Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 3666
Submitted: July 13, 2017 at 12:59:02 PM
First Name: Shelby
Last Name: LaTour
Student Number: 6282040
Email: 9sml3@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: GNDS
Level of Study: 3
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean of Studies,
I am appealing to return to study at Queen¿¿s after completing a three year requirement to withdraw which began April of 2014.
The ¿Academic Appeals¿¿ information section of the Queen¿¿s website reads that I do not have to provide my extenuating circumstances for an appeal of this nature, but for the sake of clarity I will summarize them below briefly.
At the time my requirement to withdraw came into effect, I was battling severe depression. Despite struggling with this issue since puberty, I had received no consequential help from any health care professionals. Due to this gradual escalation of mental health problems, I became incapable of juggling the many tasks I had taken on. I foolishly put my schooling needs on the back burner, as I struggled to provide for myself and care for my then common-law husband who was an alcoholic and a paranoid schizophrenic. These priorities caused my school work to suffer, as I was devoting less and less time to my assignments, and frequently not attending classes.
I have since then calculated the correct dosage of an antidepressant that I began taking in January of 2014. My initial dosage was gradually increased to find an effective one over a period of about half a year. I still take the same medication at the same dosage, and over time it has exponentially increased my mood and ability to function. I also ended my relationship with my ex common law husband shortly after I was first required to withdraw.
For the past three years I have attempted to remove other perceived stresses from my future academic environment. I have paid off my outstanding tuition and all of my OSAP loans. I am continuing to save, ensuring that I will not have to work full time hours to support myself. In addition, I have used these intermediate years to take initiatives towards self betterment. I set goals for myself, both monetary and experiential, and accomplished them. I have changed from the person who would put the wants of another before the needs of herself. I believe that this is the most important step I have taken.
Without the obstacles I have outlined above I believe that I will be able to succeed in my academic career. A more detailed course of action I will take to ensure this success is outlined in the academic plan I have provided with this appeal.
Shelby LaTour, 06282040
I am appealing to return to study at Queen¿¿s after completing a three year requirement to withdraw which began April of 2014.
The ¿Academic Appeals¿¿ information section of the Queen¿¿s website reads that I do not have to provide my extenuating circumstances for an appeal of this nature, but for the sake of clarity I will summarize them below briefly.
At the time my requirement to withdraw came into effect, I was battling severe depression. Despite struggling with this issue since puberty, I had received no consequential help from any health care professionals. Due to this gradual escalation of mental health problems, I became incapable of juggling the many tasks I had taken on. I foolishly put my schooling needs on the back burner, as I struggled to provide for myself and care for my then common-law husband who was an alcoholic and a paranoid schizophrenic. These priorities caused my school work to suffer, as I was devoting less and less time to my assignments, and frequently not attending classes.
I have since then calculated the correct dosage of an antidepressant that I began taking in January of 2014. My initial dosage was gradually increased to find an effective one over a period of about half a year. I still take the same medication at the same dosage, and over time it has exponentially increased my mood and ability to function. I also ended my relationship with my ex common law husband shortly after I was first required to withdraw.
For the past three years I have attempted to remove other perceived stresses from my future academic environment. I have paid off my outstanding tuition and all of my OSAP loans. I am continuing to save, ensuring that I will not have to work full time hours to support myself. In addition, I have used these intermediate years to take initiatives towards self betterment. I set goals for myself, both monetary and experiential, and accomplished them. I have changed from the person who would put the wants of another before the needs of herself. I believe that this is the most important step I have taken.
Without the obstacles I have outlined above I believe that I will be able to succeed in my academic career. A more detailed course of action I will take to ensure this success is outlined in the academic plan I have provided with this appeal.
