿¿s about my inability to attend tutorial due to my depression and anxiety, but found
that I was given the same answer, a link to the Queens hospitality and resources hotline. A line i
was ashamed of using and, when I had attempted to make appointments with a councilor there
was never any availability, making me put this on the back burner.
Although it is hard to ever fully recover from domestic and sexual
I am writing to you to appeal the Faculty¿¿s decision that I must withdraw from Queen¿¿s
University for a minimum of one year. I would like to premise this appeal by apologizing for the
appearance of unprofessionalism and insinuating that I do not take my academic career at this
institution seriously, because this is not the case. I have struggled with both the adjustment
process of university as well with mental health and personal issues through first year. Both my
anxiety and depression due to unforeseen circumstances made it difficult for me to get out of bed
and therefore affected my attendance and had contributed to my rather unsuccessful academic
year.
This academic year there had been extenuating circumstances that stunted my academic
success as well negatively affected my mental and physical health. At the end of November I had
become a victim of domestic and sexual abuse. The incident occurred in the place I felt most
comfortable at Queens, which was my dorm room on campus (my home for the year). The
incident had taken a toll on my physical emotional and mental being, as it had involved a partner
that I had pre-existing and established romantic and intimate relationship with.
The specifics of the incident are listen as they had occurred, below: (The abuser is being
referred to as my partner)
- My partner had come over to watch a basketball game and order some pizza one night at the
end of November.
- As the night had proceeded the two of us were joking around and my partner had started to
cross the line.
- He had thrown out my belongings including (cash, school notes, textbooks and designer bag)
from my window.
- When I told him to stop repeatedly he started using his force with me, although he was just
¿¿play fighting¿ he had left bruises on my arms and legs from the force and would not stop
when I asked him to.
- He then proceeded to shove me in my closet of my dorm room. This caused me to have a
panic attack as I was trapped in a small crowded space and was unable to get out. I start to
hyperventilate and am balling my eyes out trying to push the closet door open.
- When I got out my partner gets ahold of me and as I was yelling no and stop, I trip over him
and hit my head on my metal bed frame.
- I hit the floor and I lay there delirious, I am unable to stop crying and am in a not fully
conscious state after hitting my head.
- My partner refuses to leave my room after I ask him repeatedly to and the fear that he would
purposefully do something to hurt me as he was much stronger and larger than I was made me
fearful to call anyone for help in the moment.
- My partner at the time had taken this to his advantage and had taken the opportunity to engage
in sexual intercourse with me (for the second time that night) without being fully consenting/
aware and terrified to anger him. He had decidedly not used any type of contraception even
though i repeatedly asked him to do so.
- He left in the morning and I went to the pharmacy in a hurry to purchase emergency
contraceptive.
This incident left me feeling vulnerable, ashamed and confused. Part of me did not want
to talk about the situation at all, and the other part of me needed to confide in someone. Not
knowing who to go to, and to scared to tell a parent or authority figure I spiraled into a deep
depression and had social anxiety. I had stopped eating regularly (surviving mainly on caffeine),
started to sleep through the days and would stay awake anxious through the night, this schedule
made completing school work and attending lecture difficult, while attending tutorials (where i
needed to speak among a group, with everyone looking at me, very difficult). I had tried to reach
out to my TA¿¿s about my inability to attend tutorial due to my depression and anxiety, but found
that I was given the same answer, a link to the Queens hospitality and resources hotline. A line i
was ashamed of using and, when I had attempted to make appointments with a councilor there
was never any availability, making me put this on the back burner.
Although it is hard to ever fully recover from domestic and sexual