Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean (Studies)

My name is Liam Brennan and I just finished my first year at Queens university in the Concurrent Music Education program. I received two failures in my second term after I began having trouble coping at school. I am appealing to respectfully ask if I could have the two failure marks removed from my transcript. I experienced serious psychological problems during the year which lead me to see a residence counselor, a doctor at the medical centre, and be sent for assessment after which I was diagnosed.

My year started well. I was in residence and I was happy to be in my first year at Queens studying music. A traumatic event occurred late in December and my ability to cope with everything plummeted. As the second term began, I started having extreme problems. Due to the nature of my then undiagnosed psychological challenge, I retreated into my room with no social contact and was unable to accomplish my academic tasks properly. I couldn¿¿t even go to classes and disappeared into myself. I had already dropped a course in the fall and although I was somehow managing to pass the rest of my music courses, two of my second term courses were not going well. I lacked any ability to try to manage the online format of the course WRIT 125 ¿¿ I just stared at the website, overwhelmed. I felt totally hopeless with no motivation to get help. As for MUSC 203, the course load was overwhelming and I was unable to even remotely fulfill my responsibilities. To me the task of trying to study for the course seemed impossible and hopeless. I contacted the professor and explained what was happening. She gave me extensions and I informed her I was seeing a counselor. Although I really tried to cope, I was unable. During the time I retreated into my room, it was my roommate who recommended I go to a counselor, then I went to the medical centre to see a doctor. After that I was diagnosed by the Regional Assessment and Resource Centre. My academic success, however, did not improve as I was still in the midst of my suffering. I should have dropped the courses but I couldn¿¿t. I tried to tell my parents but was not able to tell them the extent of my failure as they were going through their own stresses with my Grandfather dying of Cancer. The prospect of telling them was overwhelming and I did not want to burden them. I continued to visit the residence counselor and the doctor at Queens but unfortunately, I was so far behind in the two courses that I failed them. After exams, the day after I got home, my Grandfather died. Four days later, my Grandmother died of a heart attack. After that, I received notice that I was on academic probation. I had thought that being at home would make me feel better. I finally spoke to my parents and admitted that I would need help this summer in order to succeed in my second year. They worked really hard to arrange all the help I needed to feel better and succeed next year at Queen¿¿s. I am seeing my own doctor at home as well as a psychologist, and my parents¿¿ even drove me to Queen¿¿s to see a counselor there.

I am getting better now although there are days that I have setbacks. My counselor at Queens has stressed how important it will be to continue with the Learning Strategies program in the fall to ensure academic success and I will continue seeing the Queen¿¿s counselors. My doctor is helping me develop better skills to deal with stress and anxiety. Both the Concurrent Music and Education student advisors are aware of my troublesome first year and have faith in me. The Education advisor is hopeful that my request to have the two failures removed will be granted so that I will have a more positive outlook second year. My Music advisor has suggested that I take a lighter load of courses during 2014-2015 to ease the stress and to take summer courses as they are available to fulfill my requirements. I will be enrolling in my previously dropped course and MUS203 again this year as they are required.

I am looking to my future teaching career for motivation. I feel that if the two failures were removed and my academic probation lifted, I would be given a second chance to succeed without the probation looming over me. I have had a really bad first year, but it has made me realize how important it is to reach out for help and how lucky I am to have been chosen to be admitted into Queens.

Sincerely
Liam Brennan