Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Associate Dean (Studies):

I am writing to appeal the following marks on my transcript due to extenuating circumstances:

2017 Fall:
CHEM 281 (I repeated this course in 2018 Summer, and I am appealing for credit standing)

2018 Winter:
CHEM 282 (I repeated this course in 2018 Summer, and I am appealing to drop past drop date)
MICR 221 (I am requesting credit standing)
PHGY 214 (I repeated this course as PHGY 215/PHGY 216 in 2018 Summer, and was told by Denise Cameron that it would show as a repeat course and the highest mark would count in my GPA. I have attached email proof of this conversation. I am appealing to drop past drop date.)

2018 Summer:
CHEM 282 (I am requesting credit standing)

2018 Fall:
ANAT 312 (I am requesting credit standing)
MICR 360 (I am requesting credit standing)
PHAR 340 (I am requesting credit standing)

During the 2017-18 academic year and the 2018 calendar year, I experienced extenuating circumstances, which had a dramatic negative impact on my academic studies at Queen¿¿s University. These circumstances were unforeseen personal events, which resulted in my suffering a high level of psychological and emotional stress during this period. In partial explanation to the cause of my extenuating circumstances, over the course of the time period stated previously, I experienced persistent emotional and sexual coercion/abuse by another student of the Queen¿¿s community. I endeavoured during this period, to focus on my studies, but as a result of the psychological stress that I was dealing with, I was not able to achieve marks that are typical of my academic ability in several of my courses. As a result of my extenuating circumstances, my ability to learn was hindered in a variety of ways, some specific examples are: I was unable to concentrate on course material due to mental preoccupation; I was unable to achieve healthy sleeping and eating patterns; and I confined myself in my room for long periods of time causing me to miss important lectures.

I did manage to get all of my credits, with the exception of 2, which I repeated and earned while still under extreme stress, in the summer of 2018.

The psychological and emotional stress that I was dealing with carried over into the fall term of 2018, with similar results as in the fall of 2017 and winter of 2018 ¿¿ low marks in some of my courses.

During this time while I was mentally unwell, I visited my doctor twice, and received counselling from him on how to work through these circumstances.

Fortunately, in the winter term of 2019, I was finally able to overcome my severe psychological and emotional stress, and revisited my doctor once again to discuss wellness moving forward, as well as the impact these extenuating circumstances had on my academic record. My doctor offered to write a medical letter to Queen¿¿s University, explaining the mental health issues that I was dealing with; I have attached that letter to this appeal.

The marks I achieved in the winter term of 2019 reflect the high level of academic performance that is typical of me, and demonstrate that my psychological and emotional stress has ended. The stressful issues that I was dealing with from September of 2017 to December of 2018 no longer exist. With the professional help of my doctor, I was able to finally overcome these extenuating circumstances, and I expect that my academic results moving forward will be highly successful. I will continue to see my doctor regularly over the course of my university career, as his support was extremely helpful in my return to wellness.

Until recently, I felt mentally unprepared to revisit this period of my life in the form of an appeal. While my extenuating circumstances had concluded prior to the Winter 2019 semester, I worried that forcing myself to think about my previous circumstances may be mentally draining, and interfere with my ability to perform academically. Additionally, I have found it very difficult to talk about my experience, as my primary focus has been to move forward. However, with support from my family and close friends I have recently become comfortable enough to discuss this time period through the appeal process.

To address why I did not drop the courses earlier, my unhealthy mental state at the time did not allow me think rationally and logically to do so. Additionally, while my extenuating circumstances had an impact on all of my courses throughout the time period described, I was fortunate enough to have prior knowledge going into some of the courses which I have chosen not to appeal. This previous background allowed me to perform stronger in some courses, while at the same time, struggling more significantly in others. For this reason, I have only chosen to appeal my worst marks.

I am requesting that all D-range grades earned in 2017 Fall, 2018 Winter, 2018 Summer, 2018 Fall be represented as CR on my transcript. In reference to the same time period, I am requesting that all courses where credit was not earned, be represented as DR on my transcript.

I respectfully request that you consider my circumstances in your review, and grant my appeal so that this event does not have a permanent impact on my academic record.

Sincerely,

Mikayla Erdelsky