Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean,
I am appealing the decision that I must withdraw from my studies at Queen¿¿s for one year as I believe I have dealt with extenuating circumstances that significantly impacted my academics. During Reading Week of 2016 I experienced a family trauma that I was barely able to manage but eventually lead to a heart murmur caused by stress. At the end of Fall semester 2017 I experienced the unexpected and sudden passing of a close family member, this combined with the previous family event that I had not recovered from ultimately lead to a failing semester. During the Winter semester of 2017 these events combined led to a messy separation of my parents. I intended to appeal in the summer of 2017 but rapidly became overwhelmed by the circumstances and my mental health suffered severely. I came into the Fall semester of 2017 quite determined to do better despite that the trauma of the previous year. I was in contact with my profs and received extensions are they were aware of the circumstances, this semester did not go as poorly as the previous year but during the winter break my family separation led to unexpected financial stress that was placed directly on me. For much of the Winter 2018 semester I was grappling with a new sense of identity as parts of me that I had considered integral to my identity had abruptly changed over the past two years. I recognized that despite my efforts to stay afloat, I was going to need more help than I thought and reached out to counselling services at a LaSalle, where I had been before but not regularly.
For the last part of the semester Marjorie has really helped me organize the chaos in my life and start to rebuild a new sense of identity. Going forward, I am looking into therapists in Toronto as I will be home for the summer months for the first time in 5 years, and I found my experience enriching, yet I know that I am someone who needs to seek regular mental health help to heal my traumas of the past years. These coming four months are also the first time since this began that I am getting to take time for myself, I am training for a marathon, as running has become a positive coping strategy throughout my life, in addition to working full time. I have discovered that keeping busy and active is a method that works for me in order to set myself up for success.
In the coming school year, I am applying to be on the executive of Camp Outlook (will be general member if need be), I joined this club last year and found it to be a highlight of my Queen¿¿s experience and a key part of my gradual adjustment to university life. I am also part of the triathlon club, and hopefully going to make the racing team this year after training throughout the summer. Both of these clubs are activities that put me in my flow and provide skills I can take and apply to the conflict and trauma in my life. My intention is to seek academic accommodations for my mental health struggles in addition, as I now know that help is at Queen¿¿s, it has just taken me some time to ask for it. To sum up my plan going forward, it is to attend regular counselling sessions (in Toronto and then Kingston in the fall), to train with Queen¿¿s Triathlon and volunteer with Camp Outlook, and to receive academic accommodations for my mental health, with my fallback plan being to contact my professors immediately into the semester asking for suggestions to succeed in my academics. The small amount of time I have been home this summer has already been quite progressive and I find myself making strides forward in my family life and developing more motivation and passion to continue my education as an art history student at Queen¿¿s. I hope you will consider my appeal as I am looking forward to returning to Queen¿¿s in the fall, with a positive mindset and a manageable course load.
Sincerely,
Sabina Midgen