Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 6389
Submitted: December 22, 2019 at 7:19:54 PM
First Name: Kamal
Last Name: Ramnares
Student Number: 20030543
Email: kamal.ramnares@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: POLS
Level of Study: 4
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the 21-day or one term deadline
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean,¿
This letter concerns my request for Credit Standing (CR) for courses in the Fall and Winter term of school year 2018-2019.¿ I apologize for not sending this letter earlier, as I was unaware until speaking to a guidance adviser this term, that I had the option to make this request.¿
I dealt with a number of issues last year, that significantly affected my physical and mental health and subsequently my ability to perform well in all of my courses.¿ I previously applied for a late drop appeal for one of my fall courses, COMM303 due to some of these issues and based on the advice from my professor at the time, I was successful with having the course dropped.
I have struggled with putting together this letter as I have difficulty reliving the events of the last year.¿ I was on track to complete my Honours Bachelor's degree in four years and then to apply for a Masters degree, however the poor marks I had last year left me with feelings of failure due to circumstances beyond my control ¿¿ I am faced with having to retake courses or graduating with a poor GPA that will limit my future opportunities.¿ The guidance office has been very helpful in presenting me with options to get back to my original goals and one option was to consider applying for a credit standing for the courses where I performed poorly. This would allow me to move on with my future and put the past behind me.
This current request is to consider an application for Credit Standing for the following courses:
POLS354-Democratic Theory (Fall, 2018)¿¿
POLS360-Introduction to International Relations (Fall, 2018)¿¿
POLS385-Introduction to Statistics (Winter, 2019)¿¿
POLS332- Post-communist Politics (Winter, 2019)¿¿
POLS383- Law and the Governmental Process (Winter, 2019)¿¿
I was randomly sucker-punched by a complete stranger on Oct. 31st, 2018 and suffered a concussion that affected my ability to focus and perform effectively in school.¿ I was left unconscious and the police took me to the hospital, where I spent the night at the KGH and was diagnosed with a concussion and a broken nose.¿ The impact of the concussion caused me to struggle with anxiety and depression for the fall and winter terms and I found myself struggling with the ability to manage a full course load.¿
I had weighed the option of dropping out of the fall and winter terms and returning home to deal with the effects of the concussion and the related mental health issues. However, I was concerned that if I left school to deal with these issues, that I would not return, and I did not want to let the attack derail my ability to get my degree from Queen¿¿s and to be successful later in life.¿ As I was dealing with these issues, I also lost my grandmother and uncle in the early part of the winter term and while I would normally have managed to deal with these losses, I found myself struggling even more. It was a dark period in my life and I tried very hard to continue with my studies and tried to not give in and leave school.
While I was able to manage some of courses well with the support of my professors and with accommodations from Student Services, I struggled with the weight of the full course load and this showed in the marks in some of my classes.
I don¿¿t want to continue to dwell on the past issues and want to move and focus on my future. Getting the credit standing to remove the poor marks on my transcript will go a long way to helping me heal and to get back on my path to being successful.
I realize that I may have waited too long to deal with these issues to manage my grade point average, however I wasn¿¿t aware until my recent discussions with guidance that this option was available to me.¿ I¿¿m completing this during the Christmas break as it has been a challenge to prepare this request in the midst of completing my last term and my hope is that you will still consider this request given the delay.¿
Thank you - Kamal Ramnares
If you have any questions, and would like to discuss further, please let me know.
16kr7@queensu.ca
This letter concerns my request for Credit Standing (CR) for courses in the Fall and Winter term of school year 2018-2019.¿ I apologize for not sending this letter earlier, as I was unaware until speaking to a guidance adviser this term, that I had the option to make this request.¿
I dealt with a number of issues last year, that significantly affected my physical and mental health and subsequently my ability to perform well in all of my courses.¿ I previously applied for a late drop appeal for one of my fall courses, COMM303 due to some of these issues and based on the advice from my professor at the time, I was successful with having the course dropped.
I have struggled with putting together this letter as I have difficulty reliving the events of the last year.¿ I was on track to complete my Honours Bachelor's degree in four years and then to apply for a Masters degree, however the poor marks I had last year left me with feelings of failure due to circumstances beyond my control ¿¿ I am faced with having to retake courses or graduating with a poor GPA that will limit my future opportunities.¿ The guidance office has been very helpful in presenting me with options to get back to my original goals and one option was to consider applying for a credit standing for the courses where I performed poorly. This would allow me to move on with my future and put the past behind me.
