Academic Plan
Lillian Liddell – Academic Plan – UVIC LOC 2025
I am currently enrolled as a full-time Student at Queen’s University, in my second year of a Bachelor of Arts degree. I currently hold a 4.0 overall GPA.
I am applying for a Letter of Permission to do a full-time semester (5 courses) at the University of Victoria from September to December of 2025 for personal mental health and family medical concerns (described in my petition letter).
Given my current GPA, I have not struggled with the academic demands of my program and have sufficient skills and work habits to continue to do so. Further, I maintain the financial capacity to study and live both at Queen’s and the University of Victoria (per the approval of this request).
See below an outline of the courses I am applying to take, their full information and syllabus, as well as justification explaining why these courses will better my overall education and learning while continuing to challenge me academically.
PHIL 339 – Theories of Justice
- Instructor: C. Macleod
- Description: An examination of problems in and approaches to contemporary political philosophy. Topics may include equality, freedom, structural injustice, the interrelationship between racial, gender, class and cultural oppression, injustices across borders and the coherence and cross-cultural justification of human rights
- Offered: Regularly in the Fall Term
- Syllabus: See Included PDF ‘PHIL339_Syllabus’
- Reason: Given my interest in Law and the use of my Philosophy degree as a Pre-Law, this course will provide important learning in the Philosophy behind Justice and the background of the Legal System in Canada. Given the Syllabus, this course provides rigorous philosophical instruction in a domain highly applicable to my future goals and interests, maintaining the quality of my current degree plan and aiding in my learning and progression as a student.
PHIL 333 - Philosophy and the Environment (Ecophilosophy, Subjectivity, and Ecotherapy)
- Instructor: C. Goto-Jones
- Description: A philosophical investigation of the moral and conceptual dimensions of environmental problems. Different philosophies of the relation between humans and nature will be compared.
- Offered: Regularly in the Fall Term
- Syllabus: See Included PDF ‘PHIL333_Syllabus’
- Reason: I am highly interested in environmental studies and am considering a career in Environmental Law. As such, this course would provide Philosophical education in highly relevant concepts on the relationship between the Environment and Philosophy, especially given Philosophy is the background for all Law. This is a domain of philosophy not currently offered at Queen’s and a topic I have not previously been able to study. Given the Syllabus, this course provides rigorous philosophical instruction in a domain highly applicable to my possible future interests so I may continue to delve deeper into understanding the various topics I am considering pursuing in my future and developing as a student.
PHIL 232 - Moral Problems of Contemporary Society
- Instructor: P. Dietsch and S. Woodcock
- Description: Philosophical introduction to a variety of controversial issues in contemporary society, focusing on understanding and critically assessing the practical ethical dimensions of such topics as abortion, euthanasia, the treatment of animals, violence and war, environmental protection, punishment, racism and free speech.
- Offered: Regularly in the Fall Term
- Syllabus: See Included PDF ‘PHIL232_Syllabus’
- Reason: This course provides a different perspective to what I have previously studied in moral philosophy. I have been highly interested in and enjoyed courses in general moral philosophy and the history of moral philosophy, yet I have not taken a course that bridges the gap between the background and understanding with its modern application. This course provides a broad education in various contemporary topics and how moral philosophy fits into it. Given the syllabus, this course would provide rigorous philosophical education in a domain I have not yet studied and a topic I am highly interested in to continue my philosophical education and broad understanding of moral philosophy.
SOCI 206 - Crime and Deviance
- Instructor: Michael Ma, Garry Gray, and Tayler Zavitz
- Description:
Course description
o In this course, we will set out to think seriously about what it means to study criminology in the current context.
o We will explore concepts, trends, theories, institutions and processes associated with defining, explaining, and responding to crime and deviance. We will consider the roots of contemporary ideas about deviance and social control, including our own beliefs and assumptions.
o By thinking critically about the status quo, we will develop an understanding of how things came to be --and how they might be changed. This course offers an opportunity to reflect on important social issues and critically consider some taken-for-granted beliefs about crime, law, justice, and social control.
Course outcomes/objectives
o Having successfully completed this course, you will be able to:
explain how crime is a social phenomenon
identify, describe, and critically analyze the various ways that crime is measured
analyze the role of social and historical context in crime and criminalization
apply various interdisciplinary theories to the study of crime and criminalization
analyze the effects of media representation on criminological issues
describe how Eurocentric perspectives might influence crime and criminalization
critically assess opposing points of view on key criminological issues
analyze the impact of colonization on Indigenous peoples in relation to the Canadian criminal justice system
- Topics may include:
o Right and wrong, fear of harm, causation, media, counting, consent, social response, racism, inequality and poverty.
