Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 6609
Submitted: March 12, 2020 at 10:36:22 AM
First Name: Vivekha
Last Name: Kengatharan
Student Number: 10151443
Email: vivekha.k@hotmail.com
Degree Program: BSH
Plan: LISC
Level of Study: 1
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the 21-day or one term deadline
Petition Letter
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.
I was required to apply for an appeal no later than June 12th, 2018. I apologize for not writing the appeal sooner but I would still like the opportunity to submit a late application for this appeal. The reason why I did not apply right after the decision is because I wanted to take that time and make sure I am well prepared for the coursework and that I am certain of this decision. 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.
I would like to appeal the requirement that I must withdraw from Queen¿¿s university for a minimum of three years because 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, 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. As a first generation student, I was not able to adapt to the new environment and was not able to get the insight or mentorship that I needed at the time. I have made some personal adjustments such as modifying my education path, surrounding myself with my personal support group and seeking knowledge of my education choice, possible postgraduate plans and how to balance school with work. I have regained the motivation I once had when first applying to study sciences at Queen¿¿s university. 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 a 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 still like to pursue a bachelor of science degree but in specific, an online 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 few credits already but I would like to retake some courses to ensure a solid foundation for upper year courses and to improve my overall cumulative grade. The Bachelor of Sciences program plan consist of 90.0 units and some 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 have reached out to many resources such as postgraduate students, staff from the program, professionals in the field, career advisors (which documentation I shall include in the approved appeal) so I have a better understanding of not just how to navigate through the undergraduate program but what are my viable options for postgraduate and career paths. 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
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.
I was required to apply for an appeal no later than June 12th, 2018. I apologize for not writing the appeal sooner but I would still like the opportunity to submit a late application for this appeal. The reason why I did not apply right after the decision is because I wanted to take that time and make sure I am well prepared for the coursework and that I am certain of this decision. 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.
I would like to appeal the requirement that I must withdraw from Queen¿¿s university for a minimum of three years because 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, 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. As a first generation student, I was not able to adapt to the new environment and was not able to get the insight or mentorship that I needed at the time. I have made some personal adjustments such as modifying my education path, surrounding myself with my personal support group and seeking knowledge of my education choice, possible postgraduate plans and how to balance school with work. I have regained the motivation I once had when first applying to study sciences at Queen¿¿s university. 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 a 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 still like to pursue a bachelor of science degree but in specific, an online 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 few credits already but I would like to retake some courses to ensure a solid foundation for upper year courses and to improve my overall cumulative grade. The Bachelor of Sciences program plan consist of 90.0 units and some 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 have reached out to many resources such as postgraduate students, staff from the program, professionals in the field, career advisors (which documentation I shall include in the approved appeal) so I have a better understanding of not just how to navigate through the undergraduate program but what are my viable options for postgraduate and career paths. 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
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: No Doc
Decision Letters
Amendments to Appeal 6609
Relevant Petition: 6609
Student Number: 10151443
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: No Doc
Relevant Petition: 6609
Student Number: 10151443
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: no doc
Document: My Academic Plan-0.docx
Documentation Detail: My academic plan and supporting proof of death certificate
Relevant Petition: 6609
New Information: I am appealing the Associate Dean¿¿s decision to deny my appeal to waive the 21-day appeal deadline for the Requirement to Withdraw for a minimum of Three Years.
The Associate Dean, Jenn Stephenson¿¿s, decision letter was very considerate and I appreciate the feedback. After reviewing my appeal, I understand there was inadequate clarification for my request. There were two factors as to why the appeal got denied: one factor was that it clearly outlined in the Requirement to Withdraw for Three Years letter I received in 2018 that I must appeal within 21 days to ensure fair decision making and provide an opportunity to collect relevant information for their appeal. I briefly mentioned this in my appeal letter but I wish to clarify the reasoning. I did not submit an appeal within the 21 days deadline because at the time of the decision in May 2018, I thought it would be best for to step away from school and think about my next academic plans. I took this time to not only think about the choice of degree plan to suit my academic background and strengths but also acquire learning strategies to help achieve my end goal. After approximately two years away from studies, I believe I have reached to final preparation and would like another chance to pursue my academic plan.
The other factor as to why the appeal got denied was due to a lack of supporting document from a professional for the extenuating circumstances. There was insufficient supporting documentation supplied and the original letter did not provide a clear indication of what has changed in my life that would be a pathway for academic success. I wish not to get into specifics of my personal circumstances but there were multiple different factors as to why I did not academically perform to the best of my ability. One of the biggest obstacle I had to face was my grandmother passing away in 2016, it was very hard for me to process away from my family and home. I wish I addressed this earlier in my academic career. I have since then learned to process the loss and learned to look forward to a positive future. I had realized it is not a shift overnight, I really took the two years reflecting what I would like to achieve and put actions in place to receive the outcome that I desire. 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. Academically if I find that I need more assistance, I know who to reach out to, such a peer academic councillors, tutors in my city that I seek assistance from high school, as well as professors themselves. I regained the motivation to succeed academically and I hope my future academic plan is more prevalent than the extenuating circumstances in the past.
