Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 10679
Submitted: June 13, 2023 at 4:40:16 PM
First Name: Tabitha
Last Name: Onigbinde
Pronoun: she/her
Student Number: 20150684
Email: 18to2@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BscH
Plan: BCHM
Level of Study: 2
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the requirement to withdraw for one year
Amendment to Appeal 10679
Relevant Petition: 10679
Student Number: 20150684
Documentation
Professional Letter: TO Letter of support.pdf
Level 1 Status
Status: DeniedLevel 2
Appeal Type: Level 2
ID: 207
Submitted: July 14, 2023 at 7:56:09 PM
Relevant Petition: 10679
Decision(s) Being Appealed: Waive the requirement to withdraw for one year
Appeal Grounds
Appeals to the Board of Studies must include a letter based on one or more of the Grounds for Appeal (Appeal Regulation 3.4). What are the grounds you are basing your appeal on?
- The Associate Dean's decision did not follow the rules of procedural fairness. A breach of procedural fairness includes such things as the Associate Dean failed to:
- Make a reasonable decision in your appeal. A “reasonable” decision is one that is based on evidence, thought out and supported by facts and logical inferences from the facts. To be reasonable, the decision must contain adequate reasons for the conclusions.
Appeal Grounds Details: Petition for Reconsideration of Appeal Decision
I believe that the Associate Dean’s decision regarding my previous appeal was not reasonable. In the Associate Dean’s letter, it was noted that appeals are only granted where there are significantly extenuating circumstances, which would merit the waving of a particular faculty regulation or decision. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond a student's control in debilitating to their academic performance. I am writing this appeal to provide additional support that these events were beyond my control and were significant in their physical and psychological impacts on me. I must emphasize that I have taken significant time (several months) to reflect, and have accessed a continued support system to enable me to return to my studies. This support system includes a professional therapist who has helped me reflect and form strategies to face adversity. In the documentation attached to this appeal, my therapist confirms support of my immediate return to studies.
I believe that the Associate Dean’s decision regarding my previous appeal was not reasonable. In the Associate Dean’s letter, it was noted that appeals are only granted where there are significantly extenuating circumstances, which would merit the waving of a particular faculty regulation or decision. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond a student's control in debilitating to their academic performance. I am writing this appeal to provide additional support that these events were beyond my control and were significant in their physical and psychological impacts on me. I must emphasize that I have taken significant time (several months) to reflect, and have accessed a continued support system to enable me to return to my studies. This support system includes a professional therapist who has helped me reflect and form strategies to face adversity. In the documentation attached to this appeal, my therapist confirms support of my immediate return to studies.
Appeal Letter
Appeal Letter: Tabitha Onigbinde
20150684
July 12th, 2023
Board of Studies
Queen’s University
Petition for Reconsideration of Appeal Decision
I believe that the Associate Dean’s decision regarding my previous appeal was not reasonable. In the Associate Dean’s letter, it was noted that appeals are only granted where there are significantly extenuating circumstances, which would merit the waving of a particular faculty regulation or decision. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond a student's control in debilitating to their academic performance. I am writing this appeal to provide additional support that these events were beyond my control and were significant in their physical and psychological impacts on me. I must emphasize that I have taken significant time (several months) to reflect, and have accessed a continued support system to enable me to return to my studies. This support system includes a professional therapist who has helped me reflect and form strategies to face adversity. In the documentation attached to this appeal, my therapist confirms support of my immediate return to studies.
I suffered from a series of isolated events that affected me personally and as a result had an impact on my academic performance. I highlighted three of these in my initial appeal. The severity and unpredictability of these events made it difficult to anticipate the need for certain actions (such as dropping before deadlines) within required timelines. I was asked to provide documentation regarding my grandmother’s death, and I asked my parents and family in Nigeria – but legal paperwork as a whole in Nigeria is very difficult to procure.
I also had a difficult time dealing with the grief from my cousin’s death in childbirth at the age of 26 in October. Given the recent death of my grandmother, this compounded my grief. Please understand that again, I had a difficult time procuring any kind of documentation from Nigeria. Given the difficulty of providing documentation for my family members’ recent deaths, I am able to instead ask for notarized statements from my parents. Please let me know if I am able to do so.
To build upon the circumstances I discussed in my initial appeal, various extenuating circumstances affected me, leading to an impact on my academic performance. Thankfully, I have reflected on these circumstances with my therapist and have developed the right coping mechanisms to handle the mental stress, and I’m now in a much better situation. I will provide new information on the circumstances, which included my parents getting trapped in Nigeria due to Covid-19 leaving me by myself in Canada for a full year. I had to take care of myself and relocate to Manitoba to be the one solely responsible for a house and all the bills associated with owning a home. Both my parents lost their jobs and I had to be the sole provider while my parents were stuck outside of the country. In addition, the civil unrest triggered by George Floyd’s death at a time when I was wrestling with my identity as an African who had recently been identifying with Black culture was extremely stressful. The ENDSARS protests in Nigeria was another wave of police brutality that resulted in the deaths of my community members.
