Petition Letter
Dear Dr. Johanne Bénard,
My name is Connor Luksys and I am writing to you in order to appeal to have the 21 day academic appeal deadline waived on the grounds of an ongoing extenuating circumstance. I wish to do this so that I may make a subsequent appeal to have failed courses dropped after the deadline.
The extenuating circumstance that prevented me from writing to you until now was a severe psychological challenge related to stress and anxiety. This circumstance became especially debilitating amidst my first year at Queen¿¿s University until the present, although I will focus on the timeline between when the courses which I hope to appeal to have dropped finished to the time of this appeal being initiated to concisely explain why I was unable to make an appeal until now. This timeline follows the failure of 4 of the 5 courses that I was enrolled in within my first year of post-secondary education during which time I was suffering from untreated mental health issues. After the final results of those courses, my inability to cope with the fact that I was having issues related to mental health continued in preventing me from effectively dealing with those issues. I continued on with an inability to share the problems I was having with any other people because of my fear of admittance, which only added stress. I had even made the misguided decision to enrol in an online course taking place during the summer before seeking any sort of counselling or external help for mental health whilst still being unfit to cope without such support. After also failing my online course I received my requirement to withdrawal for 1 year which I also could not appeal because of my fear and repression. I found even mundane living difficult and continued in this way for several months. During this time I became open about my situation only to the point of admitting that I was not going to be attending university until next Fall as an explanation forced from circumstance. This small admittance began the process of seeking out support for my mental health as I also finally became able to tell a close personal friend of mine about a significant event early in my life which relates to mental health and greatly contributed to my psychological stress. Through this friend¿¿s insistence and support, I came into contact with my counsellor whom I eventually became comfortable enough with to tell of several other events in my life which cause me psychological stress. Becoming more open about my general situation and recognizing that the way in which I was attempting to deal with the circumstance is what has allowed me to finally contact you and make this appeal.
Should this appeal to waive the deadline be granted, I plan to follow with a second appeal to have courses dropped on the grounds of extenuating circumstance wherein I will give a more detailed academic plan pertaining to specific courses. As of now, I have submitted my return to studies form and will be returning to enrolment at Queen¿¿s in the Fall of 2015. I plan to succeed in these courses through personal determination and the accommodation of my ongoing extenuating circumstance by maintaining regular meetings with my personal counsellor. These meetings will help me succeed in future studies by helping to support my mental health which in turn will prevent me from being debilitated in such a way where I am not able to participate in my education, as was the case during my first year and since then. I am now dedicated to my treatment and maintaining a mindset that will not cause a repeat of circumstance.
Thank you for your consideration and your understanding,
Connor Luksys
My name is Connor Luksys and I am writing to you in order to appeal to have the 21 day academic appeal deadline waived on the grounds of an ongoing extenuating circumstance. I wish to do this so that I may make a subsequent appeal to have failed courses dropped after the deadline.
The extenuating circumstance that prevented me from writing to you until now was a severe psychological challenge related to stress and anxiety. This circumstance became especially debilitating amidst my first year at Queen¿¿s University until the present, although I will focus on the timeline between when the courses which I hope to appeal to have dropped finished to the time of this appeal being initiated to concisely explain why I was unable to make an appeal until now. This timeline follows the failure of 4 of the 5 courses that I was enrolled in within my first year of post-secondary education during which time I was suffering from untreated mental health issues. After the final results of those courses, my inability to cope with the fact that I was having issues related to mental health continued in preventing me from effectively dealing with those issues. I continued on with an inability to share the problems I was having with any other people because of my fear of admittance, which only added stress. I had even made the misguided decision to enrol in an online course taking place during the summer before seeking any sort of counselling or external help for mental health whilst still being unfit to cope without such support. After also failing my online course I received my requirement to withdrawal for 1 year which I also could not appeal because of my fear and repression. I found even mundane living difficult and continued in this way for several months. During this time I became open about my situation only to the point of admitting that I was not going to be attending university until next Fall as an explanation forced from circumstance. This small admittance began the process of seeking out support for my mental health as I also finally became able to tell a close personal friend of mine about a significant event early in my life which relates to mental health and greatly contributed to my psychological stress. Through this friend¿¿s insistence and support, I came into contact with my counsellor whom I eventually became comfortable enough with to tell of several other events in my life which cause me psychological stress. Becoming more open about my general situation and recognizing that the way in which I was attempting to deal with the circumstance is what has allowed me to finally contact you and make this appeal.
Should this appeal to waive the deadline be granted, I plan to follow with a second appeal to have courses dropped on the grounds of extenuating circumstance wherein I will give a more detailed academic plan pertaining to specific courses. As of now, I have submitted my return to studies form and will be returning to enrolment at Queen¿¿s in the Fall of 2015. I plan to succeed in these courses through personal determination and the accommodation of my ongoing extenuating circumstance by maintaining regular meetings with my personal counsellor. These meetings will help me succeed in future studies by helping to support my mental health which in turn will prevent me from being debilitated in such a way where I am not able to participate in my education, as was the case during my first year and since then. I am now dedicated to my treatment and maintaining a mindset that will not cause a repeat of circumstance.
Thank you for your consideration and your understanding,
Connor Luksys