Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 10588
Submitted: May 29, 2023 at 5:57:20 PM
First Name: John
Last Name: Pillitteri
Pronoun: He/him
Preferred Name: John
Student Number: 20333535
Email: 21jjp13@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BA
Plan: DEVS
Level of Study: 1
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the requirement to withdraw for one year
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Dr. Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Queens University
Kingston, Ontario
May 29, 2023
Dear Dr. Stephenson:
I am petitioning the Faculty??s decision that I must withdraw from Queens University for one year.
This spring I experienced a severe mental health condition that made it impossible for me to focus on my studies. The condition made it difficult for me to read and comprehend the material I was trying to study and made writing exams impossible. It came on suddenly, soon after I completed my work for DEVS 100 in the week before Easter, around April 6, 2023. I was incapacitated by it, and none of my attempts to mitigate my symptoms worked. I contacted my family doctor at home who saw me virtually and then in person once I returned home. I was treated with medication and referred for counseling. The effects and symptoms of my acute mental health event continued for several weeks making it impossible for me to write my exams. With the assistance of my parents, I wrote to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences office for academic considerations and asked to defer my exams. I provided a letter from my doctor and was granted a deferral for my final exams in political science, psychology, and sociology. I am planning to write the exams on August 1, 14, and 31 and have been in contact with my professors to change my grades to ??incomplete? in the meantime.
I think that my academic performance in my second year at Queens (if I am permitted to return) will be much better than in my first year. I am aware that in this type of letter that I am not required to describe my specific conditions, but I do think it will be helpful to provide a few specifics so that my situation can be better understood. In my last year of high school I was diagnosed with ADHD and treated with medication. The medication helped me so much with my success in school that year and certainly helped me achieve the grades I needed to get an offer of admission to Queens. Once I moved into residence and began my university studies I began to struggle with anxiety. My family doctor suggested that I stop taking my medication for ADHD as it can make anxiety worse. I did begin to feel better and continued to study but it was much harder to complete my work and my grades suffered. Then in April I had an acute mental health event and could not work at all. Since then, I have been effectively treated for that condition and am now able to take my ADHD medication again. I have enrolled in a summer course in Indigenous Studies and am finally able to enjoy studying again with a renewed ability to focus and absorb the information. The fact that I am effectively treated now for both conditions makes me confident that I will be much more successful in my second year.
Apart from my health struggles I really enjoy being at Queens University. I am hoping to major in Global Development Studies and particularly look forward to the courses that relate to environmental studies and indigenous studies. I look forward to finding out the role I might play as a Canadian worldwide tackling issues in these subject areas and working towards improving the quality of life for others.
Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely,
John Pillitteri (20333535)
Associate Dean (Studies)
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Queens University
Kingston, Ontario
May 29, 2023
Dear Dr. Stephenson:
I am petitioning the Faculty??s decision that I must withdraw from Queens University for one year.
This spring I experienced a severe mental health condition that made it impossible for me to focus on my studies. The condition made it difficult for me to read and comprehend the material I was trying to study and made writing exams impossible. It came on suddenly, soon after I completed my work for DEVS 100 in the week before Easter, around April 6, 2023. I was incapacitated by it, and none of my attempts to mitigate my symptoms worked. I contacted my family doctor at home who saw me virtually and then in person once I returned home. I was treated with medication and referred for counseling. The effects and symptoms of my acute mental health event continued for several weeks making it impossible for me to write my exams. With the assistance of my parents, I wrote to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences office for academic considerations and asked to defer my exams. I provided a letter from my doctor and was granted a deferral for my final exams in political science, psychology, and sociology. I am planning to write the exams on August 1, 14, and 31 and have been in contact with my professors to change my grades to ??incomplete? in the meantime.
I think that my academic performance in my second year at Queens (if I am permitted to return) will be much better than in my first year. I am aware that in this type of letter that I am not required to describe my specific conditions, but I do think it will be helpful to provide a few specifics so that my situation can be better understood. In my last year of high school I was diagnosed with ADHD and treated with medication. The medication helped me so much with my success in school that year and certainly helped me achieve the grades I needed to get an offer of admission to Queens. Once I moved into residence and began my university studies I began to struggle with anxiety. My family doctor suggested that I stop taking my medication for ADHD as it can make anxiety worse. I did begin to feel better and continued to study but it was much harder to complete my work and my grades suffered. Then in April I had an acute mental health event and could not work at all. Since then, I have been effectively treated for that condition and am now able to take my ADHD medication again. I have enrolled in a summer course in Indigenous Studies and am finally able to enjoy studying again with a renewed ability to focus and absorb the information. The fact that I am effectively treated now for both conditions makes me confident that I will be much more successful in my second year.
Apart from my health struggles I really enjoy being at Queens University. I am hoping to major in Global Development Studies and particularly look forward to the courses that relate to environmental studies and indigenous studies. I look forward to finding out the role I might play as a Canadian worldwide tackling issues in these subject areas and working towards improving the quality of life for others.
Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely,
John Pillitteri (20333535)
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: ACADEMIC PLAN
A. The focus of my studies: To work towards a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Global Development studies. Due to extenuating circumstances related to my health, my exams for three courses are deferred until August 2023. I spoke with an academic advisor today to clarify my options for September. She is contacting a registration person who will let me know what I can register for in the fall and what my degree options are. I am also considering the option of working towards a 3 year generalist Bachelor of Arts.
