Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: May 25th, 2016

Klea Asllani ¿¿ 10150299
1722 ¿¿ 377 Ridelle Ave
Toronto, ON M6B1K2

To the Associate Dean (Studies):

I am appealing for a Credit Standing for the courses with a grade lower than a C: ENSC201 (Winter 2016) and GEOL104 (Winter 2016) as well as I am appealing to drop a course past the academic deadline ¿¿ CHEM112 (Fall/Winter 2015-2016). I am appealing on the basis that this past year there have been certain extenuating circumstances that have been beyond my control and therefore have affected my academic performance for the 2015-2016 school year.

I have been struggling with my mental health ever since last year. My parents and I have never been on the same page regarding my choice to come to Queens nor my choice to pursue a degree in Environmental Sciences. This caused a major strain on our relationship as well as my financial assistance. Thus, when I made my decision to come to Queens I also declared myself to be financially independent however this proved to be difficult as I am also a full-time student. I began the 2015 ¿¿ 2016 school year feeling stressed and overwhelmed ¿¿ I had not been successful in finding a good paying job and thus I was afraid that I would not be able to pay for school, rent, food, utilities etc. I applied for OSAP and I was able to pay for tuition and other fees however I still needed income for rent and other necessities. I spent the month of September applying to as many jobs as possible and I was able to find a part-time job that allowed me to have some extra financial assistance. However, mentally and physically I was not healthy. I began to see Dr. Susan Ngo at the LaSalle building for regular check-ups around the beginning of October, I began to see her because I had not been sleeping due to school stress and feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work I had fallen behind in due to trying to juggle 4 courses and a job. A few weeks later with the encouragement of Dr. Ngo I decided to continue with my ADHD assessment that I began last school year, I was able to get a bursary from the school that would cover the cost of the psychoeducational assessment. I began my assessment with Dr. Sarah Keppler in November of 2015 and I received my psychoeducational assessment report on January 9th, 2016 ¿¿ I have attached my assessment report as part of my supporting documentation. In summary, Dr. Sarah Keppler concluded that I have been experiencing ¿¿significant symptoms of anxiety and depression for at least a year, if not longer.¿ Her final diagnosis was that my lack of concentration in school is likely the result of my lack of sleep which caused overall cognitive slowness triggered by my depression and anxiety. Thus she concluded that I met the criteria for Major Depressive Disorder and General Anxiety disorder. As soon as I received the psychoeducational assessment I took it to Dr. Ngo as well as I set up an appointment with counselling services at Queens to discuss my diagnosis. By the winter semester I had dropped both MATH121 and ECON110 due to an overwhelming amount of work that I had fallen behind and I knew that it would be better for my GPA if I only took 3 courses during the winter semester. Dr. Ngo and I decided that it was time I try medication to help with my anxiety and depression ¿¿ so I began to take Escitalopram ¿¿ however it takes the medication at least 3 weeks to begin to work as I was told by Dr. Ngo. While on the medication I did my best to stay on top of my work and financial situation. I began work at the K-Rock Centre however, I was not given enough hours to make all the payments that I needed to make so I applied for a short term loan from Queens and I was granted it. I thought I was on the road to recovery, I spoke to the disabilities services at Queens about my situation and what my next steps would be and they connected me to a counselor who helped me fill out forms to declare myself as a permanent disabilities student. But, on January 25th I got a text from my brother that my grandma had passed away in her sleep. My grandma lives in Albania and had been sick for 2 years prior to her passing ¿¿ during those 2 years I had not been able to go see her nor was I able to go to her funeral because I did not have the funds to purchase a ticket and my parents were not able to support 5 tickets (myself and my 2 siblings as well as themselves) so only my parents were able to attend her funeral in Albania. I set up an appointment with Dr. Ngo as soon as I could because I was not doing well ¿¿ in school with my courses nor was I healthy mentally or physically. I had fallen behind in school work, I was trying to complete all of my projects as well as study for upcoming midterms while at the same time dealing with the side effects of my medication and my grandmothers passing. In conclusion, I have had quite a difficult year which has held me back from achieving my full potential and I am appealing these grades so that I am able to start fresh next school year and prove to myself that I can do this and that even though I have struggled these past two years I will not let that bring me down because I know Queen¿¿s is the school for me and I know I can be great I just need a little help getting there. My academic plan will also prove that I am on my way to being a more successful student.

