Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Friday, April 25th, 2025

To whom it may concern,

My name is Rowan Jackson-Cappuccino, and I am currently an undergraduate student pursuing a Political Studies (Major) and Global Development Studies (Minor) here at Queen’s. I have written this letter to explain my reasoning to request an exception from the maximum of 6.0 units of courses via a LOP (under Academic Regulation 14). I am requesting that I can gain an exception to this rule and be granted the ability to attempt to obtain a letter of permission for an additional 3.0 units (1 course) taken as a transfer credit.
I only need to complete 3.0 units of a POLS 400 level course (or equivalent) to obtain my Bachelor of Arts Honours degree from Queen’s University. I need to take these last 3.0 units (one course) as a transfer credit. In order to do this, I need to obtain an LOP, which I can only do if I gain an exception from the Associate Dean. In the Summer Term 2024, I obtained a LOP and completed 6.0 units of transfer credits toward my degree. After the end of the Summer Term 2024, I was made aware that Queen’s now has this rule within Academic Regulation 14 about the 6.0 transfer credit limit.

I am no longer living in Kingston, and I have been at home completing the final courses toward my Bachelor of Arts Honours degree. A prime reason for this is due to my suffering from mental and physical health issues that led me to attempt to step away from on-campus learning. While I was on-campus, I had utilized Queen’s Student Wellness to see my physician, a therapist, and I was also provided with an occupational therapist who I attended meetings with. I have since looked utilized available resources while living away from Kingston as well.
Physically, I have had intermittent tachycardia which is still currently being assessed by a cardiologist. This has led me to gain much anxiety as well as physical symptoms that would be much better looked after while living off campus. Additionally, I have suffered from breathing issues that disrupt my sleep every night – in which I am gasping for air and waking up, leaving me to feel unrefreshed and exhausted during each day. I have been attempting to see a sleep specialist to resolve this issue for a long time, and I now finally have a consultation appointment booked in May with a sleep specialist in my hometown (away from Kingston). I will be working with this local based sleep specialist in the near future to attempt to find a solution to my sleep problems, and once again it would be a need for me to be away from Kingston during this time as taking a final transfer credit would enable me to have all of these resources at my family home.

On the mental side, the reasoning for my utilization of Student Wellness Services was due to my suffering of serious anxiety and panic attacks, which made me unable to attend almost all in-person lecture and seminar. There were multiple instances at on-campus in which I attempted to attend seminars but was forced to leave due to having panic attacks. As I have been at home, and received help and worked on myself, these issues are still present – however, I have been able to successfully complete my most recent 6.0 units as transfer credits at home (as transfer credits), which I believe was due to not being in-person as well as having all of the amenities I need at home to support me. This anxiety and these panic attacks - although lessened – are still not gone. In February, I was hospitalized due to a severe panic attack - I called an ambulance for myself due to the severity of my perceived issue in the moment (which turned out to be a serious panic attack). I sincerely believe that having to finish my last 3.0 units on-campus at Queen’s would trigger these mental health issues and deem me unable to complete this final course. On the other hand, completing my last 3.0 units as a transfer credit (via a LOP at an online school like I did for my most recent 6.0 units completed) would offer myself the best fighting chance to finally complete my undergraduate degree as someone who is still attempting to heal unresolved health issues.
An additional reason for why I am requesting an exception to the 6.0 maximum LOP regulation – hence why I must stay at home, away from Kingston – is due to my mother’s recent breast cancer diagnosis. This winter, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer which came as an horrific shock to myself and my family. With my sister living abroad now, it is up to myself and my father alone to look after her and to assist when needed. She got a surgery just last week and is likely going to have to do other procedures like chemotherapy in the near future, which will need to obtain more of my time. I cannot assist my mother if I am completing my final course on-campus, and this adds to my need to obtain a transfer credit in which I can work from home and complete the remaining 3.0 units.
Attached in my academic petition is a signed letter that my mother has written as a form of supporting documentation for this academic petition. I consulted with Queen’s Academic Advising on this matter, and they informed me that this was one good form of supporting documentation that could help my case here. If needed, I can retrieve additional supporting documentation from a professional in health, and/or I can look into retrieving official documentation of my recent hospital visit.

I believe I am eligible to receive an exception to Academic Regulation 14 (maximum 6.0 units on LOP for transfer credits), which would enable me to gain the ability obtain an LOP for an additional 3.0 units of transfer credits. I only need these last 3.0 units (1 course) to complete all the requirements of my Bachelor of Arts Honours degree. Taking these last 3.0 units as a transfer credit away from Kingston (at home) would enable me to continue look after my physical and mental health issues (panic attacks and anxiety), assist my sick mother, and successfully complete my degree. I am already living away from Kingston (back at home), and if this exception to the 6.0 maximum units on LOP is granted to me, I will be assured the most likely avenue to successfully finish my degree at Queen’s in comparison to the other option of having to go back to campus for this one last course. Not being done my undergraduate degree has been very hard on me and has caused much stress to myself. Once I finally finish this degree, I will be able to move on with my self-improvement on health with less stressors; I will be able to move on in life and proudly hold a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree from my beloved Queen’s University; and I will be able to move onto the next chapter of my life in pursuit of career prospects.
I earnestly hope that this academic petition will be considered. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Rowan Jackson-Cappuccino
Student Number: 20185678