Shelby LaTour, 06282040
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: I have found my course work in Religious Studies sufficiently interesting to consider it a good option for a major. This coming academic year, I would ideally enroll in the following:
Fall Semester
RELS 210 Hebrew Bible
RELS 225 Taoism
RELS 240 Magic, Witchcraft, and the Supernatural
RELS 322 Yoga and India in the West
RELS 326 Religion and Politics in Muslim Societies
Winter Semester
RELS 236 Religion and Sex
RELS 255 Research Methods in Religions Studies
RELS 328 Interpretation of Apocalyptic Literature
RELS 340 Religion and Democracy
RELS 394 Religion and Politics in Contemporary China
These classes, when accumulated with my other Religious Studies credits, add up to 54.0 credits of the 60.0 required for a major in this discipline. The following year I would take RELS 401, and a few other 300 or 400 level Religious Studies courses to supplement this number. After completing this Bachelor of Arts, I intend to apply for a spot in the Bachelor of Education program in the Primary/Junior concentration. I aim to use the available space in the 2018-2019 school year to enroll in the courses recommended by Queen's for Primary/Junior hopefuls that I have not yet completed; English, History/Geography, and Science.
By retaking several courses, namely RELS 210, 255, and 236, I will be able to drop past failures to more easily increase my GPA to an acceptable level.
Additionally, I have chosen the above courses with more effective time management in mind, which I have struggled with in the past. These courses are spread throughout the week, not creating a long chain of several hours of classes which I had in previous years. This spacing will allow for plenty of hours of personal study each day, while not getting burnt out.
I also plan to consult with the Student Academic Success Services to help plan each coming week. I will construct a broad weekly plan, and a more detailed daily plan, for the duration of my study. When left to my own devices, I am a procrastinator, but I follow schedules very well. With the help of the SASS team I can schedule my life in a effective and constructive way.
The procrastination issue, though largely treated by scheduling, will also have to be addressed. I will review techniques for avoiding procrastination with the Writing Centre, and plan to use a support system of friends and former coworkers at other universities to keep each other accountable. This will include sharing due dates of assignments, and other non procrastination related encouragement such as proof reading.
Finances were a problem for me in past years, but I am happy to say that throughout my three years away from the university I have been able to save enough money to pay my living expenses for the academic year without having a job during it. This has the dual effect that I have more time to allot to my studies.
Fall Semester
RELS 210 Hebrew Bible
RELS 225 Taoism
RELS 240 Magic, Witchcraft, and the Supernatural
RELS 322 Yoga and India in the West
RELS 326 Religion and Politics in Muslim Societies
Winter Semester
RELS 236 Religion and Sex
RELS 255 Research Methods in Religions Studies
RELS 328 Interpretation of Apocalyptic Literature
RELS 340 Religion and Democracy
RELS 394 Religion and Politics in Contemporary China
These classes, when accumulated with my other Religious Studies credits, add up to 54.0 credits of the 60.0 required for a major in this discipline. The following year I would take RELS 401, and a few other 300 or 400 level Religious Studies courses to supplement this number. After completing this Bachelor of Arts, I intend to apply for a spot in the Bachelor of Education program in the Primary/Junior concentration. I aim to use the available space in the 2018-2019 school year to enroll in the courses recommended by Queen's for Primary/Junior hopefuls that I have not yet completed; English, History/Geography, and Science.
By retaking several courses, namely RELS 210, 255, and 236, I will be able to drop past failures to more easily increase my GPA to an acceptable level.
Additionally, I have chosen the above courses with more effective time management in mind, which I have struggled with in the past. These courses are spread throughout the week, not creating a long chain of several hours of classes which I had in previous years. This spacing will allow for plenty of hours of personal study each day, while not getting burnt out.
I also plan to consult with the Student Academic Success Services to help plan each coming week. I will construct a broad weekly plan, and a more detailed daily plan, for the duration of my study. When left to my own devices, I am a procrastinator, but I follow schedules very well. With the help of the SASS team I can schedule my life in a effective and constructive way.
The procrastination issue, though largely treated by scheduling, will also have to be addressed. I will review techniques for avoiding procrastination with the Writing Centre, and plan to use a support system of friends and former coworkers at other universities to keep each other accountable. This will include sharing due dates of assignments, and other non procrastination related encouragement such as proof reading.
Finances were a problem for me in past years, but I am happy to say that throughout my three years away from the university I have been able to save enough money to pay my living expenses for the academic year without having a job during it. This has the dual effect that I have more time to allot to my studies.
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: NO DOC
Document: Latour Let.pdf