Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 3616
Submitted: June 13, 2017 at 10:36:21 PM
First Name: Peter
Last Name: Del Mastro
Student Number: 10016620
Email: 0mpd1@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: ARTH
Level of Study: 4
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the requirement to withdraw for one year
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Johanne Benard,
Associate Dean (Studies)
Request:
I am appealing the Faculty¿¿s decision that I must withdraw from Queen¿¿s for a minimum of one year.
Explanation of Extenuating Circumstances:
The extenuating circumstance cited in this appeal is my tendency towards anxiety and depression when I fall behind on my coursework. I went to see a counselor at Queen¿¿s Wellness Services four times in the Winter term of 2014 to address feelings of depression. In the Winter term of 2017 I resumed seeing a counselor at Queen¿¿s Wellness Services to address my shortcomings after I was encouraged by a professor to do so. I am using the records of my visits there as evidence of my extenuating circumstances. During my studies at Queen¿¿s University, I have had issues dealing with my workload, which aggravated a predisposition to see things negatively. This became unmanageable as I moved onto 300 level courses. I found that as academic pressure built up, I became unduly stressed and anxious. Addressing coursework became difficult because it would bring even greater feelings of anxiety. I would not complete the coursework because it made me feel depressed and anxious to the point where I would have difficulty waking up in the morning and I would avoid it as a cause of those negative feelings. I would not address any of these problems with my professors because I would feel ashamed of my failures. The result of my circumstances was that I missed deadlines for significant assignments and under-studied for major tests in most of my courses, which resulted in multiple failures.
Future Plan:
I have made significant strides in my last academic term now that I have learned to address and deal with the patterns I see that I am susceptible to and I am coming off a successful term where I earned a 2.92 GPA. Unfortunately, I fell just short of the 1.6 cumulative GPA required to remain, instead raising myself to a 1.56. I am going into my last year at Queen¿¿s and a successful appeal would mean I would be able meet the prerequisites for graduation by the end of the 2018 Summer term.
If my appeal is granted, my plan going forward would be to continuously address both my academic and psychological issues. I have made plans with a counselor at Student Wellness Services to routinely visit in order to keep my feelings of negativity in check. To stay on top of my academics I will be making regular use of the resources at Queen¿¿s Student Academic Success Services. As for the question of workload, my projected graduation date means that I would have to take three 400 level Art History courses, two 300 level Art History courses and 18.0 units of electives over the course of three terms. To ensure academic success I would pursue only 100 level electives which I feel confident I can pass, in order to alleviate any pressure I might feel from the 400 level courses. I would only take one 400 level course in the Fall term with one 300 level course and two 100 level courses, in order to feel out how I am able to manage a 400 level course. Three 100 level courses would be taken in the Summer 2018 term.
I am also pursuing a separate appeal to allow me to drop several of my failed courses past the 1 term deadline. A successful appeal for at least 2 of my failed courses would mean that my GPA is once more above 1.6 and I could be allowed to remain. If none of my courses are dropped, but my appeal to remain is granted, I feel confident I can succeed in my chosen program and significantly raise my GPA by retaking one of the ENGL 200 courses I previously failed.
Thank you,
Peter Sousa Del Mastro
Student 1001662
Associate Dean (Studies)
Request:
I am appealing the Faculty¿¿s decision that I must withdraw from Queen¿¿s for a minimum of one year.
Explanation of Extenuating Circumstances:
The extenuating circumstance cited in this appeal is my tendency towards anxiety and depression when I fall behind on my coursework. I went to see a counselor at Queen¿¿s Wellness Services four times in the Winter term of 2014 to address feelings of depression. In the Winter term of 2017 I resumed seeing a counselor at Queen¿¿s Wellness Services to address my shortcomings after I was encouraged by a professor to do so. I am using the records of my visits there as evidence of my extenuating circumstances. During my studies at Queen¿¿s University, I have had issues dealing with my workload, which aggravated a predisposition to see things negatively. This became unmanageable as I moved onto 300 level courses. I found that as academic pressure built up, I became unduly stressed and anxious. Addressing coursework became difficult because it would bring even greater feelings of anxiety. I would not complete the coursework because it made me feel depressed and anxious to the point where I would have difficulty waking up in the morning and I would avoid it as a cause of those negative feelings. I would not address any of these problems with my professors because I would feel ashamed of my failures. The result of my circumstances was that I missed deadlines for significant assignments and under-studied for major tests in most of my courses, which resulted in multiple failures.
