Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Studies),

I have always believed that I would major in life sciences and minor in psychology. As Biology and psychology have always been the subjects that I have been the most passionate for, I believed that this plan was ideal for me. Throughout high school, I would eagerly look forward to attending and learning material from these classes. However, earlier this week I learned that it is a possibility to pursue a biology-psychology specialization. I quickly conducted research, talked to upper year students, and concluded that this is what I would like to pursue in my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years of my undergraduate education. It would be fantastic for me to concentrate on the subjects that I find captivating and intriguing. Consequently, I learned that it is not necessary to take Physics 117, a subject that I do not enjoy. Physics 117 is not a prerequisite for any course that I plan to take in the future years of my undergraduate education. Instead, I would love to take the Introduction to Sociology Course. I know that this course would allow me to extend my knowledge about human behavior and human interactions, facets of the human condition that fascinate me. Furthermore, taking sociology would allow me to explore the relationship between human biology, mental processes, and society. Sociology would also help me learn how to write a research paper and conduct research.

I have emailed Dr. Beamish and he has told me that he has no objections to me enrolling in the course. He said that since SOCY 122 is a full year course, I should not have trouble catching up with the material. If I were to enroll in the course, I would meet with Dr. Beamish during his office hours and complete any work necessary to catch up with the material.

I hope you can see that taking SOCY 122 would be beneficial for me. Had I been aware that the biology-psychology specialization existed when I enrolled in my courses in July, I would have definitely enrolled in sociology instead of physics. Sociology is closely related to both biology and psychology and will provide me with invaluable information to help me with the biology-psychology specialization.

I appreciate the opportunity to submit an appeal and your consideration.

Kind regards,

Alex Prosserman