This current request is to consider an application for Credit Standing for the following courses:
POLS354-Democratic Theory (Fall, 2018)¿¿
POLS360-Introduction to International Relations (Fall, 2018)¿¿
POLS385-Introduction to Statistics (Winter, 2019)¿¿
POLS332- Post-communist Politics (Winter, 2019)¿¿
POLS383- Law and the Governmental Process (Winter, 2019)¿¿
I was randomly sucker-punched by a complete stranger on Oct. 31st, 2018 and suffered a concussion that affected my ability to focus and perform effectively in school.¿ I was left unconscious and the police took me to the hospital, where I spent the night at the KGH and was diagnosed with a concussion and a broken nose.¿ The impact of the concussion caused me to struggle with anxiety and depression for the fall and winter terms and I found myself struggling with the ability to manage a full course load.¿
I had weighed the option of dropping out of the fall and winter terms and returning home to deal with the effects of the concussion and the related mental health issues. However, I was concerned that if I left school to deal with these issues, that I would not return, and I did not want to let the attack derail my ability to get my degree from Queen¿¿s and to be successful later in life.¿ As I was dealing with these issues, I also lost my grandmother and uncle in the early part of the winter term and while I would normally have managed to deal with these losses, I found myself struggling even more. It was a dark period in my life and I tried very hard to continue with my studies and tried to not give in and leave school.
While I was able to manage some of courses well with the support of my professors and with accommodations from Student Services, I struggled with the weight of the full course load and this showed in the marks in some of my classes.
I don¿¿t want to continue to dwell on the past issues and want to move and focus on my future. Getting the credit standing to remove the poor marks on my transcript will go a long way to helping me heal and to get back on my path to being successful.
I realize that I may have waited too long to deal with these issues to manage my grade point average, however I wasn¿¿t aware until my recent discussions with guidance that this option was available to me.¿ I¿¿m completing this during the Christmas break as it has been a challenge to prepare this request in the midst of completing my last term and my hope is that you will still consider this request given the delay.¿
Thank you - Kamal Ramnares
If you have any questions, and would like to discuss further, please let me know.
16kr7@queensu.ca
Documentation
Professional Letter: Doctors Note Kamal Ramnares 20030543.pdf
Amendment to Appeal 6389
Relevant Petition: 6389
New Information: As a follow up on my previous appeal, I wanted to expand upon some circumstances and additional documentation I have gathered.
The attack responsible for my situation caused extreme grief and trauma. In my recovery and pursuance of the criminal aspect of the case, I was under a large burden of stress. I point this out only to emphasize my reasoning for having a limited amount of documentation. My false confidence during my recovery period, which resulted in my taking on a large course load, also led me to not consult all my potential options of aid. I had a correspondence with Queen's staff and student services, and received guidance from Queen's which was truly amazing. My major failure comes in the procurement of documentation from health advisors or psychiatric physicians at the time of the incident. I was confident in myself, to a degree that led me to take on more than I should have in my condition. I do have documentation from my family doctor, which he completed for my ongoing Queen's accommodations.
This appeal is my second, and there are a few reasons as to why I have created this additional appeal. My initial appeal in May 2019 was in regards to my COMM303 course, which I had not completed, and was instructed to drop. The professor, Dr. Riddler, had forwarded his own recommendation for this to the appropriate offices in our Arts and Science faculty, and in that case, I was requesting a late drop, whereas I am requesting a credit standing in this new appeal for my POLS courses.
Additionally, I was unaware of the option to even apply for a credit standing, and was only made aware by academic advising during my fall 2019 term, when I contacted them to inquire about my future options. Had I known about the option earlier, I would have acted faster, however when I discovered that I could make a request, I started the process.
The entire incident is one that has left me with a lot to burden. Not only are there physical manifestations, but also mental issues and my own inhibitions, which together make recounting and addressing the entire situation difficult. It causes me a great deal of stress to spend time recounting and documenting this experience, and this is why I have taken so long to complete the simple task and process of completing my appeal.
