Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (studies),

I am requesting to waive the 21-day deadline to apply for an appeal to withdraw from Queen¿¿s University for a minimum of three years.

There were extenuating circumstances that prevented me from applying for an appeal on an earlier date. I was required to apply for an appeal no later than June 12th and I was not able to apply by that deadline because I was travelling to visit my cousins for a wedding and only returned Sunday of that week. I did not have access to write my appeal in that duration so unfortunately I have missed the deadline to appeal. I apologize for not writing the appeal sooner but I would still like the opportunity to submit a late application of this appeal. I¿¿ve given a lot of time and thought for my future plans on how to pursue my education plan. If the late appeal is granted, I shall include a more detailed version of my circumstances and the next steps for my education plan.

The reason why I would like to appeal that I must withdraw from Queen¿¿s university for a minimum of three years is that I feel like there were circumstances that affected my academic performance and overall path for the undergraduate program but I have overcome those obstacles and have made personal adjustments to achieve academic success should my appeal be granted. I do not wish to get into the specifics of my personal circumstances but there were multiple different factors but there was an underlying interpersonal challenge that I wish I addressed earlier in my academic career. I have previously dealt with depression while I was in university and despite seeing doctors from Queen¿¿s Student Wellness services and seeking advice from academic advisors and family and friends, there was an underlying issue that I was not addressing which was the fact that I was homesick. (I mainly relied on my family as my support group but I did speak to a doctor from Queen¿¿s Student Wellness Services, Dr. Beidermann, a few times so I contacted the clinic manager and she said I would be able to apply for an appeal request with a fee to provide documentation if necessary.) I was not able to adapt to the new environment and was not able to come out of that shell as the years progressed. I have made some personal adjustments such as modifying my education path, surrounding myself with my personal support group and asking for help when need be and having an equal balance of school and work. I am currently enrolled in four summer term courses and I have regained the motivation I once had when first applying to study sciences at Queen¿¿s university and will only be working on the weekends as of the fall term. I believe that my past marks are not a fair representation of my academic capability as there was always a pressure that I had to deal with and now with the support system and a well-thought-out academic plan I will be more than grateful for another attempt to continue my studies.

My academic plan pertains more directly on the degree plan that suits my academic background as well as avoids the barriers that I previously faced. I would like to retake a couple courses online that I previously failed in the fall term so I have a better cumulative grade and so that I have the prerequisites to apply for a science degree. I would like to pursue a bachelor of science degree but in specific, an online three-year life science program. I think this is the best option for me because this is the most suitable program for my interests and I could attain from the comforts from my home. Another benefit from attaining my degree online is that I could choose to be a full time or part time student. Upon returning I would like to apply for a lighter course load that may be more appropriate to manage. I do have a couple credits already but I would like to retake a couple course to ensure a solid foundation for upper year courses and to improve my overall cumulative grade. The Bachelor of Life Sciences program plan consist of 90.0 units and some of of the units required have already been completed. My next step would be to take a lighter course load in the fall/winter term with some of the 100/200 level prerequisite introductory courses including biology, chemistry and physiology and I could also continue my online studies in the summer term. I will include a more detailed plan in my appeal but I would appreciate another attempt to pursue my education without putting a hold on it for I have no doubt that my strategy for good academic plan would succeed because I¿¿ve identified what problems stood in the way of my academic success in the past and I¿¿ve addressed how I expect to mitigate the problems in the future terms. I thank you dean for your time and consideration

Sincerely,
Vivekha Kengatharan
ST10151443