Future Plan:
I have made significant strides in my last academic term now that I have learned to address and deal with the patterns I see that I am susceptible to and I am coming off a successful term where I earned a 2.92 GPA. Unfortunately, I fell just short of the 1.6 cumulative GPA required to remain, instead raising myself to a 1.56. I am going into my last year at Queen¿¿s and a successful appeal would mean I would be able meet the prerequisites for graduation by the end of the 2018 Summer term.
If my appeal is granted, my plan going forward would be to continuously address both my academic and psychological issues. I have made plans with a counselor at Student Wellness Services to routinely visit in order to keep my feelings of negativity in check. To stay on top of my academics I will be making regular use of the resources at Queen¿¿s Student Academic Success Services. As for the question of workload, my projected graduation date means that I would have to take three 400 level Art History courses, two 300 level Art History courses and 18.0 units of electives over the course of three terms. To ensure academic success I would pursue only 100 level electives which I feel confident I can pass, in order to alleviate any pressure I might feel from the 400 level courses. I would only take one 400 level course in the Fall term with one 300 level course and two 100 level courses, in order to feel out how I am able to manage a 400 level course. Three 100 level courses would be taken in the Summer 2018 term.
I am also pursuing a separate appeal to allow me to drop several of my failed courses past the 1 term deadline. A successful appeal for at least 2 of my failed courses would mean that my GPA is once more above 1.6 and I could be allowed to remain. If none of my courses are dropped, but my appeal to remain is granted, I feel confident I can succeed in my chosen program and significantly raise my GPA by retaking one of the ENGL 200 courses I previously failed.
Thank you,
Peter Sousa Del Mastro
Student 1001662
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: Academic Plan
Course of Study
The goal of this plan is to meet the prerequisites for graduation with a Major in Art History by the end of the 2018 Summer term. To this end, I will require 9.0 400-level units, 6.0 300-level units and 18.0 elective units.
In the 2017 Fall term, I will take one 400-level Art History course, one 300-level Art History course and two 100-level electives.
The 2018 Fall term will include two 400-level Art History courses, one 300-level Art History course and one 100-level elective.
The 2018 Summer term will consist of three 100-level electives taken online.
If one of the ENGL 200 courses I failed is available, I will opt to take it in place of one of the level-100 courses, since passing it will significantly raise my GPA and still cover my elective units.
Full Time Status
To meet the above goals, I will be acting as a full-time student. No part-time employment will be taken, to free up time for my studies. To alleviate potential strain on my course load, I will be taking four classes per term and have shifted two 100-level electives to my Summer 2018 term course load, for a total of three summer courses.
Strategies for Success:
In the past, my academic success has been hindered by poor time management which aggravated a predisposition towards negativity and anxiety which further impacted my motivation to meet deadlines and study. To address these mental and academic roadblocks, I will be connecting myself with a variety of resources as offered on campus.
1. Communicating with Professors
I will regularly consult with my professors to assess my understanding of the course materials and seek additional ways I can improve my standing in their courses. The aim for this goal will be to converse weekly with professors and/or teaching assistants and inform them of my progress and my difficulties. Ideally this will help keep me accountable and up-to-date with the course material.
2. Student Academic Success Services
I have registered with Queen¿¿s Student Academic Success Services and will be aiming to regularly book appointments with both the Learning Strategies program and the Writing Center. From here I will be seeking to learn to manage my time and improve my grades in my writing-heavy program while avoiding a predisposition towards procrastination. Hopefully I can meet with each resource once a week, but that criteria will be adjusted once I ascertain exactly how busy they are.
3. Student Wellness Services
To manage a predisposition towards negative thinking and anxiety, I have made arrangements with counselor Dr. Tonya Bauermann at Queen¿¿s Student Wellness Services to check in regularly over the course of the academic year. This is with the aim of moderating any potential mood swings or bouts of depression which might discourage me from completing coursework. Ideally this will serve as a preventative measure rather than a reactive one, so that any feelings of anxiety or hopelessness can be managed before they get out of hand. These appointments will take place at the very beginning of the term and then monthly.
All the above measures will be accessed immediately upon the beginning of the 2017 Fall term, should my appeal be successful.
