Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Studies).

I am writing this letter to appeal the faculty's decision on my academic standing due to extenuating circumstances that led to poor performance results in courses for the fall 2016 and winter 2017 academic school years. I am appealing to drop the following courses: ECON 111 (Fall 2016), MUSC 171 (Fall 2016), ECON 111 (Winter 2017), ECON 112 (Winter 2017), DRAM 100B (Winter 2017), SPAN 111 (Winter 2017). I am also requesting a credit standing for MUSC 171 (Fall 2016).

My extenuating circumstances were a combination of personal illness, psychological challenge and financial challenge within my family. The three factors, along with a transition from secondary school to postsecondary education directly impacted my ability to perform well in my first year at Queen's despite an excellent academic standing previously. From the last week of October 2016 up to the end of April 2017, I was not able to attend classes, speak to professors after class, write in-person examinations and had difficulty collaborating with others. I was extremely nervous in large crowds of people and constantly worried about whether or not I could afford school in the coming years. In an attempt to resolve this, I switched one course online but had difficulty collaborating with my peers without being able to meet one-on-one. As well, I went to my academic advisor for academic guidance before speaking with my course professors to ask for guidance. Unfortunately, a miscommunication and misunderstanding in the appeal process left me with failed or poor grades. For health guidance and support, I went to the wellness center for help, sought further help from an online health professional and asked for advice from the past, as well as current Queen's students. My appeal to these circumstances is my attempt to start anew and with confidence in my future courses at Queen's.

After seeking the advice of two academic advisors at Queen's and after the completion of this academic appeal, I want to move forward from a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree plan (4 years) to a Bachelor of Arts General degree plan (3 years) at Queen's University, starting Fall 2017. Due to my health circumstances being ongoing, the 3-year program will allow me to choose a lighter course load for the first semester given the fact that I had completed a 3 unit course in the first year where my grade is adequate. The 3-year degree is also an affordable way to complete my studies. Furthermore, I would like to repeat ECON 111, ECON 112 and MATH 126 with monthly check-ins with my professors to ensure I complete them with a better academic standing. I will do the same monthly check-ins with professors for my other courses. In addition, I will take advantage of resources such as learning strategies workshops on campus to receive advice overall on how I can organize myself in a position to succeed. For my health conditions, I have made it a priority to create a dietary and exercise plan to encourage a healthy lifestyle. I will pair this throughout my academic career with monthly checkups to a wellness therapist on-campus or online to ensure that my health is on track. I am confident that if I follow my plan and seek help immediately if necessary, I will succeed academically at Queen's this coming school year.

Thank you, Associate Dean,(Studies) and the Faculty of Arts/Science for taking the time to look over my appeal. I greatly appreciate it and look forward to thriving in the upcoming school year.

Regards, Yanling Chen