Petition Letter
Dear Johanne Bénard, Associate Dean of Studies,
I am writing to appeal the requirement to withdraw from Queen¿¿s for a minimum of one year. I believe my studies were adversely impacted by my living situation during the last academic year, and that I am now prepared to begin taking classes again this fall.
Despite my best efforts to move past personal conflicts with one of my housemates (or ¿¿this housemate¿), persistent problems in our house lead to a decline in my mental health, and my grades suffered as a result. Issues such as being unable to use the restroom for hours at a time, overhearing phone calls where I was spoken badly of, parties during exams justified by this housemate¿¿s lack of exams, and unannounced overnight visits from this housemate¿¿s parents were some of the problems faced in our house over the last year.
I would be remiss not to stress the frequency of these events; all guests in our home were subject to long waits for the restroom, with one friend of mine having quietly used the toilet while this housemate did her makeup in the same room, having refused to leave. Both myself and the other girl living with us were insulted loudly during one of this housemate¿¿s phone conversations on multiple occasions. Loud gatherings happened less frequently, but were unfortunately concentrated around stressful times of year, and lasted until early morning. On four separate occasions, I awoke surprised to find her parents in our house, having arrived late and stayed the night, despite our mutual promising to announce such things days in advance.
On more than ten occasions, this housemate occupied the bathroom long enough that I found myself seeking other options, humiliated.
These factors lead to my absence in many classes, either because I hadn¿¿t slept the night before, or because I was too embarrassed to leave the house. I was constantly bothering people to obtain notes, and friendships were strained as a result. My attendance at social and club gatherings stopped entirely. My self-worth declined, and my motivation found an all-time low.
While I regret having let these circumstances affect my studies, I would like to make mention of the actions I took to mitigate the effects of this problem. Early in the year, I maintained communication with this housemate until she stopped speaking to me entirely. By the end of the year, myself and the other girl in our house were staying with friends a few nights a week to avoid being in our house. I consulted friends and professionals who had dealt with similar situations, and was comforted to know I was not alone.
I have also taken action to protect myself from situations like this in the future. I became familiar with many of the health services available on campus towards the end of last year. During a meeting with an academic counsellor after first semester I mentioned trouble with a housemate, and she referred me to personal counselling. There I sought help with the situation, and learned of safe, effective methods of communication. Myself and my other housemate are also moving out into a house together for next year to create a more positive, inclusive environment.
Looking to next year, I would like to retake many of the courses I did not succeed in this past year, as I do not believe that course content or my choice of program are responsible for my difficulties this year. I noticed this year that a part of my coursework I never failed to complete was the laboratory component, as I had a partner for those sessions. I believe regular meetings with support staff on campus will help to keep me accountable to my obligations, and that if a problem does arise, I may find a solution much more quickly that way. I have also been made aware of procrastination, writing, and effective communication workshops and seminars that I am interested in taking upon my return, as I believe I could greatly benefit from them.
While I am relieved to be free of my last residence, I have grown as a consequence of the ordeal. With the improvements I have made to my environment and to myself, and the support of my peers and of the university, I feel I am ready to begin coursework this fall.
Thank you for your time, and for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Daniel McAllister
I am writing to appeal the requirement to withdraw from Queen¿¿s for a minimum of one year. I believe my studies were adversely impacted by my living situation during the last academic year, and that I am now prepared to begin taking classes again this fall.
Despite my best efforts to move past personal conflicts with one of my housemates (or ¿¿this housemate¿), persistent problems in our house lead to a decline in my mental health, and my grades suffered as a result. Issues such as being unable to use the restroom for hours at a time, overhearing phone calls where I was spoken badly of, parties during exams justified by this housemate¿¿s lack of exams, and unannounced overnight visits from this housemate¿¿s parents were some of the problems faced in our house over the last year.
I would be remiss not to stress the frequency of these events; all guests in our home were subject to long waits for the restroom, with one friend of mine having quietly used the toilet while this housemate did her makeup in the same room, having refused to leave. Both myself and the other girl living with us were insulted loudly during one of this housemate¿¿s phone conversations on multiple occasions. Loud gatherings happened less frequently, but were unfortunately concentrated around stressful times of year, and lasted until early morning. On four separate occasions, I awoke surprised to find her parents in our house, having arrived late and stayed the night, despite our mutual promising to announce such things days in advance.
On more than ten occasions, this housemate occupied the bathroom long enough that I found myself seeking other options, humiliated.
These factors lead to my absence in many classes, either because I hadn¿¿t slept the night before, or because I was too embarrassed to leave the house. I was constantly bothering people to obtain notes, and friendships were strained as a result. My attendance at social and club gatherings stopped entirely. My self-worth declined, and my motivation found an all-time low.
While I regret having let these circumstances affect my studies, I would like to make mention of the actions I took to mitigate the effects of this problem. Early in the year, I maintained communication with this housemate until she stopped speaking to me entirely. By the end of the year, myself and the other girl in our house were staying with friends a few nights a week to avoid being in our house. I consulted friends and professionals who had dealt with similar situations, and was comforted to know I was not alone.
I have also taken action to protect myself from situations like this in the future. I became familiar with many of the health services available on campus towards the end of last year. During a meeting with an academic counsellor after first semester I mentioned trouble with a housemate, and she referred me to personal counselling. There I sought help with the situation, and learned of safe, effective methods of communication. Myself and my other housemate are also moving out into a house together for next year to create a more positive, inclusive environment.
Looking to next year, I would like to retake many of the courses I did not succeed in this past year, as I do not believe that course content or my choice of program are responsible for my difficulties this year. I noticed this year that a part of my coursework I never failed to complete was the laboratory component, as I had a partner for those sessions. I believe regular meetings with support staff on campus will help to keep me accountable to my obligations, and that if a problem does arise, I may find a solution much more quickly that way. I have also been made aware of procrastination, writing, and effective communication workshops and seminars that I am interested in taking upon my return, as I believe I could greatly benefit from them.
While I am relieved to be free of my last residence, I have grown as a consequence of the ordeal. With the improvements I have made to my environment and to myself, and the support of my peers and of the university, I feel I am ready to begin coursework this fall.
Thank you for your time, and for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Daniel McAllister