Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 2576
Submitted: August 24, 2016 at 9:53:07 PM
First Name: Kieran
Last Name: Paitich
Student Number: 10051048
Email: 11krp4@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: GPHY
Level of Study: 4
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the 21-day or one term deadline
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: To Whom It My Concern,
The purpose of this document is to ask the Academic Appeal Committee of Queen¿¿s University for their permission to appeal my academic probation, more specifically the obligation to withdraw as a student. Since the start of my academic career at Queens University, I have taken it upon myself to put my fullest effort towards my academics even through my difficult family issues and learning disability.
In February of 2014 I was diagnosed with ADHD and brought proper documentation forward to disability services mid March in hopes to have accommodations for my up coming final examinations. As they were not processed on time I wrote my final examinations without proper accommodations and was then later asked to come into disability services to review my accommodations after my examinations were written. Since then, I visited Disability Services multiple times to attain my academic accommodations but each time I went to see a learning strategist, I asked them if they fully read my documentation and they replied saying no. Each time I visited Disability services it was quite difficult because I felt like I was arguing to attain accommodations that I rightfully deserved and I have still not received accommodation to the fullest extent that my ADHD documentation instructs. Such documentation may be found in copied form at disability services confirming that I have a well-recognized disability, in addition I give the reader(s) full consent to access these documents. I do believe that my GPA was artificially depressed by including my first two years at Queens as I had not been receiving academic accommodations nor taking the proper prescribed medication due to the fact that I was not yet diagnosed.
Further more, I have suffered three concussions through out my academic career at queens that have significantly impacted my GPA. The first concussion suffered was caused by hitting my head on a staircase in 2013. The second incident was in 2014 when I was involved in a high-speed motor vehicle accident on the 401, which resulted in my vehicle flipping three times. The third and final concussion resulted from hitting a tree while skiing in Mont Tremblant.
My past academic years at Queens University have proven to be quite a difficult experience, as I had to endure many problems in my life that I could not control. To ensure that these will not be reoccurring problems, if allowed to return, I will be booking an appointment with disability services before the fall semester begins in an attempt to attain full accommodation that my doctor¿¿s documents recommend and outline. Through my years at Queens University, I have endured stress and pressure to perform academically with attention difficulties, and it has proved to me that the services Queen¿¿s offers in terms of psychological counseling and academic accommodations are not only worth using but essential to supporting myself through these difficult times.
Kind Regards,
Kieran Paitich
The purpose of this document is to ask the Academic Appeal Committee of Queen¿¿s University for their permission to appeal my academic probation, more specifically the obligation to withdraw as a student. Since the start of my academic career at Queens University, I have taken it upon myself to put my fullest effort towards my academics even through my difficult family issues and learning disability.
In February of 2014 I was diagnosed with ADHD and brought proper documentation forward to disability services mid March in hopes to have accommodations for my up coming final examinations. As they were not processed on time I wrote my final examinations without proper accommodations and was then later asked to come into disability services to review my accommodations after my examinations were written. Since then, I visited Disability Services multiple times to attain my academic accommodations but each time I went to see a learning strategist, I asked them if they fully read my documentation and they replied saying no. Each time I visited Disability services it was quite difficult because I felt like I was arguing to attain accommodations that I rightfully deserved and I have still not received accommodation to the fullest extent that my ADHD documentation instructs. Such documentation may be found in copied form at disability services confirming that I have a well-recognized disability, in addition I give the reader(s) full consent to access these documents. I do believe that my GPA was artificially depressed by including my first two years at Queens as I had not been receiving academic accommodations nor taking the proper prescribed medication due to the fact that I was not yet diagnosed.
Further more, I have suffered three concussions through out my academic career at queens that have significantly impacted my GPA. The first concussion suffered was caused by hitting my head on a staircase in 2013. The second incident was in 2014 when I was involved in a high-speed motor vehicle accident on the 401, which resulted in my vehicle flipping three times. The third and final concussion resulted from hitting a tree while skiing in Mont Tremblant.
My past academic years at Queens University have proven to be quite a difficult experience, as I had to endure many problems in my life that I could not control. To ensure that these will not be reoccurring problems, if allowed to return, I will be booking an appointment with disability services before the fall semester begins in an attempt to attain full accommodation that my doctor¿¿s documents recommend and outline. Through my years at Queens University, I have endured stress and pressure to perform academically with attention difficulties, and it has proved to me that the services Queen¿¿s offers in terms of psychological counseling and academic accommodations are not only worth using but essential to supporting myself through these difficult times.
