Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean of Studies Dr. Jenn Stephenson,

I am writing this letter to you in order to appeal a late drop without penalty for the course PHYS 344 Quantum Mechanics. As the semester comes to a close, my professor, Dr. Greg van Anders, and I believe it is in my best interest to drop this course. I would like to begin by emphasizing how grateful I am for you to even provide me the opportunity to explain my circumstances as I highly value my academic success and my success overall as a student at Queen¿¿s University.

On August 15th, 2019, I unfortunately, suffered a severe concussion diagnosed by Dr. Adam Blair in my hometown, Pickering, Ontario. With no projected timeline in sight for when I would recover, we began treatment immediately. With the summer coming to a close, I was also at the time of my diagnosis, preparing to leave Pickering in order to travel back to Kingston to fulfill my position as an Orientation Coordinator for Orientation Week 2019. It was my responsibility to return to Kingston no later than August 19th to prepare for the upcoming Orientation Week and to finish all the immensely hard work myself and my 35 fellow Orientation Coordinators had devoted the past ten months of our academic experience to. Thus, in accordance with my on-going treatment and specialist¿¿s approval, I returned August 23rd, a week after my injury, with a completely modified schedule. Looking back, returning to participate in an extremely high intensity packed 2 weeks to many may have seemed not in my best interest health wise. However, the time and investment I had poured into this position and my events was unmatchable. On top of that, I had a group of Orientation Leaders, Gaels, to guide through their Pre-Week. It was my accountability to be a role model to them as they prepared for the incoming class and facilitate their connections with each other and Orientation Week. My dedication to Orientation Week drove me to return no matter the capacity to which I could participate. This week in itself is one that is indescribable and has shaped myself and my experience at Queen¿¿s immensely. I knew that the right choice in the long run no matter my health was to finish what I had started and bring this extraordinary event to life for the incoming class of 2023.

After Orientation Week, I became dedicated to my recovery and hoped to ease into classes within the month. I found myself worse than before. With this, I attempted to reach out to my professors alone, however soon realized that they were not taking my case seriously. Concerned with my success as a student, I then took the next steps to register with Student Wellness Services under Academic Accommodations which provided me paperwork and a letter to give to my instructors in hopes of a greater understanding for my circumstances. This, unfortunately, did not go as planned. I was not provided the support from my professors while continuing to have blurred vision, headaches, lagging/sore eyes, fatigue, memory loss and so forth. Thus, in week three of the Fall 2019 semester, I had no other choice but to drop two of six classes I was enrolled in in order to do what I believed was best for my recovery and as well my academic success.

By week five, I attempted to attend one class per day. Still heavily concussed, I began falling even further behind in my courses, resulting in a concerning increase of isolation from my social life due to putting my all into recovering and saving my academics. Truthfully, at this point I came to the conclusion that I was in immensely rough shape, and was struggling to push myself to travel to campus for even 50 minutes a day. I felt defeated and alone. My professors had still not provided me the academic support I believed was critical to balance both my health, a well-rounded social life and an academic environment I could thrive in. I had whole heartedly believed coming back in August to complete something I held so much love and passion for was always the right choice however, at this point in the year I felt as though I was being punished for doing something I had never felt as deeply about during my time at Queen¿¿s.

During week six, I dropped down to three courses, which I believed I could manage with the duration of my semester. My recovery progressed very slowly. The last I was able to visit Dr. Blair, my concussion specialist, was the weekend of Thanksgiving, October 11th 2019. At this time, he said I had come a long way in my recovery, but was not ready to dive back in to my daily routine. Come week seven, I was finally able to attend one to two classes a day and began outlining a plan to catch up in class alongside my professors. However, seeing the content for the first time and teaching it to myself was ineffective. I was still struggling through material when the exam period began.

In my meeting with Dr. Greg van Anders, we discussed the level of difficulty of this course and how it would be near impossible to complete without the help of peers and TAs with the exam just 10 days away. Dr. Anders believes that I cannot meet the learning goals of PHYS 344 without the proper class structure and the support of class peers. Dr. Anders would also not be present to aid me through the course material as he was taking the next semester off and had personal circumstances of his own. Moreover, I was enrolled in PHYS 345 Quantum Mechanics of Atoms which PHYS 344 is a prerequisite for. In not getting the most out of PHYS 344, Dr. Anders did not believe I could successfully complete PHYS 345.

I understand that as an adult I have the responsibility to take care of my health and thus, knew that I would risk my recovery period by coming back for Orientation Week. However, like many of my peers involved in this event and as well Queen¿¿s students who take part in extra curriculars, we all know that there is a sense of home and safety that comes with involving yourself in the student community. Orientation Week has made such an inexplicable impact in my life. So large, that this year I have taken on the role of Head Gael of ASUS Orientation. Queen¿¿s in short, is my home. I wanted nothing more than to be able to be home, in an environment where I knew I would receive the love, the support I needed to heal while watching my passion of Orientation Week come to life in front of my eyes.