I am also attaching a very detailed academic plan that I originally had planned to submit once the 21-day appeal got approved as well as a supporting documentation for proof of death from the funeral home. I originally had the documentation for both the extenuating circumstance and pages of a detailed academic plan when submitting appeal 6609 but I unwisely thought I would submit these documentations after the initial application to waive 21-day deadline and attach it when applying for the appeal to withdraw from Queen's University for a minimum of three years. In retrospect, I should have submitted it properly the first time but I would like to now submit the amendments: my academic plan and the supporting document for the extenuating circumstance. I would like to thank you in advance for their time and consideration.
I would like to say I originally submitted these amendments on April 14th to the Board of Studies thinking that was the next step and they responded back on June 25th that I must appeal the new documents this way before submitting it to the Board of Studies. In the meantime while waiting for their response, I reached out to the Arts and Science Academic Counselling office, Office of the Ombudsperson and others to figure out the next step but understandably during these unprecedented times, it took a while to hear back from them. I hope this is the way to submit these documents, but should you need further documentation or clarification please reach out to me via email 14vk4@queensu.ca.
The Associate Dean, Jenn Stephenson¿¿s, decision letter was very considerate and I appreciate the feedback. After reviewing my appeal, I understand there was inadequate clarification for my request. There were two factors as to why the appeal got denied: one factor was that it clearly outlined in the Requirement to Withdraw for Three Years letter I received in 2018 that I must appeal within 21 days to ensure fair decision making and provide an opportunity to collect relevant information for their appeal. I briefly mentioned this in my appeal letter but I wish to clarify the reasoning. I did not submit an appeal within the 21 days deadline because at the time of the decision in May 2018, I thought it would be best for to step away from school and think about my next academic plans. I took this time to not only think about the choice of degree plan to suit my academic background and strengths but also acquire learning strategies to help achieve my end goal. After approximately two years away from studies, I believe I have reached to final preparation and would like another chance to pursue my academic plan.
The other factor as to why the appeal got denied was due to a lack of supporting document from a professional for the extenuating circumstances. There was insufficient supporting documentation supplied and the original letter did not provide a clear indication of what has changed in my life that would be a pathway for academic success. I wish not to get into specifics of my personal circumstances but there were multiple different factors as to why I did not academically perform to the best of my ability. One of the biggest obstacle I had to face was my grandmother passing away in 2016, it was very hard for me to process away from my family and home. I wish I addressed this earlier in my academic career. I have since then learned to process the loss and learned to look forward to a positive future. I had realized it is not a shift overnight, I really took the two years reflecting what I would like to achieve and put actions in place to receive the outcome that I desire. 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. Academically if I find that I need more assistance, I know who to reach out to, such a peer academic councillors, tutors in my city that I seek assistance from high school, as well as professors themselves. I regained the motivation to succeed academically and I hope my future academic plan is more prevalent than the extenuating circumstances in the past.
I am also attaching a very detailed academic plan that I originally had planned to submit once the 21-day appeal got approved as well as a supporting documentation for proof of death from the funeral home. I originally had the documentation for both the extenuating circumstance and pages of a detailed academic plan when submitting appeal 6609 but I unwisely thought I would submit these documentations after the initial application to waive 21-day deadline and attach it when applying for the appeal to withdraw from Queen's University for a minimum of three years. In retrospect, I should have submitted it properly the first time but I would like to now submit the amendments: my academic plan and the supporting document for the extenuating circumstance. I would like to thank you in advance for their time and consideration.
I would like to say I originally submitted these amendments on April 14th to the Board of Studies thinking that was the next step and they responded back on June 25th that I must appeal the new documents this way before submitting it to the Board of Studies. In the meantime while waiting for their response, I reached out to the Arts and Science Academic Counselling office, Office of the Ombudsperson and others to figure out the next step but understandably during these unprecedented times, it took a while to hear back from them. I hope this is the way to submit these documents, but should you need further documentation or clarification please reach out to me via email 14vk4@queensu.ca.
Student Number: 10151443
Documentation
Professional Letter: My Academic Plan-1.docx
Professional Letter Detail: My Academic Plan
Document: certificate.pdf
Documentation Detail: Supporting Document- Death Certificate
History
Originally submitted March 12, 2020 at 10:36:22 AM.
| Field | Reference | Old Value | New Value | Note | User | Date/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| status | N/A | Received | Prepared for Review | Brittany Howard | 2020-03-12 11:28:11 AM | |
| status | N/A | Prepared for Review | In Review | Spring Forsberg | 2020-03-16 9:09:06 AM | |
| status | N/A | In Review | Denied | Spring Forsberg | 2020-04-09 11:25:40 AM | |
| associate_dean | N/A | Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D. | Spring Forsberg | 2020-04-09 11:25:40 AM | ||
| decision_letter | N/A | N/A | Decision letter sent | Spring Forsberg | 2020-04-09 11:26:13 AM | |
| status | N/A | Denied | Granted | Spring Forsberg | 2020-07-20 10:41:08 AM | |
| decision_letter | N/A | N/A | Decision letter sent | Spring Forsberg | 2020-07-20 10:42:15 AM |