Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Whom It May Concern:

I am appealing the decision of the Dean of Arts and Science at Queen¿¿s University to be removed from academics for three years. This appeal is being brought to your attention due to extenuating circumstances, which have kept me academically. During the twenty-one day period of the appeal timeline I was unable to complete an appeal. My anxiety during this time had made checking my email a daunting task. Therefore, I am asking for this appeal to be considered even thought it is late. The state of my mental health was too poor at the time.

The extenuating circumstances that lead to the path of a difficult academic year produced situational anxiety. This type of anxiety that I experience caused not only emotional manifestations but also produced physical symptoms. Anxiety had made it extremely difficult to concentrate not only in class but also during study sessions and most importantly made attending classes problematic. The anxiety was at its highest during final exams; which made writing exams nearly impossible.

These extenuating circumstances have manifested over the last several years. Some, which I had believed, I had dealt with emotional but under stressful circumstances proved otherwise. I was in a serious car accident September 1, 2011, which has taken a physical and mental toll. The mental aspects of this car accident have been an ongoing battle of losing something I truly loved. I am no longer, because of physical pain, able to row for the Queen¿¿s Varsity team. Having the love of sport taken away from me has made many aspects of my life different. I thrive on routine and athletics and without this I have found it difficult to not only be successful in academics but also to help balance out my anxiety. The physical damage that the car accident has left me has been something that a team of physicians (including neurologists and pain specialists), physiotherapists, massage therapists, chiropractors, my family physician and I have been working on. Developing chronic myofascial pain and chronic migraines has lead to many experimental treatment plans with Dr. Quigg and Smith from KOPI Pain Clinic. I am fortunate the chronic migraines that I suffer from have been managed to a certain degree. The result of the car accident did not only impact me with physical pain it has also resulted in a legal dispute. This legal dispute has created a lot of added stress and anxiety to my life. Fortunately, as of June 21, 2014 the majority of the case that requires my involvement is finished.

Both fall and winter terms of 2013 and 2014 I had to be excused from school (during final exams) for a period of time because of streptococcal pharyngitis. Also during the fall of 2013 I experienced many health issues dealing mostly with my lungs. Both Queen¿¿s and Kingston General Hospital physicians treated me. All of these physicians had insisted that I should move out of my student house and travel to and from school while living with my parents. The physicians felt that the living conditions in my student house were the main cause of my illnesses. I took what the physicians had advised me to do and I begun commuting quite regularly. With the added commute and my health issues this became extremely exhausting and stressful which promoted the viscous cycle of my anxiety.

In November, 2012, while at a rowing party I was physically attacked by a teammate from the male rowing team. This assault led to criminal charges by the Kingston Police Department against this student. This event had effects on me that I did not believe were possible. It has led me to become very wary of my surrounds on campus, which has increased my anxiety.

My father became very ill in the fall of 2012. My father¿¿s ill health has been ongoing and affects me both emotionally and financially. For the past two years, I have continued to be my own primary source of income. Fortunately, my father has since returned to work on a full time basis and my parents will be aiding me financially along with student assistance programs. With the help financially I will no longer have to work as many hours during the academic year.

Having my education removed for three years will prove to be detrimental not only to my future career but also to my overall mental health. I have felt very much alone and lost these past few years because I tried to resolve my problems alone. I can now say that I truly understand the consequences of trying to go at it alone. It is to my understanding that a certain GPA is required of a student to continue with their academics at Queen¿¿s. However, during the fall semester of 2013 my GPA suffered the most because of the extent of my anxiety and physical health. If I were to be reinstated at Queen¿¿s University there are many steps that I will take to ensure that 2014-2015 be a successful year. I believe that with a lighter course load of three or four courses per semester I will be able to achieve a balance in my life, which will allow my academics to greatly improve. I feel that my academics from fall 2013 are a poor reflection of my abilities as a student while winter 2014 definitely displayed an improvement. Over the past few years in my life, academics have been the only constant thing. Without consistence I have trouble focuses and being successful. Presently, I am working with both a counselor and the learning workshop at Queen¿¿s to promote a healthy lifestyle. The counselor has shown me when my anxiety is controlled that other aspects in my life such as academics will become easier and not be too overwhelming. Other ways I have been seeking a balanced lifestyle is through regular exercise. It has also been suggested that yoga would be something that I could benefit from to help relieve my anxiety. All of the extenuating circumstances that have made my academics difficult are currently being dealt with. I have learned that most of these circumstances were out of my control so instead of dwelling on them I must learn how to cope accordingly and to ensure I keep myself on track. Going forward with my education at Queen¿¿s will require lots of constant help and support but most importantly I must actively help myself.

Thank you,

Meredith Hinch
July 24, 2014