I would like to drop PHYS 344 without penalty. I would retake PHYS 344 next year during my fourth year in Fall 2020. Then following that take PHYS 345 in Winter 2021 completing this requirement for my degree. I immensely appreciate the time you have dedicated to read and consider my appeal. My academic success is of the utmost priority to me. I greatly look forward to hearing from you.




Dear Associate Dean of Studies Dr. Jenn Stephenson,

I am writing this letter to you in order to appeal a late drop without penalty for the course PHYS 344 Quantum Mechanics. As the semester comes to a close, my professor, Dr. Greg van Anders, and I believe it is in my best interest to drop this course. I would like to begin by emphasizing how grateful I am for you to even provide me the opportunity to explain my circumstances as I highly value my academic success and my success overall as a student at Queen¿¿s University.

On August 15th, 2019, I unfortunately, suffered a severe concussion diagnosed by Dr. Adam Blair in my hometown, Pickering, Ontario. With no projected timeline in sight for when I would recover, we began treatment immediately. With the summer coming to a close, I was also at the time of my diagnosis, preparing to leave Pickering in order to travel back to Kingston to fulfill my position as an Orientation Coordinator for Orientation Week 2019. It was my responsibility to return to Kingston no later than August 19th to prepare for the upcoming Orientation Week and to finish all the immensely hard work myself and my 35 fellow Orientation Coordinators had devoted the past ten months of our academic experience to. Thus, in accordance with my on-going treatment and specialist¿¿s approval, I returned August 23rd, a week after my injury, with a completely modified schedule. Looking back, returning to participate in an extremely high intensity packed 2 weeks to many may have seemed not in my best interest health wise. However, the time and investment I had poured into this position and my events was unmatchable. On top of that, I had a group of Orientation Leaders, Gaels, to guide through their Pre-Week. It was my accountability to be a role model to them as they prepared for the incoming class and facilitate their connections with each other and Orientation Week. My dedication to Orientation Week drove me to return no matter the capacity to which I could participate. This week in itself is one that is indescribable and has shaped myself and my experience at Queen¿¿s immensely. I knew that the right choice in the long run no matter my health was to finish what I had started and bring this extraordinary event to life for the incoming class of 2023.

After Orientation Week, I became dedicated to my recovery and hoped to ease into classes within the month. I found myself worse than before. With this, I attempted to reach out to my professors alone, however soon realized that they were not taking my case seriously. Concerned with my success as a student, I then took the next steps to register with Student Wellness Services under Academic Accommodations which provided me paperwork and a letter to give to my instructors in hopes of a greater understanding for my circumstances. This, unfortunately, did not go as planned. I was not provided the support from my professors while continuing to have blurred vision, headaches, lagging/sore eyes, fatigue, memory loss and so forth. Thus, in week three of the Fall 2019 semester, I had no other choice but to drop two of six classes I was enrolled in in order to do what I believed was best for my recovery and as well my academic success.

By week five, I attempted to attend one class per day. Still heavily concussed, I began falling even further behind in my courses, resulting in a concerning increase of isolation from my social life due to putting my all into recovering and saving my academics. Truthfully, at this point I came to the conclusion that I was in immensely rough shape, and was struggling to push myself to travel to campus for even 50 minutes a day. I felt defeated and alone. My professors had still not provided me the academic support I believed was critical to balance both my health, a well-rounded social life and an academic environment I could thrive in. I had whole heartedly believed coming back in August to complete something I held so much love and passion for was always the right choice however, at this point in the year I felt as though I was being punished for doing something I had never felt as deeply about during my time at Queen¿¿s.

During week six, I dropped down to three courses, which I believed I could manage with the duration of my semester. My recovery progressed very slowly. The last I was able to visit Dr. Blair, my concussion specialist, was the weekend of Thanksgiving, October 11th 2019. At this time, he said I had come a long way in my recovery, but was not ready to dive back in to my daily routine. Come week seven, I was finally able to attend one to two classes a day and began outlining a plan to catch up in class alongside my professors. However, seeing the content for the first time and teaching it to myself was ineffective. I was still struggling through material when the exam period began.

In my meeting with Dr. Greg van Anders, we discussed the level of difficulty of this course and how it would be near impossible to complete without the help of peers and TAs with the exam just 10 days away. Dr. Anders believes that I cannot meet the learning goals of PHYS 344 without the proper class structure and the support of class peers. Dr. Anders would also not be present to aid me through the course material as he was taking the next semester off and had personal circumstances of his own. Moreover, I was enrolled in PHYS 345 Quantum Mechanics of Atoms which PHYS 344 is a prerequisite for. In not getting the most out of PHYS 344, Dr. Anders did not believe I could successfully complete PHYS 345.

I understand that as an adult I have the responsibility to take care of my health and thus, knew that I would risk my recovery period by coming back for Orientation Week. However, like many of my peers involved in this event and as well Queen¿¿s students who take part in extra curriculars, we all know that there is a sense of home and safety that comes with involving yourself in the student community. Orientation Week has made such an inexplicable impact in my life. So large, that this year I have taken on the role of Head Gael of ASUS Orientation. Queen¿¿s in short, is my home. I wanted nothing more than to be able to be home, in an environment where I knew I would receive the love, the support I needed to heal while watching my passion of Orientation Week come to life in front of my eyes.

