Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean of Studies,


My name is Connor Coffey, I am an upper year student at Queen's University, and I am appealing to drop CISC 220 and CISC 282 from my timetable in the Fall 2015 academic semester. I know my performance in these courses this past semester does not accurately reflect my ability and skill in the subject, and I feel strongly that I have not been unable to perform at my best condition for a large portion of the semester.


There have been two key events that lead to my deteriorating physical and mental health. The first of which has affected me more recently, becoming a significant issue in the past month (starting about halfway through November). I have been dealing with family issues back home, specifically my grandmother's worsening dementia. Growing up, I have been very close to her and have developed a very strong relationship with her. Though now, every time I talk to her, I can feel her slipping away, forgetting names and faces. The situation has been looming over my head the past month, and I feel I have been unable to make the most of my time to prepare for my exams.

The second event that has played a large role prominently throughout the semester was my discovery that my girlfriend of 3 years had been cheating on me while I was away for work this past summer. This event started around October 3rd, as I remember that was the night I found out. Apart from the emotional devastation I was feeling, I also found myself without support. These past 3 years I had been living with her, completing all my work and study in her house. When I lost my relationship with her, I lost my routine. I found myself having to develop new habits to support just myself this semester while having to cope with the anger and betrayal I was feeling. I also found it began to affect my health physically, as I was struggling to eat complete meals, or have any appetite at all. I was having trouble falling asleep, and when I finally got to sleep, I would have trouble waking up. Needless to say, it took me much longer than I would have liked to pull myself together, and I am realizing now how much of an impact this has had on my semester.


The bottom line is that I'm not living a healthy or maintainable lifestyle, and I know I need to improve some core aspects about how I live, but unfortunately I do not believe that an academic setting is conducive to achieving that. This past summer, I was healthiest when I was working full time. I was sleeping regularly, eating 3 square meals a day, and feeling a lot more positive about living. My plan, going forward, is to temporarily take a step back from my academics for the coming semester (Winter 2016). I intend to work full time during this break in an effort to re-establish a regular and healthy day to day routine. At the time of writing, I have already secured a position within the Ministry of Health in Kingston. I know that having the schedule of the 9-5 workday, along with rewarding work and pay, I will be able to create and maintain a healthy space for living, which I intend to carry over with me into the new academic year. Obtaining this position has also served as a wake-up call for my mental health. It has made me realize that I have not been in the healthiest headspace for a majority of this academic semester, and to rectify this I have booked an appointment with Queen's Health, to get a General Checkup as well as a mental one, so I will be able to start on the road to recovery for both my body and mind.


I have completed all the requirements for a Physics Degree, yet decided to take another year at the University and finish my Computing Degree. I did this because I discovered I had a passion for computing and the style of problem solving it allows for. This semester, I have had a hard time loving myself, let alone loving my pursuits, and my performance in these courses truly does not represent the enjoyment and thrill I get out of the subject. I fully intend to retake these course when they are offered in the next academic year (Fall 2016/Winter 2017) in order to obtain a grade that reflects my enjoyment of the subject. My hope is that the skills and routine I develop in the coming months during my full time employment will better establish me in a healthy lifestyle, which I will continue into my studies when I return in the next academic year.



Regards,


Connor Coffey