Petition Letter
Royce Berry
9 Carmen Ave
Belleville, ON , K8P 3AP
royceberry@gmail.com, 2rsb@queensu.ca
To: Office of the Associate Dean (Studies)
Faculty of Arts and Science
I writing to request an appeal to drop Biology 102 Summer 2014. There have been several factors leading to my request to drop this course due to continuing extenuating circumstances.
I have struggled with anxiety and depression most my life which led me to have an unproductive first year in University and led me to voluntarily withdraw in 2003. In 2011 I started taking distance courses with Queens with relative success. I continue to have difficulties with certain aspects of courses, namely interaction, but they have helped me broaden my world and self esteem.
In Biology 102 I encountered numerous difficulties starting from having a late start due to the lack of available textbooks in the first week of a time condensed course. The course also required more interaction than I anticipated and was familiar with in previous courses. Unknown to me, communication regarding group work began off-site and I found myself out of the loop and potentially being graded on work I had no participation in. This left me in a precarious state. Feelings of exclusion are triggers for a potentially downward spiraling depressive state. I this point I ceased all work on the course and I felt I had no choice but to withdraw from the course.
Upon attempting to drop the course the online student center provided new complications in that it did not make me aware that I could no longer drop the course, only a non descriptive error that I interpreted as being caused by my account being in arrears. It took several emails that I found that I had missed the date by only a couple of business days and led me to making this appeal.
I plan to retake the same biology course in the fall if this appeal is successful. The longer semester and better understanding of requirements ahead of time will allow me to be successful. I am also continuing therapy with the on-campus psychiatrist Dr. McNevin, who's letter will be enclosed. I also am perusing a form of therapy known as neurofeedback at a clinic in Kingston and am currently completing an online ¿¿Managing Powerful Emotions¿ skill group through Providence Care.
I hope that this episode of my life doesn't derail my future academic goals of possibly becoming a full time student again.
9 Carmen Ave
Belleville, ON , K8P 3AP
royceberry@gmail.com, 2rsb@queensu.ca
To: Office of the Associate Dean (Studies)
Faculty of Arts and Science
I writing to request an appeal to drop Biology 102 Summer 2014. There have been several factors leading to my request to drop this course due to continuing extenuating circumstances.
I have struggled with anxiety and depression most my life which led me to have an unproductive first year in University and led me to voluntarily withdraw in 2003. In 2011 I started taking distance courses with Queens with relative success. I continue to have difficulties with certain aspects of courses, namely interaction, but they have helped me broaden my world and self esteem.
In Biology 102 I encountered numerous difficulties starting from having a late start due to the lack of available textbooks in the first week of a time condensed course. The course also required more interaction than I anticipated and was familiar with in previous courses. Unknown to me, communication regarding group work began off-site and I found myself out of the loop and potentially being graded on work I had no participation in. This left me in a precarious state. Feelings of exclusion are triggers for a potentially downward spiraling depressive state. I this point I ceased all work on the course and I felt I had no choice but to withdraw from the course.
Upon attempting to drop the course the online student center provided new complications in that it did not make me aware that I could no longer drop the course, only a non descriptive error that I interpreted as being caused by my account being in arrears. It took several emails that I found that I had missed the date by only a couple of business days and led me to making this appeal.
I plan to retake the same biology course in the fall if this appeal is successful. The longer semester and better understanding of requirements ahead of time will allow me to be successful. I am also continuing therapy with the on-campus psychiatrist Dr. McNevin, who's letter will be enclosed. I also am perusing a form of therapy known as neurofeedback at a clinic in Kingston and am currently completing an online ¿¿Managing Powerful Emotions¿ skill group through Providence Care.
I hope that this episode of my life doesn't derail my future academic goals of possibly becoming a full time student again.