On the other hand, my mom did not inform me of breast cancer diagnosis until months after. During all of this, I found out that my mom was unable to access cancer treatment, her cancer spreading to her lungs. She’s now suffering from late-stage aggressive, metastasized cancer. All of this resulted in burnouts and periods of depression, which were not chronic and which I am no longer suffering from. I have worked with my therapist to understand the events in my life, and work with my grief instead of letting it control me.
The requirement to withdraw is intended to provide students an opportunity to reflect and address the factors that may be hindering academic success. I can truly assure you that I have, as my therapist has confirmed, reflected and created the strategies to now succeed, with a strong support system in place. I have reflected on my situation as a whole and have since been taking steps to ensure a successful return to my studies. I am ready to take this opportunity to resume my studies. I humbly request a reconsideration due to the exceptional nature of the challenges I faced.
Should the requirement to withdraw be waived, I have worked with my therapist on a plan to successfully resume my studies, and I have also analyzed my choice of academic program. I have decided to reduce my courseload this Fall and transfer to the regular Biology program, which is much more manageable. My plan also includes working with a personal academic planner at the start of each semester with regular check-ins, who will help keep me on track and within required deadlines. I am fully confident of my abilities to return to my studies with my plan in place. I am also looking forward to engaging strongly with my peers and professors.
I am available and willing to meet with the board to provide any clarification necessary. Thank you for your time and attention to my petition. I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Tabitha Onigbinde
20150684
20150684
July 12th, 2023
Board of Studies
Queen’s University
Petition for Reconsideration of Appeal Decision
I believe that the Associate Dean’s decision regarding my previous appeal was not reasonable. In the Associate Dean’s letter, it was noted that appeals are only granted where there are significantly extenuating circumstances, which would merit the waving of a particular faculty regulation or decision. Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond a student's control in debilitating to their academic performance. I am writing this appeal to provide additional support that these events were beyond my control and were significant in their physical and psychological impacts on me. I must emphasize that I have taken significant time (several months) to reflect, and have accessed a continued support system to enable me to return to my studies. This support system includes a professional therapist who has helped me reflect and form strategies to face adversity. In the documentation attached to this appeal, my therapist confirms support of my immediate return to studies.
I suffered from a series of isolated events that affected me personally and as a result had an impact on my academic performance. I highlighted three of these in my initial appeal. The severity and unpredictability of these events made it difficult to anticipate the need for certain actions (such as dropping before deadlines) within required timelines. I was asked to provide documentation regarding my grandmother’s death, and I asked my parents and family in Nigeria – but legal paperwork as a whole in Nigeria is very difficult to procure.
I also had a difficult time dealing with the grief from my cousin’s death in childbirth at the age of 26 in October. Given the recent death of my grandmother, this compounded my grief. Please understand that again, I had a difficult time procuring any kind of documentation from Nigeria. Given the difficulty of providing documentation for my family members’ recent deaths, I am able to instead ask for notarized statements from my parents. Please let me know if I am able to do so.
To build upon the circumstances I discussed in my initial appeal, various extenuating circumstances affected me, leading to an impact on my academic performance. Thankfully, I have reflected on these circumstances with my therapist and have developed the right coping mechanisms to handle the mental stress, and I’m now in a much better situation. I will provide new information on the circumstances, which included my parents getting trapped in Nigeria due to Covid-19 leaving me by myself in Canada for a full year. I had to take care of myself and relocate to Manitoba to be the one solely responsible for a house and all the bills associated with owning a home. Both my parents lost their jobs and I had to be the sole provider while my parents were stuck outside of the country. In addition, the civil unrest triggered by George Floyd’s death at a time when I was wrestling with my identity as an African who had recently been identifying with Black culture was extremely stressful. The ENDSARS protests in Nigeria was another wave of police brutality that resulted in the deaths of my community members.
On the other hand, my mom did not inform me of breast cancer diagnosis until months after. During all of this, I found out that my mom was unable to access cancer treatment, her cancer spreading to her lungs. She’s now suffering from late-stage aggressive, metastasized cancer. All of this resulted in burnouts and periods of depression, which were not chronic and which I am no longer suffering from. I have worked with my therapist to understand the events in my life, and work with my grief instead of letting it control me.
The requirement to withdraw is intended to provide students an opportunity to reflect and address the factors that may be hindering academic success. I can truly assure you that I have, as my therapist has confirmed, reflected and created the strategies to now succeed, with a strong support system in place. I have reflected on my situation as a whole and have since been taking steps to ensure a successful return to my studies. I am ready to take this opportunity to resume my studies. I humbly request a reconsideration due to the exceptional nature of the challenges I faced.
Should the requirement to withdraw be waived, I have worked with my therapist on a plan to successfully resume my studies, and I have also analyzed my choice of academic program. I have decided to reduce my courseload this Fall and transfer to the regular Biology program, which is much more manageable. My plan also includes working with a personal academic planner at the start of each semester with regular check-ins, who will help keep me on track and within required deadlines. I am fully confident of my abilities to return to my studies with my plan in place. I am also looking forward to engaging strongly with my peers and professors.
I am available and willing to meet with the board to provide any clarification necessary. Thank you for your time and attention to my petition. I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Tabitha Onigbinde
20150684