Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Letter: Dear Board of Studies,

My name is Akriti Shrivastava, student number 20130144, and I am appealing the Associate Dean's decision to deny my appeal to waive the Requirement to Withdraw for one year.

The decision indicated that the appeal did not demonstrate to me that your extenuating circumstances are being managed in a way that would allow you to be successful in future classes. I believe that I am managing my extenuating circumstances better than before, and would like to present more details in that regard.

I have enrolled in a wellness programme that takes care of all aspects of my health- physical and mental, and have been prescribed medication and supplements that help me regulate my hormonal state, and help me manage my anxiety. As part of the programme, I am also doing yoga, which employs meditation and deep breathing techniques to calm the mind, improve concentration and reduce the mood shifts that come with mental illness. I feel more energised, and calm and am more able to focus and work for longer periods, something I struggled with previously. I am also sleeping better, and am now able to sleep through the night and wake up to maintain a schedule. This has allowed me greater control in my life and has helped me organise my time, something I have struggled with in the past, exacerbated by poor mental health.

Additionally, by switching from Bsc Biology to shadowing Bsc psychology, I am also taking courses that interest me more, and that I am more capable of doing. I have already been taking courses online using sites like Coursera to keep my mind primed for the courses I will take, and have created a plan that involves me taking a reduced course load of about three courses a semester for three or four semesters to go towards completing my degree. I have made the necessary calculations on the number of credits, have a concrete semester-wise plan and have spoken with an academic advisor about this plan, and I believe I can graduate with a higher GPA in this manner. I am going to be taking these courses online using the ASO so that I can stay at home and in an environment with greater support for me. Being at home gives me a safety net, and reduces stress and anxiety caused to me by paranoia and isolation.

Furthermore, the decision also stated that The integrity of Arts and Science transcripts, in general, would be greatly diminished if the Faculty were to effect changes to students records without clear and compelling documentation indicating that the student's performance was significantly compromised by circumstances beyond his or her control. When I was first diagnosed, it was with only Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), it was on a mild to moderate level. However, subsequent testing (from May and June 2022)and diagnosis have allowed learning that it was a severe level of MDD as well as previously undiagnosed anxiety. By recognising and managing my anxiety, I am now better able to function and can anticipate reactions or avoidance behaviours that stem from my anxiety. I have spent a lot of time working on myself, and this work is and will likely always be constant, but I finally feel sure enough that I am capable of handling the degree workload.

Battling mental illness is never an easy journey, and I recognise the value of the Dean's decision in taking a year off to re-strategise, but I truly feel ready and capable of continuing my education at Queen's. Taking a year off now would delay my graduation by a year and be disadvantageous to me and my status as an international student.