Kind Regards,
Kieran Paitich
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: in letter
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: submitted
Document: IMG_20150114_201050-1.jpg
Document: Concussion-1.pdf
Document: Concussion-1.png
Decision Letters
Amendment to Appeal 2576
Relevant Petition: 2576
First Name: Kieran
Last Name: Paitich
Student Number: 10051048
Email: 11krp4@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: GPHY
Level of Study: 3
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Drop a course after the academic deadline, Request aegrotat (AG) standing in a course or courses, Waive the requirement to withdraw for a minimum of three years
Code: HIST 243
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Petition Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Code: GPHY 257
Term: Winter
Year: 2016
Petition Category: Request aegrotat (AG) standing in a course or courses
Instructor's Name: George Lovell
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Dear Assistant Dean Blake
Thank you for granting my previous appeal and waiving the 21 day deadline to appeal. Please accept this letter appealing the requirement to withdraw for three years due to extenuating circumstances. I would also like to request Aerostat status in GPHY 257 as I completed 60 of the course and I was on track to pass the course prior to the examination. Unfortunately, in HIST 243, I only completed 50 of the course, and did not write the examination and consequently failed the course; I would appreciate a late drop on this course. I can assure you that in spite of my difficult family issues and learning disability, I feel that I am able to continue and demonstrate that I can successfully complete my degree program.
As discussed in my previous appeal, on April 12th 2016 my grandfather passed away and it was very difficult time for my family. He taught me how to throw my first baseball, and came to every one of my little league games. My family is very tightly knit as we spent every summer weekend at our family cottage and were together for every holiday.
I did write my first examination of April 7th, and passed that examination and the course (GPHY 240). However, due to this unfortunate event my emotions distracted me from my academics and I did not complete two of my examinations (for which I am appealing for AG status). The timing of this also impacted my ability to focus on filing the appeal to waive the requirement to withdraw within the twenty-one day deadline. It was the first time that I had ever had to deal with the loss of someone so significant in my life and I needed time to grieve and come to terms with the change in our family dynamic. Unfortunately, just as I was finding my way, my great-uncle died on May 22nd, further exacerbating my sense of loss. As with my grandfather, my great uncle and I had a wonderful relationship in which we shared our love of music with the whole family during get-togethers.
I would like you to understand the rationale as to why I was unable to meet the academic conditions of my probation. It has been well documented in previous appeals that I have been diagnosed with ADHD and a LD. I have met with Disability Services multiple times to attain my academic accommodations but each time I went to see a learning strategist, I asked them is they fully read my documentation and each time the request was denied. This was quite difficult because I felt like I was arguing to receive accommodations that a health care provider recommended after significant pyscho- educational testing. I have still not received accommodation to the fullest extent that my ADHD documentation recommends. I do believe that initially my poor GPA was a direct result of a lack of diagnosis my ADHD/LD, but I have now received a diagnosis and take medication and counseling to decrease the impact on my academic performance. As well, in winter term 2016, I was on track to pass all courses, until the passing of my grandfather.
In addition, even though Disability Services has provided me with a small percentage accommodation it has still been quite difficult in regards to one aspect of my accommodations. This would be regarding the accommodation to negotiate deadlines with my instructors. As this at first seemed like a fantastic asset, it was quite difficult on occasions to attain the proper time needed to complete assignment¿¿s as my professors would respond ¿no¿¿ to the deadline¿¿s that I would request. I understand now the Disability Services website has recently updated their website to include the following guidelines for instructors:
Instructors will have met the University¿¿s obligation to accommodate when they:
- can demonstrate they received the students request for an extension in good faith
- granted a reasonable response to initial request ¿¿e.g., 1-2 days on weekly assignments, up to 5 days on middle-mid term assignments or 1-2 weeks on term papers
- appropriately linked the granting or denial of an extension to the protection and preservation of academic standards and course requirements
I acknowledge that my first four years at Queen¿¿s University have proven to be a difficult experience as I was learning to address the many problems in my Life that I could not control. To ensure that these will not be reoccurring problems, if allowed to return, I will be booking an appointment with disability services in an attempt to attain full accommodation that my doctor¿¿s documents recommend and outline in the medical documentation.
