Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Academic Review Committee,

I am writing to formally request an academic petition to add a course after the deadline. I understand the importance of adhering to academic deadlines; however, due to significant extenuating circumstances, I am requesting your consideration to add ENIN240 to my Winter 2025 term.

Reason for Request
I am currently one credit short of completing my degree requirements to graduate in April 2025 with my peers. The reason for this shortfall dates back to my first year when I had to withdraw from PSYC100 and GRMN101 due to mental health challenges, appeal number 9969, which left me 9 credits behind. Over the course of my degree, I have worked diligently to recover academically, including enrolling in courses outside Queen's University to stay on track.

Last term (Fall 2024), I was enrolled in five Queen’s courses but also took a sixth course through Athabasca University. This term, I am currently registered in six courses at Queen’s, but I remain one credit short of graduation. Adding this seventh course, ENIN240, will allow me to meet my graduation requirements and earn my degree on time.

Reason for Late Addition
The reason I am submitting this request after the deadline is that I initially wanted to ensure that my current six courses would be manageable before committing to a seventh. Over the past three weeks, I have carefully assessed my workload and determined that I can successfully take on the additional course without compromising my academic performance.

It was also important for me to weigh my options thoroughly before making this decision. Last term, I took a course through Athabasca University to make up for lost credits, but I found it challenging to navigate two different institutions simultaneously. This experience made me realize that staying within Queen’s University would provide a more cohesive learning experience and allow me to focus entirely on my studies.

These considerations, coupled with my commitment to maintaining my academic performance, required time to evaluate, which delayed my request.

Feasibility of Adding a Seventh Course
I understand the high workload associated with taking seven courses in one term. However, I am confident in my ability to manage the increased academic demands, as demonstrated by the following:

Academic Standing: My transcript (attached) demonstrates my strong academic performance and commitment to excellence. Last year, I was named to the Dean’s Honour List, and I have consistently maintained a high GPA throughout my studies.
Course Workload: My current course load includes two first-year courses and one online course. The first-year courses consist of material I am already familiar with from other courses in my degree, making the workload more manageable. Similarly, the flexibility of my online course allows me to schedule and complete work around my other commitments. Adding ENIN240, also an online course, aligns well with this structure.
Instructor Support: Dr. Matrix, the instructor for ENIN240, has expressed her full support for my enrollment in this course, as evidenced by the attached communication.

Conclusion
Adding ENIN240 to my current course load is essential for me to graduate in April 2025. My academic record, time-management skills, and determination to achieve my goals demonstrate that I am capable of handling the additional workload. My extenuating circumstances - carefully evaluating my workload, reflecting on my experience with external courses, and the mental health challenges I faced in first year - prevented me from submitting this request earlier, but I am now fully prepared to proceed.

I respectfully ask for your approval of this request to ensure I can complete my degree requirements this term. Thank you for considering my petition. I am happy to provide any additional information or documentation if needed.

Sincerely,
Kaitlyn Orge