Though I initially attempted to stay focussed for my Winter 2019 term, I found myself afterwards reflecting on a mistake, and a truly problematic scenario in which I neglected my own mental health. My initial attempt to maintain stability and persevere is something that I regret, though I am focussed on taking the right actions in my future to lead me forward through Queen's, positively.
In terms of additional documentation, I have attached the documents from my physician which detail the extent of my current disabilities and accommodations, which also make note of a history of a traumatic brain injury and long term concussion symptoms. I have also attached a notice received form the paramedics at the time of the incident, along with a medical release form from Kingston Police that verifies the incident. As mentioned in the beginning, I did not seek as much aid as I should have, or was instructed to. I worked with Natasha Degroot in the Student Wellness Office, and also the accommodations advisors. I should have been more diligent in my recovery, however the circumstances of the actual injury, my isolation and false confidence led me to not take a traumatic experience and consequential condition much more seriously. Due to the impact of the injury, it was also difficult to maintain steady control of all the potential help I required.
I hope that I have expanded upon my circumstances well and I would like to thank you for your patience during this processing. The event itself leaves me disconcerted and depressed, making the recounting and detailing extremely burdensome. Thank you for your understanding and consideration, it is truly appreciated.
Kamal Ramnares
20030543
The attack responsible for my situation caused extreme grief and trauma. In my recovery and pursuance of the criminal aspect of the case, I was under a large burden of stress. I point this out only to emphasize my reasoning for having a limited amount of documentation. My false confidence during my recovery period, which resulted in my taking on a large course load, also led me to not consult all my potential options of aid. I had a correspondence with Queen's staff and student services, and received guidance from Queen's which was truly amazing. My major failure comes in the procurement of documentation from health advisors or psychiatric physicians at the time of the incident. I was confident in myself, to a degree that led me to take on more than I should have in my condition. I do have documentation from my family doctor, which he completed for my ongoing Queen's accommodations.
This appeal is my second, and there are a few reasons as to why I have created this additional appeal. My initial appeal in May 2019 was in regards to my COMM303 course, which I had not completed, and was instructed to drop. The professor, Dr. Riddler, had forwarded his own recommendation for this to the appropriate offices in our Arts and Science faculty, and in that case, I was requesting a late drop, whereas I am requesting a credit standing in this new appeal for my POLS courses.
Additionally, I was unaware of the option to even apply for a credit standing, and was only made aware by academic advising during my fall 2019 term, when I contacted them to inquire about my future options. Had I known about the option earlier, I would have acted faster, however when I discovered that I could make a request, I started the process.
The entire incident is one that has left me with a lot to burden. Not only are there physical manifestations, but also mental issues and my own inhibitions, which together make recounting and addressing the entire situation difficult. It causes me a great deal of stress to spend time recounting and documenting this experience, and this is why I have taken so long to complete the simple task and process of completing my appeal.
Though I initially attempted to stay focussed for my Winter 2019 term, I found myself afterwards reflecting on a mistake, and a truly problematic scenario in which I neglected my own mental health. My initial attempt to maintain stability and persevere is something that I regret, though I am focussed on taking the right actions in my future to lead me forward through Queen's, positively.
In terms of additional documentation, I have attached the documents from my physician which detail the extent of my current disabilities and accommodations, which also make note of a history of a traumatic brain injury and long term concussion symptoms. I have also attached a notice received form the paramedics at the time of the incident, along with a medical release form from Kingston Police that verifies the incident. As mentioned in the beginning, I did not seek as much aid as I should have, or was instructed to. I worked with Natasha Degroot in the Student Wellness Office, and also the accommodations advisors. I should have been more diligent in my recovery, however the circumstances of the actual injury, my isolation and false confidence led me to not take a traumatic experience and consequential condition much more seriously. Due to the impact of the injury, it was also difficult to maintain steady control of all the potential help I required.
I hope that I have expanded upon my circumstances well and I would like to thank you for your patience during this processing. The event itself leaves me disconcerted and depressed, making the recounting and detailing extremely burdensome. Thank you for your understanding and consideration, it is truly appreciated.
Kamal Ramnares
20030543
Student Number: 20030543
Documentation
Professional Letter: Doctors Note -1.pdf
Document: IMG_0880-0.JPG