- Offered: Regularly in the Fall Term
- Syllabus: See Included PDF ‘SOCI206_Syllabus’
- Reason: I have not had the opportunity to take any Sociology classes at Queen’s because I did not take Sociology 100 in my first year. I was originally enrolled in a Liberal Arts degree and took course requirements as such; then, the program was cut in my first year, however, because of the requirement for that degree, I never took the prerequisite for upper-year sociology courses. Sociology, while not my primary interest, is a broad area of study I am highly interested in and understand its importance in society. This course, with no required prerequisites, would offer me the opportunity to study a topic in sociology that is highly applicable to Law and interesting to me personally while adding important layers and depth to my Undergraduate education. Given the course description, this course will provide a rigorous sociology education that will add to my education and learning as a student.
PSYC260 - Introduction to Mental Health and Well-Being
- Instructor: Todd Kettner
- Description: Examines theory and research related to mental health and well-being in adulthood. Topics address various aspects of psychological distress (such as mood and anxiety disorders, personality disorders, substance use, and schizophrenia) and psychological well-being. Biological, learning, developmental, humanistic, and cross-cultural perspectives are used to understand the definitions and etiology of mental disorders and psychological well-being.
- Offered: Regularly in the Fall Term
- Syllabus: See Included PDF ‘PSYC260_Syllabus’
- Reason: While I am a Philosophy major, my other area of great interest throughout my university education has been psychology. PSYC 100 challenged me tremendously, yet I succeeded in achieving a high grade after learning to work and study hard in my first year. I am currently taking Cognitive Psychology in my second year, and while this topic interests me, I am more interested in Mental Health and abnormal psychology, as it influences why people may be driven to commit crimes or act in various abnormal ways, which, in turn, impacts how law is practiced, laws are made, and why individuals act in the ways they do. Further, courses in these topics aid me to better understand my own psychology and struggles with mental health so I may continue to better myself and learn to cope with life as I move through it. This course would provide rigorous learning and depth to my university education, enabling me to better approach the law as I progress in my goals, and better function as an individual in society, overall enabling me to be a better student and person.
I am currently enrolled as a full-time Student at Queen’s University, in my second year of a Bachelor of Arts degree. I currently hold a 4.0 overall GPA.
I am applying for a Letter of Permission to do a full-time semester (5 courses) at the University of Victoria from September to December of 2025 for personal mental health and family medical concerns (described in my petition letter).
Given my current GPA, I have not struggled with the academic demands of my program and have sufficient skills and work habits to continue to do so. Further, I maintain the financial capacity to study and live both at Queen’s and the University of Victoria (per the approval of this request).
See below an outline of the courses I am applying to take, their full information and syllabus, as well as justification explaining why these courses will better my overall education and learning while continuing to challenge me academically.
PHIL 339 – Theories of Justice
- Instructor: C. Macleod
- Description: An examination of problems in and approaches to contemporary political philosophy. Topics may include equality, freedom, structural injustice, the interrelationship between racial, gender, class and cultural oppression, injustices across borders and the coherence and cross-cultural justification of human rights
- Offered: Regularly in the Fall Term
- Syllabus: See Included PDF ‘PHIL339_Syllabus’
- Reason: Given my interest in Law and the use of my Philosophy degree as a Pre-Law, this course will provide important learning in the Philosophy behind Justice and the background of the Legal System in Canada. Given the Syllabus, this course provides rigorous philosophical instruction in a domain highly applicable to my future goals and interests, maintaining the quality of my current degree plan and aiding in my learning and progression as a student.
PHIL 333 - Philosophy and the Environment (Ecophilosophy, Subjectivity, and Ecotherapy)
- Instructor: C. Goto-Jones
- Description: A philosophical investigation of the moral and conceptual dimensions of environmental problems. Different philosophies of the relation between humans and nature will be compared.
- Offered: Regularly in the Fall Term
- Syllabus: See Included PDF ‘PHIL333_Syllabus’
- Reason: I am highly interested in environmental studies and am considering a career in Environmental Law. As such, this course would provide Philosophical education in highly relevant concepts on the relationship between the Environment and Philosophy, especially given Philosophy is the background for all Law. This is a domain of philosophy not currently offered at Queen’s and a topic I have not previously been able to study. Given the Syllabus, this course provides rigorous philosophical instruction in a domain highly applicable to my possible future interests so I may continue to delve deeper into understanding the various topics I am considering pursuing in my future and developing as a student.
