Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to appeal the 21-day deadline for submitting Academic Appeals, in order to have three 'F' grades from Winter 2014 semester dropped late.

The circumstances that surround my general negative performance during both this past semester (Fall 2014) as well as during the 2013-2014 school year are due to my continuing struggles with General Anxiety disorder. As is noted in the supporting documentation from my family doctor, I have struggled with being able to cope with my anxiety during these past few years, leading to trouble concentrating, panic attacks that leave me immobilized and unable to attend class, and difficulty reaching out for help from the support services that are available at Queen's. Due to my anxiety, I did not feel mentally prepared, or well enough, to seek help and accommodations in relation to my negative grades. This means that I was not aware of the 21-day deadline for submitting Academic Appeals until this past Friday, January 23rd, when I met with an Academic Advisor at the Student Services office.

Over the Summer of 2014, I reached out for help after confessing to doing very badly in the past academic year to my parents. Due to their help, I was able to begin seeing a therapist who helped me develop coping mechanisms, and prescribed me an anti-anxiety medication that would help me keep my disorder under control. However, when I came back to Queen's in the fall, my anxiety became quite bad again, and instead of doing much better than my 2013-2014 school year, I did in fact fail a course, and receive subpar grades in a few others. However badly I did do though, I did in fact boost my marks from a 0.6GPA in Winter 2014 semester to a 1.0GPA in Fall 2014.

I do not believe, however, that a 1.0GPA reflects my true abilities and potential. My first year at the Bader International Study Centre left me with a 3.12GPA, which I know was closer to my abilities as a student. Through support from family and friends, I was able to develop a plan for turning my academic career around over the winter break. I was under the false impression that I was under Academic Probation, which made my anxiety and ability to reach out worse, instead feeding fear and general negative habits, such as difficulty attending class. As soon as I confronted my disorder head-on, with support from my parents and friends, and spoke to an Academic Advisor, I learned that I was not under probation from Queen's, but only from the Ontario Government through OSAP. This breakthrough in my standing was the best news that I had received in a year. Through clarification of my academic standing and requirements, I now feel equipped to space out my time at Queen's, taking a 5th year to finish my Art History (Honours) Bachelor of Arts degree (taking four courses per semester instead of five), to deal with my disorder in a less fear-motivated, and more goal-oriented way, and to move on from my struggles in order to develop a positive attitude in relation to my university career.

Thank you for taking the time to review this letter.


Regards,
Sarah Elston