My last term (Winter, 2017) was my most successful throughout my entire time at Queen¿¿s. I achieved a 2.92 GPA for the term, but unfortunately ended up with a 1.56 Cumulative GPA due to my multiple previous failures. I developed personal management tools which helped to keep me on track and will continue to use these strategies to stay positive and motivated on a day-to-day basis while ensuring I stay up to date on all my coursework.
I feel as if I have learned enough about myself, my program and my work habits that I am equipped to deal with the academic year. My test preparation skills, my writing skills and my research skills have developed to a point where I feel confident that I can do well in my classes. This is particularly true with my Art History classes, where I feel I have spent enough time in the discipline that I now know how to navigate the coursework efficiently. I am aware of my own tendencies to justify procrastination and the triggers which set off my own anxiety and depression. With these pitfalls in mind and the above resources in my Strategies for Success consulted regularly, I believe I have put myself in a good position to meet the academic goals I outlined in the beginning of this plan, should my appeal be successful.
Course of Study
The goal of this plan is to meet the prerequisites for graduation with a Major in Art History by the end of the 2018 Summer term. To this end, I will require 9.0 400-level units, 6.0 300-level units and 18.0 elective units.
In the 2017 Fall term, I will take one 400-level Art History course, one 300-level Art History course and two 100-level electives.
The 2018 Fall term will include two 400-level Art History courses, one 300-level Art History course and one 100-level elective.
The 2018 Summer term will consist of three 100-level electives taken online.
If one of the ENGL 200 courses I failed is available, I will opt to take it in place of one of the level-100 courses, since passing it will significantly raise my GPA and still cover my elective units.
Full Time Status
To meet the above goals, I will be acting as a full-time student. No part-time employment will be taken, to free up time for my studies. To alleviate potential strain on my course load, I will be taking four classes per term and have shifted two 100-level electives to my Summer 2018 term course load, for a total of three summer courses.
Strategies for Success:
In the past, my academic success has been hindered by poor time management which aggravated a predisposition towards negativity and anxiety which further impacted my motivation to meet deadlines and study. To address these mental and academic roadblocks, I will be connecting myself with a variety of resources as offered on campus.
1. Communicating with Professors
I will regularly consult with my professors to assess my understanding of the course materials and seek additional ways I can improve my standing in their courses. The aim for this goal will be to converse weekly with professors and/or teaching assistants and inform them of my progress and my difficulties. Ideally this will help keep me accountable and up-to-date with the course material.
2. Student Academic Success Services
I have registered with Queen¿¿s Student Academic Success Services and will be aiming to regularly book appointments with both the Learning Strategies program and the Writing Center. From here I will be seeking to learn to manage my time and improve my grades in my writing-heavy program while avoiding a predisposition towards procrastination. Hopefully I can meet with each resource once a week, but that criteria will be adjusted once I ascertain exactly how busy they are.
3. Student Wellness Services
To manage a predisposition towards negative thinking and anxiety, I have made arrangements with counselor Dr. Tonya Bauermann at Queen¿¿s Student Wellness Services to check in regularly over the course of the academic year. This is with the aim of moderating any potential mood swings or bouts of depression which might discourage me from completing coursework. Ideally this will serve as a preventative measure rather than a reactive one, so that any feelings of anxiety or hopelessness can be managed before they get out of hand. These appointments will take place at the very beginning of the term and then monthly.
All the above measures will be accessed immediately upon the beginning of the 2017 Fall term, should my appeal be successful.
My last term (Winter, 2017) was my most successful throughout my entire time at Queen¿¿s. I achieved a 2.92 GPA for the term, but unfortunately ended up with a 1.56 Cumulative GPA due to my multiple previous failures. I developed personal management tools which helped to keep me on track and will continue to use these strategies to stay positive and motivated on a day-to-day basis while ensuring I stay up to date on all my coursework.
I feel as if I have learned enough about myself, my program and my work habits that I am equipped to deal with the academic year. My test preparation skills, my writing skills and my research skills have developed to a point where I feel confident that I can do well in my classes. This is particularly true with my Art History classes, where I feel I have spent enough time in the discipline that I now know how to navigate the coursework efficiently. I am aware of my own tendencies to justify procrastination and the triggers which set off my own anxiety and depression. With these pitfalls in mind and the above resources in my Strategies for Success consulted regularly, I believe I have put myself in a good position to meet the academic goals I outlined in the beginning of this plan, should my appeal be successful.
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: Documentation from Queen's Student Wellness Center confirming my extenuating circumstance.