I would like to drop PHYS 344 without penalty. I would retake PHYS 344 next year during my fourth year in Fall 2020. Then following that take PHYS 345 in Winter 2021 completing this requirement for my degree. I immensely appreciate the time you have dedicated to read and consider my appeal. I greatly look forward to hearing from you.
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Dear Associate Dean of Studies Dr. Jenn Stephenson,

I am writing this letter to you in order to appeal a late drop without penalty for the course PHYS 344 Quantum Mechanics. As the semester comes to a close, my professor, Dr. Greg van Anders, and I believe it is in my best interest to drop this course. I would like to begin by emphasizing how grateful I am for you to even provide me the opportunity to explain my circumstances as I highly value my academic success and my success overall as a student at Queen¿¿s University.

On August 15th, 2019, I unfortunately, suffered a severe concussion diagnosed by Dr. Adam Blair in my hometown, Pickering, Ontario. I was also at the time of my diagnosis responsible to return to Kingston by August 19th to fulfill my position as an Orientation Coordinator for Orientation Week 2019 and to finish all the immensely hard work myself and my 35 fellow Orientation Coordinators had devoted the past ten months of our academic experience to. Thus, in accordance with my on-going treatment and specialist¿¿s approval, I returned August 23rd, a week after my injury, with a completely modified schedule. My dedication to Orientation Week drove me to return no matter the capacity to which I could participate. This week in itself is one that is indescribable and has shaped myself and my experience at Queen¿¿s immensely.

After Orientation Week, I became dedicated to my recovery and hoped to ease into classes within the month. I found myself worse than before. With this, I attempted to reach out to my professors alone, however soon realized that they were not taking my case seriously. Concerned with my success as a student, I then took the next steps to register with Student Wellness Services under Academic Accommodations which provided me paperwork and a letter to give to my instructors in hopes of a greater understanding for my circumstances. This, unfortunately, did not go as planned. I was not provided the support from my professors while continuing to have blurred vision, headaches, lagging/sore eyes, fatigue, memory loss and so forth. Thus, in week three of the Fall 2019 semester, I had no other choice but to drop two of six classes I was enrolled in in order to do what I believed was best for my recovery and as well my academic success.

By week five, I attempted to attend one class per day. Still heavily concussed, I began falling even further behind in my courses, resulting in a concerning increase of isolation from my social life due to putting my all into recovering and saving my academics. Truthfully, at this point I came to the conclusion that I was in immensely rough shape, and was struggling to push myself to travel to campus for even 50 minutes a day. I felt defeated and alone. My professors had still not provided me the academic support I believed was critical to balance both my health, a well-rounded social life and an academic environment I could thrive in. I had whole heartedly believed coming back in August to complete something I held so much love and passion for was always the right choice however, at this point in the year I felt as though I was being punished for doing something I had never felt as deeply about during my time at Queen¿¿s.

During week six, I dropped down to three courses, which I believed I could manage with the duration of my semester. My recovery progressed very slowly. The last I was able to visit Dr. Blair, my concussion specialist, was the weekend of Thanksgiving, October 11th 2019. At this time, he said I had come a long way in my recovery, but was not ready to dive back in to my daily routine. Come week seven, I was finally able to attend one to two classes a day and began outlining a plan to catch up in class alongside my professors. However, seeing the content for the first time and teaching it to myself was ineffective. I was still struggling through material when the exam period began.

In my meeting with Dr. Greg van Anders, we discussed the level of difficulty of this course and how it would be near impossible to complete without the help of peers and TAs with the exam just 10 days away. Dr. Anders believes that I cannot meet the learning goals of PHYS 344 without the proper class structure and the support of class peers. Dr. Anders would also not be present to aid me through the course material as he was taking the next semester off and had personal circumstances of his own. Moreover, I was enrolled in PHYS 345 Quantum Mechanics of Atoms which PHYS 344 is a prerequisite for. In not getting the most out of PHYS 344, Dr. Anders did not believe I could successfully complete PHYS 345.

I understand that as an adult I have the responsibility to take care of my health and thus, knew that I would risk my recovery period by coming back for Orientation Week. However, like many of my peers involved in this event and as well Queen¿¿s students who take part in extra curriculars, we all know that there is a sense of home and safety that comes with involving yourself in the student community. Orientation Week has made such an inexplicable impact in my life. So large, that this year I have taken on the role of Head Gael of ASUS Orientation. Queen¿¿s in short, is my home. I wanted nothing more than to be able to be home, in an environment where I knew I would receive the love, the support I needed to heal while watching my passion of Orientation Week come to life in front of my eyes.

I would like to drop PHYS 344 without penalty. I would retake PHYS 344 next year during my fourth year in Fall 2020. Then following that take PHYS 345 in Winter 2021 completing this requirement for my degree. I immensely appreciate the time you have dedicated to read and consider my appeal. I greatly look forward to hearing from you.





Kind Regards,

Anika Chowdhury