Again, I am grateful for your consideration in reviewing this appeal to return to studies.
Kind Regards
Kieran Paitich
Thank you for granting my previous appeal and waiving the 21 day deadline to appeal. Please accept this letter appealing the requirement to withdraw for three years due to extenuating circumstances. I would also like to request Aerostat status in GPHY 257 as I completed 60 of the course and I was on track to pass the course prior to the examination. Unfortunately, in HIST 243, I only completed 50 of the course, and did not write the examination and consequently failed the course; I would appreciate a late drop on this course. I can assure you that in spite of my difficult family issues and learning disability, I feel that I am able to continue and demonstrate that I can successfully complete my degree program.
As discussed in my previous appeal, on April 12th 2016 my grandfather passed away and it was very difficult time for my family. He taught me how to throw my first baseball, and came to every one of my little league games. My family is very tightly knit as we spent every summer weekend at our family cottage and were together for every holiday.
I did write my first examination of April 7th, and passed that examination and the course (GPHY 240). However, due to this unfortunate event my emotions distracted me from my academics and I did not complete two of my examinations (for which I am appealing for AG status). The timing of this also impacted my ability to focus on filing the appeal to waive the requirement to withdraw within the twenty-one day deadline. It was the first time that I had ever had to deal with the loss of someone so significant in my life and I needed time to grieve and come to terms with the change in our family dynamic. Unfortunately, just as I was finding my way, my great-uncle died on May 22nd, further exacerbating my sense of loss. As with my grandfather, my great uncle and I had a wonderful relationship in which we shared our love of music with the whole family during get-togethers.
I would like you to understand the rationale as to why I was unable to meet the academic conditions of my probation. It has been well documented in previous appeals that I have been diagnosed with ADHD and a LD. I have met with Disability Services multiple times to attain my academic accommodations but each time I went to see a learning strategist, I asked them is they fully read my documentation and each time the request was denied. This was quite difficult because I felt like I was arguing to receive accommodations that a health care provider recommended after significant pyscho- educational testing. I have still not received accommodation to the fullest extent that my ADHD documentation recommends. I do believe that initially my poor GPA was a direct result of a lack of diagnosis my ADHD/LD, but I have now received a diagnosis and take medication and counseling to decrease the impact on my academic performance. As well, in winter term 2016, I was on track to pass all courses, until the passing of my grandfather.
In addition, even though Disability Services has provided me with a small percentage accommodation it has still been quite difficult in regards to one aspect of my accommodations. This would be regarding the accommodation to negotiate deadlines with my instructors. As this at first seemed like a fantastic asset, it was quite difficult on occasions to attain the proper time needed to complete assignment¿¿s as my professors would respond ¿no¿¿ to the deadline¿¿s that I would request. I understand now the Disability Services website has recently updated their website to include the following guidelines for instructors:
Instructors will have met the University¿¿s obligation to accommodate when they:
- can demonstrate they received the students request for an extension in good faith
- granted a reasonable response to initial request ¿¿e.g., 1-2 days on weekly assignments, up to 5 days on middle-mid term assignments or 1-2 weeks on term papers
- appropriately linked the granting or denial of an extension to the protection and preservation of academic standards and course requirements
I acknowledge that my first four years at Queen¿¿s University have proven to be a difficult experience as I was learning to address the many problems in my Life that I could not control. To ensure that these will not be reoccurring problems, if allowed to return, I will be booking an appointment with disability services in an attempt to attain full accommodation that my doctor¿¿s documents recommend and outline in the medical documentation.
Again, I am grateful for your consideration in reviewing this appeal to return to studies.
Kind Regards
Kieran Paitich
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: My Academic plan consists of aspects that have been addressed in my appeal letter. Firstly, If I have permission to return to my studies I will book multiple appointments with disability services to assure myself and the university that I have been granted the fullest extent of my accommodations that have been stated by my medical documentation and healthcare professional. Secondly, I will be booking many appointments with disability services to monitor and control any level of anxiety that I could possible endure during the academic year. In addition I will be taking a reduced course load and responsibly taking my ADHD medication as prescribed.
Documentation
Professional Letter: Concussion-2.jpeg
Document: Concussion-2.pdf
Document: Concussion-2.png
Document: IMG_20150114_201050-2.jpg
Document: Letter of Accommodation .jpeg
Documentation Detail: 4 other documents will be sent to the office of appeals