Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 11348
Submitted: December 31, 2023 at 11:48:11 PM
First Name: YAO
Last Name: SUN
Pronoun: She/her
Student Number: 20356433
Email: 21ys123@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: UNDECLEARED
Level of Study: 2
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Code: MATH 121
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2022
Petition Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: Ping Li
Code: STAT 263
Term: Fall
Year: 2022
Petition Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: Charles Molson
Code: ECON 112
Term: Winter
Year: 2023
Petition Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: Ugurhan Berkok
Code: DEVS 101
Term: Summer
Year: 2023
Petition Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: Marcus Taylor
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: I am petitioning for credit standing of STAT 263 (Fall 2022), MATH 121 (Fall 2022&Winter 2023), ECON 112 (Winter 2023) and DEVS 101 (Summer 2023).
Firstly, because of the visa delay, I started studying on campus at the end of October for the 2022 Fall term. Although I contacted an academic advisor in time to transfer some of my courses online before the start of the semester, it was challenging for me to complete my studies in an unfamiliar environment where I had just entered my first year of study. Later that year, I developed depression and anxiety.
Starting from December 2022, I began to have some symptoms related to depression. It became difficult for me to communicate with others, and I often think of the past, which made me feel sad, guilty and unsuccessful. Yet, at the time, I thought that these symptoms were caused by the upcoming final exams and that they were only temporary. However, the situation did not get any better in Winter 2023. It became more serious starting from January, I developed severe anxiety symptoms such as sudden increase in heart rate, tightness in the chest area that led to trouble breathing, trembling hands, and nausea. In such circumstances, I was unable to do a big amount of calculations and it became difficult for me to understand new theories and concepts. I was always worried about the quality of my work, for which reason it had taken me longer to complete various tasks. Thus, I dropped PSYC100 and started visiting a counsellor in March, and I was referred to a psychiatrist in April. I then registered at QSAS in the end of April, but since it was the end of the semester, the accommodations only start from Summer term.
Starting from May, things gradually got better with the help of the psychiatrist and the medication. However, from the end of July, my anxiety worsened, and the medication could not control my condition anymore. Because of my inability to concentrate, I missed several important deadlines. Even though I had requested additional extensions from my professors, doing abundant reading to understand and analyze different concepts was still challenging for me. Moreover, explaining my personal situation to my professors and requesting extra extensions also made me feel stressed and guilty. Due to my mental condition, I was not able to complete all the assignments on time. A medication adjustment was made in August and the circumstances got better in September.
In the future, I will be continuing my meetings with psychiatrists and occupation therapist to help me control the influence of my mental condition on my studies. In fact, in the present 2023 Fall term, I was able to maintain a grade of B and higher in all my classes. The help I received from the occupation therapist made it easier for me to manage my time and to balance my coursework. We developed a plan that I was able to follow even when I’m feeling stressed. Besides, the lighter course load in the 2023 Fall term has been beneficial for my grades. Therefore, I will continue to take 3 or 4 classes per semester to reduce my academic stress.
Other questions that helps for explain:
Why not the other courses in Fall 2022 & Winter2023?
Because PSYC 100 was dropped in February, and the other courses in Winter 2023 (GEOL 106 & GPHY 102) did not require big amounts of calculations and understanding new concepts and theories.
Why only course DEVS101 in Summer 2023?
Since my anxiety only became severe from the end of July, ARTH202 was unaffected, because it ended in mid-June.
Why was my professional document not given by psychiatrist?
Because my appointment with the psychiatrist was on the last day of the semester, but the doctor canceled the appointment that morning due to personal reasons. However, since the deadline for applying credit standing is one year after the end of the program, I absolutely needed the document. Consequently, I sought help to complete the document, and the social worker at Student Wellness completed this professional document based on my consultation record, the retained doctor notes and my narrative.
Firstly, because of the visa delay, I started studying on campus at the end of October for the 2022 Fall term. Although I contacted an academic advisor in time to transfer some of my courses online before the start of the semester, it was challenging for me to complete my studies in an unfamiliar environment where I had just entered my first year of study. Later that year, I developed depression and anxiety.
Starting from December 2022, I began to have some symptoms related to depression. It became difficult for me to communicate with others, and I often think of the past, which made me feel sad, guilty and unsuccessful. Yet, at the time, I thought that these symptoms were caused by the upcoming final exams and that they were only temporary. However, the situation did not get any better in Winter 2023. It became more serious starting from January, I developed severe anxiety symptoms such as sudden increase in heart rate, tightness in the chest area that led to trouble breathing, trembling hands, and nausea. In such circumstances, I was unable to do a big amount of calculations and it became difficult for me to understand new theories and concepts. I was always worried about the quality of my work, for which reason it had taken me longer to complete various tasks. Thus, I dropped PSYC100 and started visiting a counsellor in March, and I was referred to a psychiatrist in April. I then registered at QSAS in the end of April, but since it was the end of the semester, the accommodations only start from Summer term.
