Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Jenn Stephenson,

I am appealing to drop Chem 285 (Summer, 2021). I believe I should be able to drop this course due to some extenuating circumstances surrounding my life, as well as difficulties in planning my courses.
I have had difficulties through COVID getting the classes that I needed to graduate. Many courses I needed were not offered or were later cancelled because of the pandemic. I had to take any class that would fit into my degree program and that lead me to take a number of very challenging courses to graduate. I wanted to graduate in the spring but I had three classes left. I was concerned that the courses I needed would not be available again in the fall so I opted to take them in the summer. I also wanted to be done with my degree in order to help my family out as it has not been the best year for them either. Many health complications have popped up and I wanted to be there to help and interact with them as I had been in Canada for almost a full year, without being able to see them at any breaks due to the pandemic. The first summer class was supposed to be in person in Kingston, Biology 401 (summer session ), so I rented an apartment and moved in only to be informed that the class was cancelled a few days before the starting date. I scrambled to get a replacement class and move back home to Illinois since it would be remote learning. It cost me a lot of time, effort and money. I enrolled in Chem 285 and Pharm 370 as they were the only courses I could fit into my degree program, but I also kept my enrollment in Bio 404 (session 2) at the end of the summer because it was the course I wanted to take all along and was hopeful the second offering might be allowed to take place, as I was alerted by the professor that the first offering was also likely to be cancelled. However, over the course of the summer, I became concerned that I would not be able to get back since my brother got mono and my Dad had just had his surgery. I was also concerned the class may be cancelled again in similar circumstances as last time due to the rising cases of Covid, so I stuck with my courses because I just wanted to finish my degree.
It has been overwhelming mentally and emotionally. I signed up for Chem 285 in case I could not get back to Canada but with limited time while helping my family and attempting to learn topics that are not my strong suit I have been struggling in the class, affecting my mental health. I spend long hours with tutors and study videos in an attempt to combat this, but it has only increased the time I work on the course and has not helped me with my learning as much as I would have thought/liked. My family has decided it would be better for me emotionally to take the in-person class, Bio 404 (session 2). I received an email this week alerting me that Bio 404 (session 2) is a go and the course had been allowed to proceed I was thrilled to hear this, but this meant I was still enrolled in Chem 285. My issue now is that the two classes overlap and with travel and preparations to get back to Canada I don't have time to devote to Organic Chemistry. I have everything in order to take Bio 404, my travel plans and health screenings are set, and I have found a place to stay for a couple weeks. I will be on campus later this week prior to the first day of Bio 404 (session 2) (August 13th). Through this, I can get back on track and once again start to feel like myself.
I just need this last class to graduate and it is becoming so overwhelming and expensive to get it done. I am trying so hard but with family obligations, a never-ending succession of difficult classes and the expense along with the uncertainty of when and if classes will be offered my mental health is suffering. If I can drop this class and concentrate on my last in-person class I will be in a much better place and leave Queens with more confidence. I am so committed to finishing my degree and ending on a positive note, as I appreciate all the Queen's community has done for me in my time. I think that by attending this class I can assimilate myself with a classroom environment while taking a course I feel will be good for my career and self-confidence. I have been in talks with many people and family members about my struggles and I have taken steps to control my emotions and subsequent hindrance of my day-to-day life. I feel that by being allowed to focus solely on my upcoming lab course and be assimilated into daily life and a schedule, I will be in a much better place and feel happier about my situation.

All the best,
Ryan Sivertson (2001977)