Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

New Information: Dear Associate Dean,
I am requesting permission to add STAT 263, CISC 422, and FILM 240 to my Fall 2025 schedule after the deadline. I understand late adds are exceptional, so I want to be clear about why I could not enroll on time, why these courses matter now, and how I will catch up responsibly.

Why I could not add courses on time. At the start of the add period, my SOLUS standing still showed me as a third-year student. Because of that, I was blocked from CISC 422, which restricts enrollment to students with fourth-year standing and the relevant prerequisites. Around the same time, in advising, I also learned that I must retake STAT 263 and earn at least a C- to unlock CISC 455 in the Winter. By the time these points were confirmed, the late add window had effectively closed, and I could not action the changes.

Program constraints this term. In addition, the Computing degree plan restructuring has limited access to upper-year CISC offerings I had originally planned to take. This reduced the realistic set of advanced Computing courses for Fall and forced me to re-think my schedule around what is still available and academically coherent.
Why the switch from STAT 161 to FILM 240. Initially I considered STAT 161 as an elective to strengthen my data literacy. However, STAT 161 is an Exclusion to STAT 263, so I cannot take both in the same program path. Since I must prioritize STAT 263 (retake) to remain eligible for CISC 455 in Winter, I am now petitioning to add FILM 240 instead of STAT 161. FILM 240 fits my open elective slot, keeps me at a full academic load, and provides breadth outside Computing at a time when upper-year Computing options are constrained by the plan changes. It also complements my interests by building analytic reading and argumentation skills through close work with visual/media texts—useful across advanced CS topics that value clarity of reasoning (and a good counterpart to CISC 422’s logic emphasis).

What I am doing to catch up. While the petition is under review, I have already obtained syllabi, Week 1–3 notes, and reading lists from classmates for all three courses. I set a two-week catch-up schedule with daily blocks for statistics problem sets and logic exercises, plus a reading plan for FILM 240. If granted access, I will immediately (i) confirm onQ materials, (ii) check with each instructor what early quizzes or assignments can be completed retroactively and on what timeline, and (iii) submit any permitted make-up work within 7–10 days. I will attend office hours weekly (twice weekly during the catch-up period) and use tutoring if my early statistics results fall below target. I have trimmed non-academic commitments and will keep my advisor informed of progress.
I accept full responsibility for the delay.

In the mean time, I am in touch with instructors of FILM 240, STAT 263 and CISC 422 courses and forward their support/approval once I obtain it.

Approving this petition would allow me to (1) complete STAT 263 now so I can take CISC 455 in Winter, (2) take CISC 422 this term as planned once the standing block is resolved, and (3) maintain a balanced full-load via FILM 240 given the current Computing course constraints. Thank you for considering my request.