Starting from May, things gradually got better with the help of the psychiatrist and the medication. However, from the end of July, my anxiety worsened, and the medication could not control my condition anymore. Because of my inability to concentrate, I missed several important deadlines. Even though I had requested additional extensions from my professors, doing abundant reading to understand and analyze different concepts was still challenging for me. Moreover, explaining my personal situation to my professors and requesting extra extensions also made me feel stressed and guilty. Due to my mental condition, I was not able to complete all the assignments on time. A medication adjustment was made in August and the circumstances got better in September.
In the future, I will be continuing my meetings with psychiatrists and occupation therapist to help me control the influence of my mental condition on my studies. In fact, in the present 2023 Fall term, I was able to maintain a grade of B and higher in all my classes. The help I received from the occupation therapist made it easier for me to manage my time and to balance my coursework. We developed a plan that I was able to follow even when I’m feeling stressed. Besides, the lighter course load in the 2023 Fall term has been beneficial for my grades. Therefore, I will continue to take 3 or 4 classes per semester to reduce my academic stress.
Other questions that helps for explain:
Why not the other courses in Fall 2022 & Winter2023?
Because PSYC 100 was dropped in February, and the other courses in Winter 2023 (GEOL 106 & GPHY 102) did not require big amounts of calculations and understanding new concepts and theories.
Why only course DEVS101 in Summer 2023?
Since my anxiety only became severe from the end of July, ARTH202 was unaffected, because it ended in mid-June.
Why was my professional document not given by psychiatrist?
Because my appointment with the psychiatrist was on the last day of the semester, but the doctor canceled the appointment that morning due to personal reasons. However, since the deadline for applying credit standing is one year after the end of the program, I absolutely needed the document. Consequently, I sought help to complete the document, and the social worker at Student Wellness completed this professional document based on my consultation record, the retained doctor notes and my narrative.
Documentation
Professional Letter: YS - SWS Appeal Form-0.pdf
Document: YS-Summer circumstance document.pdf
Decision Letters
Level 1 Status
Status: Granted with ConditionsLevel 2
Appeal Type: Level 2
ID: 263
Submitted: February 3, 2024 at 12:08:24 AM
Relevant Petition: 11348
Decision(s) Being Appealed: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses: MATH 121, Fall/Winter 2022 (Ping Li)
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: I am appealing the Associate Dean’s decision to deny my appeal of Credit Standing for Course MATH121(22F/23W) on the grounds that, while the Associate Dean’s decision followed the university rules and regulations, it was not “thought out and supported by facts and logical inferences from the facts”. The Associate Dean should have informed me that “your low grades in MATH121 did not correlate with the academic impacts of your extenuating circumstance as confirmed with in the documentation you supplied” and requested for a qualified documentation before given the decision, especially considering that I have already mentioned the unexpected circumstance regarding that the acquisition of my professional document was beyond my control in the First Level Appeal Letter.
Appeal Letter
Appeal Letter: Dear Members of the Board of Studies and Associate Dean,
The circumstances of my initial appeal involved a sudden cancellation of the appointment by my psychiatrist on December 21st, the last day of Fall term. The cancellation email which I received at 8am on the day of appointment is provided as document to prove the situation is out of my control. This prompted me to seek assistance from a social worker at Student Wellness to get the documentation for First level Appeal in order to meet the deadline (December 31st). The social worker, whom I had never met before, provided documentation based on my past visits at Student Wellness. However, due to her unfamiliarity with me, the documentation lacks details and information regarding the impacts of my depression and anxiety on my Math121 course and my performance on exams.
In my Second Level Appeal, I aim to provide new and relevant documentation addressing the specific circumstances that influenced my MATH121 course and exams performance. However, since the time constraint to submit the Second Level Appeal is only 10 business days, and considering the availability of my mental health professional, I kindly request your understanding in waiting until February 10th for the submission of all the updated and comprehensive documentations. The earliest availability of my psychiatrist is on February 8th.
Initially, the final exams of Fall 2022(including MATH121) were usually taken in gyms or halls that held about 200-300 people, and the exposure to crowded places intensified my anxiety disorder. These exams took place before I registered and receiving support with QSAS, which allowed me to take exam in a smaller room.
In addition to my usual symptoms of depression and anxiety, such as difficulty in concentrating, memorizing, and comprehension, the increase of anxiety and depression caused me to exhibit physical symptoms of trembling on right hand and eating disorders, such as vomiting during exam period and near assignment deadlines. At the end of April 2023, I was referred to psychiatrist and there wasn't any effective way to relieve my symptoms before that.
