Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I Jacob Mactaggart intend to appeal the decision that I be asked to withdraw from Queen¿¿s University for the duration of one academic year, and that I be allowed to continue my studies in the fall semester of 2017.

I Have become uncomfortably familiar with the appeal process during my time at Queen¿¿s and I am now in the position of having to writing the appeal I have been dreading for a while now. Can I first say that I hold the utmost respect for the faculty at Queen¿¿s and how much they have accommodated me in my past few years, it has truly made me feel accepted and helped significantly in my improving the state of my mental health. These past few years I developed anxiety and depression at an alarming rate, which has had huge negative impacts on all aspects of my life including my academics. The main misconception that I had with my mental health is that I was trying to ¿¿cure¿ it rather than learn to cope with it. I have now recognized and made the distinction that I must learn to manage my anxiety and depression and that it¿¿s not something that just goes away. This has made all the difference, I am not a bad student, I do not slack, or skip class, I understand and I am interested in the material I study and I am eager to learn more. There have simply been periods of time when I was not able to function physically or mentally at the level required to be successful in a university environment. But I am learning to understand and manage my mental disorders now that I have accepted that they are part of who I am. I Know my grades are still below the caliber that is expected at Queen¿¿s but my most recent marks reflect an improvement, a trajectory I intend to maintain and increase exponentially. Now that I understand my problem everything seems much more attainable. I have switched my courses so that I am in a much less intense program that fits my skills better, and I have already started to see improvements in my grades. This summer I am seeing a therapist through life works to help me learn how to live with anxiety and depression and I am happy to say that I have already begun to see improvements. Should I be allowed to return to Queen¿¿s I will continue to use the services offered at the student wellness centre to assist in managing my mental state. I am asking for one last chance, and I absolutely understand that I would truly be on my last limbs. If allowed to return, I will not take this opportunity for granted, with my mental health in a more manageable state I intend to put the rest of my focus on my academics. This is a promise that I am making to myself and Queen¿¿s University.

Unfortunately, the policy at Lifeworks is that they are not allowed to release any documents or write any letters until my sessions are complete. I can provide documentation that I received from a different therapist last summer which confirms my diagnosis of anxiety, depression and high stress, and I am currently in the process of arranging a meeting with my family doctor from which I hope to receive more official documentation that I can send in as soon as possible. I Have also contacted the Economics office regarding entry into the ECON program and I will wait for a response that I will forward to you.

Sincerely
Jacob MacTaggart
10145342