B. My planned workload: full time study.
C. Strategies for success: I have four areas that I need to focus on.
1. Improving my written work
2. Better absorbing and understanding course content (lectures and readings)
3. Managing my mental health
4. Clarifying career goals and building confidence in myself
Resources, remedies and next steps for the above strategies for success
1. Improving my written work:
?? Writing a detailed outline of my paper and reviewing it with the TA before beginning to write. I did this a couple of times in first year and it helped a lot. For other papers, I didn??t leave enough time for this step and did not do as well.
?? Careful editing. Many of my peers edit each other??s papers as a way of fixing punctuation and improving sentences, etc. I can do this with my roommates and my sister who is in third year and a successful student.
?? Join or form study groups. I haven??t tried this yet but I notice that the good students do it. I think it can help me better understand course material and maybe help a little with stress.
2. Better absorbing and understanding course content:
?? In the fall I applied for and received accommodations from Student Accessibility Services that I need to make better use of this year, specifically Ventus and Glean. I thought I was doing fine without them but in retrospect, they might have really helped. I want to understand what I??m learning better and having better notes and information from lectures will be key.
?? I can also obtain slides and classroom handouts in advance of lectures to prepare. This will help me link some of the readings with what we will be talking about and hopefully improve my ability to learn it.
?? Go to workshops at Student Academic Success Services, especially the ones focused on study skills and time management.
3. Managing my mental health:
?? After the many ups and downs of the school year, with the help of my family doctor and a counselor, my mental health is much improved. I plan to continue my treatment and counseling so that they can continue to help me.
?? Scheduling exercise breaks in between study sessions. I like running and working out at the gym and I find that after exercise I feel refreshed and can focus better on my work. Working within my class schedule, I will study for 3-4 hours, have an exercise break, eat, and then study for another 3-4 hours. I think I will be more productive this way.
?? Get support from friends and family. Sometimes I forget to do this when I??m struggling and I always feel better when I do. I have a great support network
4. Career Counselling:
?? Make an appointment with career counselling services to make sure that DEVS is the right choice for me and learn more about possible careers.
A. The focus of my studies: To work towards a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Global Development studies. Due to extenuating circumstances related to my health, my exams for three courses are deferred until August 2023. I spoke with an academic advisor today to clarify my options for September. She is contacting a registration person who will let me know what I can register for in the fall and what my degree options are. I am also considering the option of working towards a 3 year generalist Bachelor of Arts.
B. My planned workload: full time study.
C. Strategies for success: I have four areas that I need to focus on.
1. Improving my written work
2. Better absorbing and understanding course content (lectures and readings)
3. Managing my mental health
4. Clarifying career goals and building confidence in myself
Resources, remedies and next steps for the above strategies for success
1. Improving my written work:
?? Writing a detailed outline of my paper and reviewing it with the TA before beginning to write. I did this a couple of times in first year and it helped a lot. For other papers, I didn??t leave enough time for this step and did not do as well.
?? Careful editing. Many of my peers edit each other??s papers as a way of fixing punctuation and improving sentences, etc. I can do this with my roommates and my sister who is in third year and a successful student.
?? Join or form study groups. I haven??t tried this yet but I notice that the good students do it. I think it can help me better understand course material and maybe help a little with stress.
2. Better absorbing and understanding course content:
?? In the fall I applied for and received accommodations from Student Accessibility Services that I need to make better use of this year, specifically Ventus and Glean. I thought I was doing fine without them but in retrospect, they might have really helped. I want to understand what I??m learning better and having better notes and information from lectures will be key.
?? I can also obtain slides and classroom handouts in advance of lectures to prepare. This will help me link some of the readings with what we will be talking about and hopefully improve my ability to learn it.
?? Go to workshops at Student Academic Success Services, especially the ones focused on study skills and time management.
3. Managing my mental health:
?? After the many ups and downs of the school year, with the help of my family doctor and a counselor, my mental health is much improved. I plan to continue my treatment and counseling so that they can continue to help me.
?? Scheduling exercise breaks in between study sessions. I like running and working out at the gym and I find that after exercise I feel refreshed and can focus better on my work. Working within my class schedule, I will study for 3-4 hours, have an exercise break, eat, and then study for another 3-4 hours. I think I will be more productive this way.
?? Get support from friends and family. Sometimes I forget to do this when I??m struggling and I always feel better when I do. I have a great support network
4. Career Counselling:
?? Make an appointment with career counselling services to make sure that DEVS is the right choice for me and learn more about possible careers.
Documentation
Professional Letter: doctorbertiletterJohnPillitteri.pdf
Document: doctorbertiletterJohnPillitteri-0.pdf
Documentation Detail: my doctor letter would not attach in the supporting documentation area so I have attached it here
History
Originally submitted May 29, 2023 at 5:57:20 PM.
| Field | Reference | Old Value | New Value | Note | User | Date/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| status | N/A | Received | Incomplete | Kerri Andrews | 2023-05-29 6:04:54 PM | |
| status | N/A | Incomplete | Withdrawn | Kerri Andrews | 2023-06-01 2:05:26 PM |