PHIL 232 - Moral Problems of Contemporary Society
- Instructor: P. Dietsch and S. Woodcock
- Description: Philosophical introduction to a variety of controversial issues in contemporary society, focusing on understanding and critically assessing the practical ethical dimensions of such topics as abortion, euthanasia, the treatment of animals, violence and war, environmental protection, punishment, racism and free speech.
- Offered: Regularly in the Fall Term
- Syllabus: See Included PDF ‘PHIL232_Syllabus’
- Reason: This course provides a different perspective to what I have previously studied in moral philosophy. I have been highly interested in and enjoyed courses in general moral philosophy and the history of moral philosophy, yet I have not taken a course that bridges the gap between the background and understanding with its modern application. This course provides a broad education in various contemporary topics and how moral philosophy fits into it. Given the syllabus, this course would provide rigorous philosophical education in a domain I have not yet studied and a topic I am highly interested in to continue my philosophical education and broad understanding of moral philosophy.
SOCI 206 - Crime and Deviance
- Instructor: Michael Ma, Garry Gray, and Tayler Zavitz
- Description:
Course description
o In this course, we will set out to think seriously about what it means to study criminology in the current context.
o We will explore concepts, trends, theories, institutions and processes associated with defining, explaining, and responding to crime and deviance. We will consider the roots of contemporary ideas about deviance and social control, including our own beliefs and assumptions.
o By thinking critically about the status quo, we will develop an understanding of how things came to be --and how they might be changed. This course offers an opportunity to reflect on important social issues and critically consider some taken-for-granted beliefs about crime, law, justice, and social control.
Course outcomes/objectives
o Having successfully completed this course, you will be able to:
explain how crime is a social phenomenon
identify, describe, and critically analyze the various ways that crime is measured
analyze the role of social and historical context in crime and criminalization
apply various interdisciplinary theories to the study of crime and criminalization
analyze the effects of media representation on criminological issues
describe how Eurocentric perspectives might influence crime and criminalization
critically assess opposing points of view on key criminological issues
analyze the impact of colonization on Indigenous peoples in relation to the Canadian criminal justice system
- Topics may include:
o Right and wrong, fear of harm, causation, media, counting, consent, social response, racism, inequality and poverty.
- Offered: Regularly in the Fall Term
- Syllabus: See Included PDF ‘SOCI206_Syllabus’
- Reason: I have not had the opportunity to take any Sociology classes at Queen’s because I did not take Sociology 100 in my first year. I was originally enrolled in a Liberal Arts degree and took course requirements as such; then, the program was cut in my first year, however, because of the requirement for that degree, I never took the prerequisite for upper-year sociology courses. Sociology, while not my primary interest, is a broad area of study I am highly interested in and understand its importance in society. This course, with no required prerequisites, would offer me the opportunity to study a topic in sociology that is highly applicable to Law and interesting to me personally while adding important layers and depth to my Undergraduate education. Given the course description, this course will provide a rigorous sociology education that will add to my education and learning as a student.
PSYC260 - Introduction to Mental Health and Well-Being
- Instructor: Todd Kettner
- Description: Examines theory and research related to mental health and well-being in adulthood. Topics address various aspects of psychological distress (such as mood and anxiety disorders, personality disorders, substance use, and schizophrenia) and psychological well-being. Biological, learning, developmental, humanistic, and cross-cultural perspectives are used to understand the definitions and etiology of mental disorders and psychological well-being.
- Offered: Regularly in the Fall Term
- Syllabus: See Included PDF ‘PSYC260_Syllabus’
- Reason: While I am a Philosophy major, my other area of great interest throughout my university education has been psychology. PSYC 100 challenged me tremendously, yet I succeeded in achieving a high grade after learning to work and study hard in my first year. I am currently taking Cognitive Psychology in my second year, and while this topic interests me, I am more interested in Mental Health and abnormal psychology, as it influences why people may be driven to commit crimes or act in various abnormal ways, which, in turn, impacts how law is practiced, laws are made, and why individuals act in the ways they do. Further, courses in these topics aid me to better understand my own psychology and struggles with mental health so I may continue to better myself and learn to cope with life as I move through it. This course would provide rigorous learning and depth to my university education, enabling me to better approach the law as I progress in my goals, and better function as an individual in society, overall enabling me to be a better student and person.