Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 4674
Submitted: June 4, 2018 at 6:04:36 PM
First Name: Indiana
Last Name: Payne
Student Number: 20073617
Email: 17imp@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: ARTH
Level of Study: 1
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the requirement to withdraw for one year
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,
I am appealing the Faculty's decision that I must withdraw for a minimum of one year due to personal issues that arose during the school year.
During the summer of 2017 I was been diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety, I was hospitalized and underwent treatment for many weeks. however, I was determined to attend my first year of university, since I had already accepted and made preparations before my diagnosis.
During the school year my anxiety and mental health went through waves of good and bad causing me to miss a lot of class time and not perform to my full ability. Not only was I adjusting to new a type of school, as well as a new country, but also a new illness I had not had a lot of prior experience dealing with.
I did seek counseling and the help of student services while at the BISC but found them to be very limited in the ways they could help me. I could only see a councillor once for an hour every other week, which I found to be insufficient, and found that accessing outside counselling and therapy would have taken too long, as I would have had to go through the UK NHS. I tried my best in the scenario I was in, giving that it was my first year and on top of that I was also dealing with my newly diagnoses.
The counsellor, who I will keep unnamed had told me they did not even think I suffered from either anxiety or depression, which made me even more doubtful of myself and my situation. I am not putting any blame on the BISC counselling or student services; however, I will say their help was limited and left me feeling like I had no one else to turn to. They were not a causation of my poor academic performance this year, however they also were little help in improving my situation.
I found myself unable to attend class, unable to focus, and unable to complete assignments properly. This obviously had an enormous impact on my GPA and performance.
Once I returned home however, I immediately made appointments with the doctors and psychiatrists who had seen me the previous summer. I have seen my family doctor who diagnosed me in the first place, and he has referred me to a specialist who will be able to help me over the summer and intro the coming school year. Something which I believe will benefit me hugely is continuing treatment with a specialist I know and trust throughout the school year, as opposed to switching to a system and counsellors I do not know, and who do not believe me about my mental health situation.
I know depression and anxiety are not illnesses you can be rid of in a week or two. These illnesses are something that may very well plague me for the rest of my life. I am determined, and I know I can prove it to myself that I can do anything I would have done before my diagnosis.
I am appealing the Faculty's decision that I must withdraw for a minimum of one year due to personal issues that arose during the school year.
During the summer of 2017 I was been diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety, I was hospitalized and underwent treatment for many weeks. however, I was determined to attend my first year of university, since I had already accepted and made preparations before my diagnosis.
During the school year my anxiety and mental health went through waves of good and bad causing me to miss a lot of class time and not perform to my full ability. Not only was I adjusting to new a type of school, as well as a new country, but also a new illness I had not had a lot of prior experience dealing with.
I did seek counseling and the help of student services while at the BISC but found them to be very limited in the ways they could help me. I could only see a councillor once for an hour every other week, which I found to be insufficient, and found that accessing outside counselling and therapy would have taken too long, as I would have had to go through the UK NHS. I tried my best in the scenario I was in, giving that it was my first year and on top of that I was also dealing with my newly diagnoses.
The counsellor, who I will keep unnamed had told me they did not even think I suffered from either anxiety or depression, which made me even more doubtful of myself and my situation. I am not putting any blame on the BISC counselling or student services; however, I will say their help was limited and left me feeling like I had no one else to turn to. They were not a causation of my poor academic performance this year, however they also were little help in improving my situation.
I found myself unable to attend class, unable to focus, and unable to complete assignments properly. This obviously had an enormous impact on my GPA and performance.
Once I returned home however, I immediately made appointments with the doctors and psychiatrists who had seen me the previous summer. I have seen my family doctor who diagnosed me in the first place, and he has referred me to a specialist who will be able to help me over the summer and intro the coming school year. Something which I believe will benefit me hugely is continuing treatment with a specialist I know and trust throughout the school year, as opposed to switching to a system and counsellors I do not know, and who do not believe me about my mental health situation.
I know depression and anxiety are not illnesses you can be rid of in a week or two. These illnesses are something that may very well plague me for the rest of my life. I am determined, and I know I can prove it to myself that I can do anything I would have done before my diagnosis.
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: I am willing to make many personal adjustments in order to better cope with my illness. I am in contact with my family doctor, and have made him aware of my situation and how it has not improved. I have also arranged plans to see regular therapeutic and psychiatric help, more than once every other week. These professionals were the ones I was working with before I went to school in September, they provided me with CBT and many other useful skills for coping. Hopefully spending a prolonged period of time over the summer, and having sessions with them throughout the school year will aid in keeping my mental health well, healthy. With the proper health care in place I should be able to improve in my academics and overall everyday life.
If my appeal is granted, I am also going to contact accommodations and have them modified for the coming school year, as I found the accommodations I had were not enough to help me during exams. As my anxiety is at its peek during those periods. I would request more time for exams, and ask about the possibility of using a computerluring very long written exams, as that is when my concentration tends to fade the most.
With these few things in place I also would look ore carefully at my course selection and academic plan. I spoke with an academic advisor regarding if it is possible to switch to ARTV, or switch my major and minor to art history and philosophy as my academic plan, as I find I am most motivated and I find it easier to concentrate in art and philosophy courses. However I realize that my GPA is too low currently to make it into any of these plans without being on a waiting list. I had contacted academic advising and was told that I should stay general until after the appeal is either granted or rejected, and in either case I should set up a followup appointment to plan out proper a plan and program.
With a general idea of my academic program in place, I can move on to how I am going to be successful in said program. As stated above I have made arrangements to see professionals who will help me with motivation and concentration. I also have been looking into setting something up with student wellness services on main campus.
With these changes in place, I do believe that I can succeed in the following academic year.
If my appeal is granted, I am also going to contact accommodations and have them modified for the coming school year, as I found the accommodations I had were not enough to help me during exams. As my anxiety is at its peek during those periods. I would request more time for exams, and ask about the possibility of using a computerluring very long written exams, as that is when my concentration tends to fade the most.
With these few things in place I also would look ore carefully at my course selection and academic plan. I spoke with an academic advisor regarding if it is possible to switch to ARTV, or switch my major and minor to art history and philosophy as my academic plan, as I find I am most motivated and I find it easier to concentrate in art and philosophy courses. However I realize that my GPA is too low currently to make it into any of these plans without being on a waiting list. I had contacted academic advising and was told that I should stay general until after the appeal is either granted or rejected, and in either case I should set up a followup appointment to plan out proper a plan and program.
With a general idea of my academic program in place, I can move on to how I am going to be successful in said program. As stated above I have made arrangements to see professionals who will help me with motivation and concentration. I also have been looking into setting something up with student wellness services on main campus.
With these changes in place, I do believe that I can succeed in the following academic year.
Documentation
Professional Letter: BRW90CDB61BCC1A_000009.jpeg