As stated in the previous appeal letter, my situation has stabilized in September 2023. I started seeing an occupational therapist with a focus on time management, academic organization. I reduced my course load and learned useful skills in allocating works into staggered time periods to reduce the stress of approaching deadlines and exams. I will continue to meet with my psychiatrist and occupational therapist in Student Wellness, maintain the course load of 3-4 courses per semester and participate social activities to help maintain a positive state of mind.
I kindly request your patience and withhold the decision on my Second Level Appeal until I submit new supporting documents from my psychiatrist after February 8th. I also kindly request your understanding regarding the problem of my initial document in the First Level Appeal.
The circumstances of my initial appeal involved a sudden cancellation of the appointment by my psychiatrist on December 21st, the last day of Fall term. The cancellation email which I received at 8am on the day of appointment is provided as document to prove the situation is out of my control. This prompted me to seek assistance from a social worker at Student Wellness to get the documentation for First level Appeal in order to meet the deadline (December 31st). The social worker, whom I had never met before, provided documentation based on my past visits at Student Wellness. However, due to her unfamiliarity with me, the documentation lacks details and information regarding the impacts of my depression and anxiety on my Math121 course and my performance on exams.
In my Second Level Appeal, I aim to provide new and relevant documentation addressing the specific circumstances that influenced my MATH121 course and exams performance. However, since the time constraint to submit the Second Level Appeal is only 10 business days, and considering the availability of my mental health professional, I kindly request your understanding in waiting until February 10th for the submission of all the updated and comprehensive documentations. The earliest availability of my psychiatrist is on February 8th.
Initially, the final exams of Fall 2022(including MATH121) were usually taken in gyms or halls that held about 200-300 people, and the exposure to crowded places intensified my anxiety disorder. These exams took place before I registered and receiving support with QSAS, which allowed me to take exam in a smaller room.
In addition to my usual symptoms of depression and anxiety, such as difficulty in concentrating, memorizing, and comprehension, the increase of anxiety and depression caused me to exhibit physical symptoms of trembling on right hand and eating disorders, such as vomiting during exam period and near assignment deadlines. At the end of April 2023, I was referred to psychiatrist and there wasn't any effective way to relieve my symptoms before that.
As stated in the previous appeal letter, my situation has stabilized in September 2023. I started seeing an occupational therapist with a focus on time management, academic organization. I reduced my course load and learned useful skills in allocating works into staggered time periods to reduce the stress of approaching deadlines and exams. I will continue to meet with my psychiatrist and occupational therapist in Student Wellness, maintain the course load of 3-4 courses per semester and participate social activities to help maintain a positive state of mind.
I kindly request your patience and withhold the decision on my Second Level Appeal until I submit new supporting documents from my psychiatrist after February 8th. I also kindly request your understanding regarding the problem of my initial document in the First Level Appeal.
Documentation
Document: Email screenshot.pdf
I plan to submit additional documentation at a later date: I plan to submit additional documentation on February 10th, due to limited availability with my psychiatrist. And I kindly request your patience to withhold the decision on my Second Level Appeal until I submit new supporting documents.
Level 2 Amendment
Appeal Type: Level 2 Amendment
ID: 264
Submitted: February 13, 2024 at 3:01:37 PM
Relevant Petition: 11348
New Information: Please only review the revised appeal letter submitted as Word document on today February 13th. Thank you for your understanding and patience in waiting those document.
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.
Documentation
Document: SWS Visit List-QSAS Confirm Email.pdf
History
Originally submitted December 31, 2023 at 11:48:11 PM.
| Field | Reference | Old Value | New Value | Note | User | Date/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| status | N/A | Received | Incomplete | Kerri Andrews | 2024-01-09 1:43:14 PM | |
| status | N/A | Incomplete | Granted with Conditions | Kerri Andrews | 2024-01-22 2:36:33 PM | |
| associate_dean | N/A | Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D. | Kerri Andrews | 2024-01-22 2:36:33 PM | ||
| decision_letter | N/A | N/A | Decision letter sent | Kerri Andrews | 2024-01-22 2:36:56 PM | |
| new_appeal_level_2 | N/A | Level 2 | Level 2 Appeal ID: 263 | 21ys123 | 2024-02-03 12:08:24 AM | |
| new_appeal_level_2 | N/A | Level 2 Amendment | Level 2 Appeal ID: 264 | 21ys123 | 2024-02-13 3:01:37 PM | |
| status | N/A | Received | ADA Amended Decision | now documentation was sufficient to grant a CR in MATH 121 | Libby Hearn | 2024-02-15 9:40:17 AM |