Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Benard,

My name is Alex Quinn and I am writing to you to appeal my requirement to withdraw from studies at Queen's for the upcoming school year. My academic issues stem back to first year as I was a general studies student who had trouble focusing on 5 completely different classes, and also had difficulty living alone and away from home for the first time and making friends in residence and classes. Although I didn't realize it at the time, my mental health really affected my motivation and academic performance, and once I was informed that I would be on academic probation for second year, I realized I needed to change something in order to improve.

I decided on a philosophy major as that is where most of my attention went in first year, and enrolled in almost entirely PHIL classes so I wouldn't be forced to split my focus as much. I also found friends to rent a house with so I wouldn't be living on my own again. Everything seemed to be improving and my first semester in second year was much more successful academically as I passed all my classes, had a GPA over the threshold to continue studies, and was excelling in my two full year courses. After Christmas I continued working hard, but I definitely needed that reading week in order to get myself some rest, and see my family and friends back home again.

Sadly that reading week was one of the most traumatic times of my life. When I got home my mother informed me that my uncle who lives down the street from me back home has a failing liver and shouldn't live longer than 6-8 months without a transplant. The next afternoon he collapsed in his house and we had to take him to the hospital and by that evening he had passed away. My relaxing week off turned into me consoling my mother and grandmother over the loss of their brother/son, helping organize the funeral, and spending zero time thinking about school. We had the funeral on Sunday before I had to return to Kingston.

I was a wreck the second half of second semester, I had trouble eating and sleeping, I would cry randomly, I couldn't focus in classes or on readings, I didn't want to socialize with anyone most of the time and lost all motivation to better myself. I did almost no work in those final six weeks of classes and my marks in second semester really showed that. I feel like because of one horrible week in my life I threw away all the work I had done to improve my academic standing and continue my studies, and I don't want that to be the case. This summer so far has helped me cope with his death a lot between being around my family again, seeing my grandmother bounce back, and just having time to think, and I feel like I can be back to my first semester self again if I can return for my third year at Queen's.