Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 13489
Submitted: August 30, 2025 at 6:35:47 PM
First Name: Rachel
Last Name: Ferguson-Wuls
Pronoun: she/her
Preferred Name: Rachel Ferguson
Student Number: 20290439
Email: 20rmfw@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BA
Plan: EMPR
Level of Study: 3
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Request to take more than 6.0 units of courses on a letter of permission through another institution
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean (Academic),
I am writing to respectfully petition for permission to exceed the 6.0 unit Letter of Permission (LOP) limit and take a total of 9.0 units of EMPR credits through Athabasca University. This request is being made under extenuating academic circumstances that have directly impacted my ability to complete my degree as planned, through no fault of my own.
When I enrolled in the B.A. in Employment Relations in 2020, I was explicitly advised that the program could be completed fully online. Based on this understanding, I organized every aspect of my academic and personal life accordingly — including my location, employment, finances, and course scheduling. I have followed my degree plan carefully and remained in good academic standing throughout.
I recently discovered, with no prior warning, that the remaining upper-year EMPR courses required to fulfill my degree requirements are now only offered in person. This represents a sudden and fundamental shift in course delivery that I could not have reasonably anticipated. I am currently unable to relocate to Kingston, and without the ability to substitute these courses externally, I will be unable to graduate — despite meeting all other program conditions.
The 9.0 units I am requesting to take through Athabasca University are:
EDUC 317 – Training and Development in Organizations (accepted as EMPR 334)
HRMT 441 – Strategic Human Resource Management (pending EMPR 300 equivalency)
HRMT 326 – Compensation Strategies and Practices (pending EMPR 331 equivalency)
These courses are all upper-year, directly aligned with my program outcomes, and two have already been submitted through the LOP system. This petition is not an attempt to bypass Queen’s policies or expectations — rather, it is a good-faith appeal to ensure that I can complete my degree after an unforeseen change in course accessibility.
I have attached my Academic Advisement Report (AAR) showing my outstanding EMPR 300-level requirements. I am fully committed to maintaining the standards of Queen’s University and completing these external courses with integrity and excellence. I am simply seeking a fair and viable path to graduation in light of circumstances beyond my control.
I deeply appreciate your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Rachel Ferguson
Student Number: 20290439
I am writing to respectfully petition for permission to exceed the 6.0 unit Letter of Permission (LOP) limit and take a total of 9.0 units of EMPR credits through Athabasca University. This request is being made under extenuating academic circumstances that have directly impacted my ability to complete my degree as planned, through no fault of my own.
When I enrolled in the B.A. in Employment Relations in 2020, I was explicitly advised that the program could be completed fully online. Based on this understanding, I organized every aspect of my academic and personal life accordingly — including my location, employment, finances, and course scheduling. I have followed my degree plan carefully and remained in good academic standing throughout.
I recently discovered, with no prior warning, that the remaining upper-year EMPR courses required to fulfill my degree requirements are now only offered in person. This represents a sudden and fundamental shift in course delivery that I could not have reasonably anticipated. I am currently unable to relocate to Kingston, and without the ability to substitute these courses externally, I will be unable to graduate — despite meeting all other program conditions.
The 9.0 units I am requesting to take through Athabasca University are:
EDUC 317 – Training and Development in Organizations (accepted as EMPR 334)
HRMT 441 – Strategic Human Resource Management (pending EMPR 300 equivalency)
HRMT 326 – Compensation Strategies and Practices (pending EMPR 331 equivalency)
These courses are all upper-year, directly aligned with my program outcomes, and two have already been submitted through the LOP system. This petition is not an attempt to bypass Queen’s policies or expectations — rather, it is a good-faith appeal to ensure that I can complete my degree after an unforeseen change in course accessibility.
I have attached my Academic Advisement Report (AAR) showing my outstanding EMPR 300-level requirements. I am fully committed to maintaining the standards of Queen’s University and completing these external courses with integrity and excellence. I am simply seeking a fair and viable path to graduation in light of circumstances beyond my control.
I deeply appreciate your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Rachel Ferguson
Student Number: 20290439
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: If this petition is approved, I will be able to complete the final 9.0 units required for my degree in Employment Relations — 6.0 of which must be taken at the 300-level — through previously approved external courses offered by Athabasca University. These courses align directly with Queen’s EMPR program content and will be completed remotely and asynchronously, which allows me to balance academic success with my current living and work situation.
My plan is to:
Enroll in EDUC 317 (Training & Development in Organizations), HRMT 326 (Compensation Strategies), and HRMT 441 (Strategic HRM) through Athabasca this fall
Complete all coursework well ahead of the required deadlines using a structured weekly study schedule and time-blocking system
Maintain regular contact with Athabasca instructors to ensure clarity on expectations
Reach out to my Queen’s academic advisor to confirm that my external course tracking and credit evaluation remains aligned with my degree audit
Monitor my Academic Advisement Report closely through SOLUS to ensure that all transfer credit is applied correctly
I am highly motivated to finish my degree with strong standing and have planned for a manageable workload this fall by focusing solely on these LOP courses. This path will allow me to graduate on time and continue into the next chapter of my academic and professional goals. I am confident that, with the flexibility and alignment these courses offer, I will complete them successfully and uphold the standards of Queen’s University.
My plan is to:
Enroll in EDUC 317 (Training & Development in Organizations), HRMT 326 (Compensation Strategies), and HRMT 441 (Strategic HRM) through Athabasca this fall
Complete all coursework well ahead of the required deadlines using a structured weekly study schedule and time-blocking system
Maintain regular contact with Athabasca instructors to ensure clarity on expectations
Reach out to my Queen’s academic advisor to confirm that my external course tracking and credit evaluation remains aligned with my degree audit
Monitor my Academic Advisement Report closely through SOLUS to ensure that all transfer credit is applied correctly
I am highly motivated to finish my degree with strong standing and have planned for a manageable workload this fall by focusing solely on these LOP courses. This path will allow me to graduate on time and continue into the next chapter of my academic and professional goals. I am confident that, with the flexibility and alignment these courses offer, I will complete them successfully and uphold the standards of Queen’s University.
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: NO DOC
Documentation Detail: Screenshots of Academic Advisement Report
Documentation Detail: showing 9.0 units of EMPR requirements
Document: Untitled document.docx
Documentation Detail: LOP summary note
Decision Letters
History
Originally submitted August 30, 2025 at 6:35:47 PM.
| Field | Reference | Old Value | New Value | Note | User | Date/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| status | N/A | Received | In Review | Kerri Andrews | 2025-09-26 5:26:40 PM | |
| status | N/A | In Review | Granted | Kerri Andrews | 2025-10-01 11:35:27 AM | |
| associate_dean | N/A | Dorit Naaman (Associate Dean Academic) | Kerri Andrews | 2025-10-01 11:35:27 AM | ||
| decision_letter | N/A | N/A | Decision letter sent | Kerri Andrews | 2025-10-01 12:15:26 PM |