Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to appeal three academic decisions that were made for courses that I did badly in during the Winter 2014 semester. I am requesting to have the F grades that I received in ARTH215, ARTH228, and PHIL250 dropped late from my transcript.

The circumstances that surround my general negative performance during the entire 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 Queens.

My Winter 2014 semester was the hardest three months of my time at Queens. The anxiety that I felt from withdrawals of the close-knit system that was afforded to me at the Bader International Study Centre was setting in deeply. My academic performance was as a result of not attending most of my classes, avoiding emails from professors and deadlines, and instead over-sleeping and under-eating, which was a dangerous combination for me. A vicious cycle of losing weight, having no energy from not eating, and feeling weak and ill just contributed to my anxiety and depression, and my general absence from society.

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.

I do not believe that a 1.0GPA (which was my GPA after my Fall 2014 semester) reflects my true abilities. 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 break between Fall and Winter semesters of this academic year. 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 Queens, 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 Queens, taking a 5th year to finish my Art History (Honours) Bachelor of Arts degree (taking four courses per semester instead of five) and to deal with my disorder in a less fear-motivated, and more goal-oriented way.

Thank you for taking the time to review this letter.


Regards,
Sarah Elston