Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Stephenson,

Further to the letter I received dated May 23, 2023, I am petitioning to waive the
requirement to withdraw for a year due to extenuating circumstances. When I received the letter to withdraw, I was in the process of petitioning to drop SOCY 122 (fall/winter 2023) and CLST 203 (winter 2023) therefore within this letter, I am petitioning to do both (i.e., waive the requirement to withdraw for one year and drop the above mentioned courses). I feel as though it is important and in the spirit of transparency to note that I have previously petitioned to drop a course from this semester for the same reasoning that I present below which was accepted on April 20, 2023. I do not ask this lightly, I sincerely appreciate that these are big asks but feel that it is in my best interest to continue with my studies so as not to lose momentum on the progress (mental well being/academics) achieved to date.

I take ownership and responsibility for where I am at today though I do not feel that what I look like “on paper” is indicative of my academic potential and what I am truly capable of. Prior to university, I had never experienced the sort of challenges that I have over the last two years. I was an honors student in high school, played 3 competitive rep sports (hockey, lacrosse and soccer) and had a part-time job. I never had to ask for help. Having said that, that is no longer the case and I now understand that doing so is not a sign of failure or weakness. This is important to note as I explain my future plan to be successful.

My first year in university was an eye opener and my second year even more so. I may not have achieved academic success as I expected to but I am committed to achieving my goals in line with the six fundamental values of academic integrity - honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

Explanation of Extenuating Circumstances

From January 20th to approximately February 8th, I dealt with streptococcal pharyngitis. I first began experiencing mild throat pain around the 20th of January and tried to alleviate this with plenty of warm liquids, lozenges and salt water rinses. Unfortunately, my attempts were unsuccessful and my symptoms only worsened. During this time, I was in a tremendous amount of pain, my lymph nodes were visibly swollen and irritated, making it difficult to swallow and at times talk. In addition to my throat pain I also had a fever. After failed attempts to ease my symptoms, on January 24th, I contacted a nurse practitioner through Dialogue (virtual healthcare service). I was prescribed a course of antibiotics and picked them up on January 25th. I took them for 10 days. The nurse suggested that I stay home in order to get plenty of rest and heal as quickly as possible. The side effects I experienced from the antibiotics (nausea and diarrhea) also made attending class and doing work very challenging. My symptoms continued to persist after the full antibiotic treatment but eventually subsided the following week. In retrospect, I should have sought further medical attention after the antibiotic treatment was unsuccessful though I felt I could not spare the time and effort to do so as I needed to focus on how to get back on track with school. Once I felt well enough to do school work, I found myself trying to make a plan and grasp exactly what I had missed. I knew that an assignment in SOCY 122 was due on January 20th and that the first assignment of CLST 203 was due soon after on January 31st. I tried to sort through all of the work I needed to complete but it constantly felt as though I was always behind. When one assignment was late, so was the next. It felt like everything was falling apart which made me incredibly anxious and frustrated. I was especially upset with SOCY 122 as I had done very well in the first semester (A+ mid year grade) before getting sick. In 2nd semester, despite challenges, I believe I was successful in GNDS 215 for a few reasons. The first assignment was a group project and because other people were relying on me to do a portion of work it became a priority as it would have been unfair to allow my problems to affect their academics. The class also had weekly tutorials which helped me organize what was required of me in the class during every week. Lastly, my tutorial leader was incredibly understanding, responsive and helpful in the catching up process which helped relieve a lot of my worries and anxiety related to the course.

The angst and worry related to my studies exacerbated the consequences of being sick. I was in a constant state of worry which led to a depressive spiral around this time, making it impossible to make any meaningful progress related to my studies. On a number of occasions, I accessed academic advising to discuss options:

On February 7th, I had a meeting with an academic advisor to discuss my situation and receive guidance as I knew I was falling behind. We discussed dropping courses; however, I was hopeful that I could catch up. I met with my therapist on February 2nd and 15th to gain some additional support and direction.

On March 22, I had another meeting with an academic advisor who suggested I petition to drop one or more of my course(s). I subsequently submitted a petition to drop Phil 204 which was accepted on April 20. They also suggested reaching out to QSAS to create an accommodation plan for my future at Queen’s (as it was too late for this semester). I continued to try and catch up with my remaining 3 courses and balance my mental health. For SOCY 122 and CSLT 203, I was optimistic that I could pass these courses and didn’t want to forgo the hard work I had already put in. Looking back, that was unrealistic.

On April 24, I reached out by email to academic advising to discuss a potential plan of action post exams. On April 28, I had an appointment with an academic advisor who recommended petitioning to late drop CLST 203 and SOCY 122. Within this appointment we also discussed that I may have to petition the requirement to withdraw.

In reviewing the above, I recognize that it appears that I had ample opportunity to take advantage of various options to avoid the situation I am now in. However, I was overwhelmed with trying to catch up and prepare for exams and dealing with anxiety and depression (please refer to the attached letter from my therapist) which made it difficult to take action suggested by the academic advisors. I was not in the correct mindframe to be able to focus, look at my situation objectively or make thoughtful decisions. It was almost like I was in a state of paralysis and everything was hard. I was earnest in my desire and hope to catch up and successfully complete coursework and achieve a positive result in the remaining courses but perhaps naive and unrealistic. I overestimated my situation and combined with my mental health challenges, could not get back on track.

Future Plan

Though I can’t turn back time (I sincerely wish I could), I can take everything I’ve learned and make a realistic plan for the future. In regards to waiving the requirement to withdraw for a year, my living situation this past year was painful, it caused a great deal of anxiety and stress. For the upcoming year, I have made the necessary changes (new roommates and new housing) in order to create a better environment for myself to alleviate additional stressors.

In addition, as I mentioned in my past petition, my therapist recommended anxiety medication which would address both my anxiety and depression. I have now met with my family doctor and we are in the process of exploring medication that would be best suited for me. I feel as though this choice will greatly benefit me, my academic career as a student at Queen's University and my life in general. I am also seeing my therapist more regularly (weekly) and will continue to do so with a focus on breaking down school related stress and anxiety, as well as figuring out how to realistically navigate challenges.

I also mentioned that I had applied for QSAS accommodation. I have since met with a QSAS advisor and have set up accommodations and a support system which I feel will be immensely helpful. I will also explore a peer mentor relationship for additional support.

If permitted to continue my studies, I plan on taking a lighter (part-time) course load in order to focus on raising my GPA and ensure that I can manage my studies regardless of any challenges that I may encounter.

Though I hope not to need to, I will be more proactive in my decisions to drop a course. For my following years at Queen's University, I will carefully consider my progress in each course prior to week 8.

I am determined to become a successful student at Queen’s. I feel hopeful and confident that the changes and support I will have going into my next year will help me achieve my goals and academic success. As I mentioned previously, I take full responsibility and acknowledge that I had a rough year but more than anything, I truly wish to continue my studies come September.

Thank you for your time and consideration, I sincerely appreciate it.

Kelly Rollo