Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern,

I joined the general arts program to explore different classes to find what I am most interested in learning. I originally joined cognitive science because I wanted to explore more about the functions of the brain, as I had understood from the course description that it would be a more philosophical and psychology-driven course. However, after spending a bit of time in the class, I realized that it was much more centred around computing and biology. As soon as I realized this, I joined a waiting list for another class but had been stuck as the number on the waitlist for several weeks. As our schedules will only allow us to be on one waitlist at a time, I hoped I could join this class, but even after the deadline passed, I remained on the list. I have never been very successful in the more science-based courses, and trying to complete the workload has set off my anxiety and sent me into severe panic attacks almost every night for the past week. It is really interfering with my ability to perform well in my other classes. I cannot focus on the rest of my work, as my inability to do the assignments in this class has created enormous stress for me. I would really love to join a class I am more passionate about and could see myself exploring in the future, which would be gender studies. This class is much more related to my interests and one I could see myself exploring further at queens. I have already reached out to Professor Baba, the instructor running the course, who told me she would be happy to have me in her class. I appreciate your consideration.