Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: This morning, September 16, I was reviewing my course schedule, trying to determine when I would need to attend my first BIOL 300 lab. I noticed that the lectures and labs for this class no longer appeared on my SOLUS calendar. When the course list tab reflected the same, I began to panic. I knew that taking BIOL 300 was necessary to graduate with my GPA goal this spring. I also knew that I had been enrolled in this course up until the afternoon of September 15, the add/drop deadline. In this statement, I will demonstrate that I had no intention of dropping this class and explain why I will experience undue hardship if I am not allowed to re-enroll.

I know I was enrolled in this course as of 1:30 PM on September 15, the afternoon before I noticed the class was dropped from my schedule. I know this because I attended my usual 12:30 PM lecture on Monday, during which I accessed the course’s OnQ page to check the upcoming quiz deadline. That same afternoon, I added additional courses to my schedule, arranging them around my existing schedule, which at the time included BIOL 300 lectures and labs.

I had absolutely no intention of dropping BIOL 300; in fact, I had every intention of continuing in the class. This is evident from my discussions with both course instructors over the past two weeks. I discussed my plan for the semester with Dr. Paul Martin after lecture and reached out via email to lab coordinator Dr. Anna Rooke regarding the possibility of rescheduling my QUBS field trip participation. I spoke with Dr. Rooke again this afternoon, and she was equally shocked to see that I was no longer enrolled - we had just been discussing my continued participation in the course.

I have a very specific plan to graduate this spring, and BIOL 300 is a large part of that plan. My degree requires a certain number of 300-level (or above) Biology courses. I have taken this class before but was not able to complete it due to debilitating mental health complications. This left a gap in my transcript that I need to repair. I enrolled again with the goal of achieving a grade that reflects my dedication to the course and to learning in biology. Completing this class is part of a broader plan to raise my GPA so that I can graduate with a competitive GPA for graduate school applications. Not being allowed to re-enroll would derail this plan before it has a chance to start.

Over the past two weeks, I have worked diligently to prepare for this class: I purchased the required textbook, attended all lectures, spoken with the course instructor, and coordinated with other students. Allowing me to re-enroll would not infringe on student fairness policies or disadvantage students who were waitlisted, as I was enrolled until nearly the last moment of the enrollment period. Dr. Rooke has also informed me that there is still an open spot in the course, presumably my spot. My intention to remain in the course is clear. I have been fully engaged with the class content for the last two weeks, which shows that I had no intention of dropping the class and that my removal must have been the result of a glitch or error.

Not allowing me to re-enroll would derail my academic plan and cause unnecessary financial hardship, as I have already spent $76 on the textbook. It would be unfair to no one to allow me back into the class and undoubtedly unfair to me not to.