Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear J. Hugh Horton and Johanne Bénard,

I am appealing with sincere hope to disregard my grades in the courses of FILM110 (Fall 2013, Winter 2014), PSYCH100 (Fall 2013, Winter 2014), and ENGL122 (Fall 2013, Winter 2014) and for them to be recognized strictly as Credit Standing courses.
There have been many events, beyond my control, that have affected my academic performance this past academic year. In September 2013 of my first Fall Term, my younger sister had been admitted into the hospital as she was experiencing neurological issues with her fingers, toes, hands, feet, shoulders and pelvis. She was hospitalized for 8 days, partaking in MRI's, bone scans, blood tests daily and other tests. My sister was diagnosed with GBS, a neurological disorder whereby the immune system attacks the central nervous system. This disorder is very rare and can be very dangerous as it can lead to MS, paralyses and death. I felt immense guilt and worry when she was in the hospital and I was not there. My guilt and worry carried on throughout the year, as recovery is a long process and I was not able to help too much from a distance. Not only was my sister faced with a health issue, she had to brave the ongoing conflicts between my two parents, who went through a nasty, decade long divorce, and my mother's erratic housing situations. My mother has had issues keeping a job since December of 2011. In the past 3 years, my sister, my mother and I have been forced to move 5 times, 3 of which were due to eviction where we usually lost some, or all, of our personal property, furniture and belongings. I feared while I was away that history may repeat itself and I would not be there to protect my sister as I always have been. I suffered from a constant, immense amount of worry. The long history of parental conflict puts a great deal of stress on me and this was only heightened when I was away. The stress and worry I experienced due to familial situations back home led to me to my general, overwhelming feeling of sadness. I recognized I was feeling this way midway through the Fall 2013 Semester in November and continues to affect me. I lacked my motivation and work ethic I usually have and I started to feel very indifferent towards lots of things. These feelings made it difficult for me to apply myself to the best of my ability. All of these circumstances affected my diligence in keeping up with readings, putting in effort to my assignments, and distracted me, making it difficult for me to retain information for long periods of time if at all. These are the circumstances that led to my academic downfall this past school year.
In the past week, I have opened up about these feelings to my father. After discussions, I agreed that it would be worthwhile for me to meet with a mental health professional who may be able to better assist me and support me, assessing the route of my sadness and help me relieve these negative feelings, stress, and worry. I am starting sessions with Dr. Norm Forman, clinical Psychologist, beginning the week of June 9, 2014, to assist in this regard. I will continue to consult my psychologist in the future to maintain a better emotional state and clearer mind so I can perform academically to the best of my ability. Additionally, consulting my psychologist will help me better cope and understand my role at home and distinguish what I am and am not responsible for, such as the responsibility of my sisters well being. I am now realizing that through seeking assistance, both and health and academic, I can become a better student and realize my full potential. I am committed to meeting with a Learning Strategies Advisor and consulting regularly with my professors and TA's to strengthen my understanding of materials and achieve overall academic success. I will take advantage of resources, such as the Writing Centre, to strengthen my work and academic skills.
I would be very grateful if my appeal were to be granted. Queen's has always been my dream school and I would love the opportunity to continue to grow and achieve success at one of the finest educational institutes in the country.

Sincerely,

Carling Hunt
Arts and Science '17
12cah5@queensu.ca