One of the reasons for my struggle this past school year was due to my financial situation. I am currently working a full-time job at Kingston¿¿s 1000 Islands Cruises and Trolleys as their Onboard Hospitality staff. This position continues up until the end of summer, knowing this I applied to work at TAPS (Queen¿¿s Pub on campus) in March and I got the job. Therefore, beginning September of 2016 to April 2017 I will also have a part-time job on campus which will allow me to work and still go to my classes without disrupting my school work. At the same time, I applied for OSAP loans and grants and I will also be applying for the Queen¿¿s General Bursary both for the Fall and Winter term. I will also be meeting with a bank advisor at the end of summer before school begins so I can discuss with him/her what my financial goals as a working student should be, where I can save money and how to better manage my finances. My struggle this past year was also due to my mental health and I have already started taking steps to be healthier mentally and physically. I am currently meeting with Dr. Sylvester from Counselling Services for CBT ¿¿ Cognitive Behavioural Therapy ¿¿ while it is not a quick fix it is a step in the right direction. With ongoing treatment and meetings with Dr. Sylvester I will be able to better control my anxiety and depression. Along with CBT, I am currently on Effexor and I have not been experiencing any side effects unlike the last medication I was on. I also attend regular visits with my physician Dr. Susan Ngo, however she will be leaving at the end of the month and I will be attending my regular visits with another doctor. I am also getting back into running and boxing ¿¿ after speaking to a personal trainer and my doctor we came to the conclusion that medication along with regular physical exercise will help me control my anxiety and depression. With regular meetings to the doctor and my counselor I will also be speaking to an academic advisor to decide my course load for the next 3 years here at Queens. Working a part-time job will mean that I cannot take a full course load, even if I wasn¿¿t working a part-time job I would still not take a full course load. I mean to take a course load of 3 to 4 courses, one of the courses I will be taking is the course I am appealing to drop CHEM112. I am currently a History major (BA) however, I would like to complete a degree in Environmental Sciences (BSCH). I know I have a long road ahead of me and the degree is not easy but I am ready to take on the challenge. I want to pursue a degree in Environmental Sciences because I am passionate about sciences and about the world we live in and how we can make it better for us and the future generations. However, I know that a successful student doesn¿¿t have a successful year only based on their grades, a student is successful when they¿¿re a well-rounded individual and I plan to be just that. I am still the Events Coordinator for Queen¿¿s Helping Haiti and I plan to create a few more fundraising events throughout the year that will bring in more donations for Helping Haiti and their medical clinic in Cite Soleil, Haiti. Along with being a part-time student, I believe I am on the right track to being a successful student academically as well as being a well rounded individual.
Queen¿¿s University is the university for me. They have helped me get to where I am now with all the help I have received and I am receiving from my physicians and counselors. I will continue on this path, taking it day by day asking for advice and help when I need it, as well as learning to do things on my own. Getting an excellent education at one of the top universities in Canada is my main priority. I would like to be part of the best and most successful students at Queen¿¿s and I would like your help with my recent grades. All in all, this past school year has been difficult for me however I have been taking steps to better myself and I will continue to do so until I excel.
I would like to thank you in advance for your consideration and your time. Queen¿¿s University is the only university for me ¿¿ I have struggled due to extenuating circumstances and those circumstances have put me in a difficult academic situation however, I know that with help I can get where I know I belong. Thank you again for your consideration and your time and I look forward to hearing from you.


Sincerely,


Klea Asllani
10150299