Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Academic)

I am petitioning to have my transcript altered retroactively, in response to the discrimination and other issues I have faced at Queens.

I began at Queen in September of 2020 in a BMUS degree in conjunction with Education, during the heart of online learning. At-home education was a learning curve, but I was determined and adaptable enough to take on that challenge. As a student with a permanent disability, I reached out to the Accommodations Office for academic assistance, to find out I couldn’t get an appointment with anyone until October. I was already falling behind, but wasn’t panicking because Queens had a reputation for being accommodating. I thought with help, I could catch up with no issues. Just after my first reading week, I sent my accommodations to Professors. Around this time, I was struggling heavily with a required course (MUSC 191) and was told I was too far behind and that I needed to drop the course and try again the next year. I did drop that course, but was not informed how that course content affected the understanding of other courses and began really failing other courses by January.

During this time, I had been reaching out to my accommodation advisor, but was not getting a response. It was not until May of 2021 that I found out my first advisor no longer worked for Queens and was told I was assigned to someone new. This was not communicated to me by accommodations but by an angry Professor who was trying to explain my own accommodations to me. He followed up with the advisor who also attempted to explain them to me. This was highly unprofessional. I had to drop the course after a round of unsuccessful communications.

At the beginning of second year I had a fresh start, and intended to make this year my best. I had reached out to the new professor of the course I dropped in November 2020, and we came up with a plan to help me finish with good grades. Around the same time (November) I began failing assignments again, despite doing very well on the previous assignments. We pinpointed the problem (which was an undiagnosed learning Disability) and I reached back out to accommodations to see what could be done. Despite my clear instruction that my professor and advisor not meet without me, they did and couldn’t find any solutions (which I had many suggestions for). This cost me my entire degree path ad a BMus student, and do to the effect on this had on my mental health, my grades slipped below what is acceptable.

I did everything in my arsenal to ensure I had a chance as success in academia. I switched Program paths more times then i can count, and dropped Con-ed. I also began taking medication, despite my decade long refusal to do so for personal reasons. Queens however, didn’t do their do-diligence to correct their mistakes. In fact, the university made it worse by telling me I needed to take a year off. I felt it was wrong, so I wrote a petition much like this. I was denied on a lack of evidence. I appealed that, and they turned it around, placing me on a one year academic probation period- which I felt was still unfair, but allowed me to continue to my 4th year.

I have finished my 4th year and these issues are still affecting my learning as they remain unresolved (even this letter fails cover everything that has happened). I have been relying on professors and the music advisor to help me, as the Accommodations Office has proved unreliable. I have had 4 different advisors in my 4 years of University. This disorganization, lack of empathy and discriminatory behaviour from this institution has lead me to question my belonging in academia, which is unfair. I do hope these mistakes will be corrected and my transcript will see improvement.

Thanks,

Sari (Sarah)