Petition Letter
June 11, 2017
Queen¿¿s University
Faculty of Arts and Science
Dunning Hall ¿¿ First Floor
94 University Avenue
Kingston, Ontario
K7L 3N6
Re: APPEAL OF ¿REQUIREMENT TO WITHDRAW FOR 1 YEAR¿
ALEXANDER GATZIOS
STUDENT No: 20026219
Dear Associate Dean (Studies):
This letter outlines my appeal of the ¿¿requirement to withdraw for 1 year¿ that has been placed on me following the 2016/2017 academic year. I wish to explain my circumstances and the situation that led me to achieving such a low GPA, resulting in the requirement to withdraw notice. I am also requesting that the courses I failed last year be dropped from my GPA and I that I be allowed to retake them.
The outcome that I hope to achieve from this appeal is to have the requirement to withdraw lifted in order to allow me to participate in the upcoming 2017/2018 academic year (outlined in detail in my Academic Plan, attached). I very much want to attend Queen¿¿s University for the 2017/2018 academic year; I do not want to take a full year off of my studies here. I fully understand that the coming 2017/2018 year will be a probation year if I am successful with my appeal requests, and I am prepared and ready to approach my studies and day to day life differently next year at Queen¿¿s.
Some of the factors that contributed to my low GPA following my negative turn in mental state last year include my inability to acknowledge that I started to slip academically in my classes; my desire to succeed without relying on any of my past assistance; my reluctance to ask for help when I realized I was in trouble academically; and my introverted nature when it came to not only talking to my parents about my performance at school but also to new friends that I made during the year.
By way of history regarding my extenuating circumstances, in 2014 and 2015, during grades 11 and 12, I started to recognize that I was having thoughts that were making it difficult for me to remain focused at home and at school, I became introverted and I had serious difficulty at school. This led to me to discussing my thoughts and my difficulties at school with a physiologist, Dr. Alan Bardikoff, which I believe helped me a lot, contributing to my success in the 2015/2016 school year, and most importantly achieving my dream of being accepted into Queen¿¿s for the following year.
Once I was at school the mental difficulties I originally thought I overcame came back to me, and the support I had while I was living at home was no longer available to me, making it very difficult to focus on school work and maintain a healthy lifestyle at school. I started to miss classes and I became anti-social, which caused my grades to drop further as I did not participate in group study or course material review with classmates. However, I was still getting by academically, or so I thought, since at the halfway mark of first year I had already passed two courses with a C and a C- and the remaining three full-year courses I either had a passing mark or just below passing. At this point I should have realized that I was in trouble and I should have sought help for not only my academics but for my well being as a whole.
While I am confident that I can overcome the difficulties I had last year with much better awareness of the help I need, I see this upcoming year as a way to prove to myself and others helping me that I am now aware and positively able to accomplish the goals I set my mind to, and that my goal of a degree from Queen¿¿s is something I can achieve.
I am very pleased to have prepared my Academic Plan, attached, outlining how I can move forward to a successful next year with all the resources available to me, including academic help available on campus, continuing professional counselling, much more frequent and detailed review with my parents, and more involvement with my fellow students.
With all this considered I believe it is in my utmost best interest to return to Queen¿¿s this coming September, and prove to not only myself but to my friends and family that I can succeed and I have overcome what was hindering my performance not only at school but with day to day life as well. I do not want to spend a year waiting to return to Queen¿¿s.
At the time of sending this letter I am still working with my councillor on supporting documentation, attached is a copy of receipts confirming that I am seeing him.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I am very much looking forward to and hoping for a positive response.
Sincerely,
Alexander Gatzios.
370 Cleveland Street
Toronto, Ontario
M4S 2W9
416-544-9364
Queen¿¿s University
Faculty of Arts and Science
Dunning Hall ¿¿ First Floor
94 University Avenue
Kingston, Ontario
K7L 3N6
Re: APPEAL OF ¿REQUIREMENT TO WITHDRAW FOR 1 YEAR¿
ALEXANDER GATZIOS
STUDENT No: 20026219
Dear Associate Dean (Studies):
This letter outlines my appeal of the ¿¿requirement to withdraw for 1 year¿ that has been placed on me following the 2016/2017 academic year. I wish to explain my circumstances and the situation that led me to achieving such a low GPA, resulting in the requirement to withdraw notice. I am also requesting that the courses I failed last year be dropped from my GPA and I that I be allowed to retake them.
The outcome that I hope to achieve from this appeal is to have the requirement to withdraw lifted in order to allow me to participate in the upcoming 2017/2018 academic year (outlined in detail in my Academic Plan, attached). I very much want to attend Queen¿¿s University for the 2017/2018 academic year; I do not want to take a full year off of my studies here. I fully understand that the coming 2017/2018 year will be a probation year if I am successful with my appeal requests, and I am prepared and ready to approach my studies and day to day life differently next year at Queen¿¿s.
Some of the factors that contributed to my low GPA following my negative turn in mental state last year include my inability to acknowledge that I started to slip academically in my classes; my desire to succeed without relying on any of my past assistance; my reluctance to ask for help when I realized I was in trouble academically; and my introverted nature when it came to not only talking to my parents about my performance at school but also to new friends that I made during the year.
By way of history regarding my extenuating circumstances, in 2014 and 2015, during grades 11 and 12, I started to recognize that I was having thoughts that were making it difficult for me to remain focused at home and at school, I became introverted and I had serious difficulty at school. This led to me to discussing my thoughts and my difficulties at school with a physiologist, Dr. Alan Bardikoff, which I believe helped me a lot, contributing to my success in the 2015/2016 school year, and most importantly achieving my dream of being accepted into Queen¿¿s for the following year.
Once I was at school the mental difficulties I originally thought I overcame came back to me, and the support I had while I was living at home was no longer available to me, making it very difficult to focus on school work and maintain a healthy lifestyle at school. I started to miss classes and I became anti-social, which caused my grades to drop further as I did not participate in group study or course material review with classmates. However, I was still getting by academically, or so I thought, since at the halfway mark of first year I had already passed two courses with a C and a C- and the remaining three full-year courses I either had a passing mark or just below passing. At this point I should have realized that I was in trouble and I should have sought help for not only my academics but for my well being as a whole.
While I am confident that I can overcome the difficulties I had last year with much better awareness of the help I need, I see this upcoming year as a way to prove to myself and others helping me that I am now aware and positively able to accomplish the goals I set my mind to, and that my goal of a degree from Queen¿¿s is something I can achieve.
I am very pleased to have prepared my Academic Plan, attached, outlining how I can move forward to a successful next year with all the resources available to me, including academic help available on campus, continuing professional counselling, much more frequent and detailed review with my parents, and more involvement with my fellow students.
With all this considered I believe it is in my utmost best interest to return to Queen¿¿s this coming September, and prove to not only myself but to my friends and family that I can succeed and I have overcome what was hindering my performance not only at school but with day to day life as well. I do not want to spend a year waiting to return to Queen¿¿s.
At the time of sending this letter I am still working with my councillor on supporting documentation, attached is a copy of receipts confirming that I am seeing him.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I am very much looking forward to and hoping for a positive response.
Sincerely,
Alexander Gatzios.
370 Cleveland Street
Toronto, Ontario
M4S 2W9
416-544-9364