Petition Letter
To the Associate Dean Jenn Stephenson,
My name is Nicholas Denniston, and I am currently in my fifth year of life sciences here at Queens university. I am writing this letter with regards to an uncomfortable situation that I found myself in during my first appearances in the BIOL403 lab. Before I explain this experience, I would like to share some personal information concerning my mental health. For many years prior to my time at Queens, I struggled with anxiety. I found myself regularly breaking down over small tasks and unable to function effectively in my environment. Fortunately, since my diagnosis, I have had a lot of experience coping with these conditions. Resultantly, I no longer take medication for either illness as I have acquired natural methods that work best for me. That being said, it is not often that I find myself in unbearable situations.
At the beginning of the winter 2022 semester, I was very excited to start my first lab-based course at Queens. However, unfortunately due to the Covid-19 pandemic we were unable to attend in-person classes until February 28, 2022. As a result, Professor Laurent Seroude sent out an email to everyone in the class to inform us that we would be unable to proceed with the course until we were allowed back in the lab. Additionally, the email contained a brief description of the course, a live zoom link to ask questions about the class, and a link to the class website. Immediately, I was taken off-guard by the untraditional structure and layout of the class. For example, the course does not have an Onq webpage. Instead, the course is only accessible from the link provided in the first email sent at the beginning of the semester. When I first clicked on this link, an error page popped up in my browser to notify me that I was accessing an unsecure network. After navigating through advanced browser settings, I was able to proceed to the website which my computer deemed unsafe. After opening the link, I was able to access the brief course description and informal syllabus provided on the homepage. My first encounter with the professor was on January 18, 2022, when I loaded into a live zoom session scheduled for students to ask questions about the course. I was the only student in the session, and it was very quiet. After saying hello a couple times, the professor appeared in the frame and responded with yes?. With no introduction, I fell into a state of nervousness and hesitated before saying my question. I wanted to confirm that we had no responsibilities for the class prior to February 28 as this was also untraditional of any Queens?? courses, that I've taken before. When I finally asked my question, he responded with a firm no and told me I would have known that if I had read the email he sent out. I replied quickly, thanking him for his time and left the session soon after. This interaction left me with mixed emotions for my first impression of professor Seroude. On one hand, I wanted the professor to like me. Fourth year courses at Queens are generally smaller classes where students can thrive off close relationships with the professor and I did not want to miss out on that experience. But on the other hand, this also made me feel like I should avoid any confrontation going forward.
The semester progressed and in-person classes resumed. The next email from professor Seroude was on March 8th, reminding all the students who had not yet scheduled a lab to do so. In this email I was able to see my own name along with the names and emails of thirty-one other students who also had not yet scheduled their lab. In the following week, I went with my housemate, who is also enrolled in the course, to the BioScience complex to schedule our first lab. This second interaction was quick and friendly. Together, we left the building excited to do our lab later that week. Prior to that date, I spent multiple hours researching and exploring concepts that would be encountered on the lab. Additionally, I spent a good amount of time reviewing the two equations provided in the brief description on the website. I felt ready for both the lab and the two mandatory quizzes that were to be done beforehand. When we arrived at the lab, there were about five students sitting at the benches and the professor seemed rushed. Immediately, we were told to find our seats and wait until he had a minute. When he walked up there was no introduction, the first thing he asked was who is going first?. Nervously, we did the first micropipette quiz one by one. Not long after, we each sat down again to take the calculations test. This time, when I looked at the quiz, I realized that I had studied the wrong equations and was unable to complete any of the questions. When I looked up to see how my housemate was doing, it was evident that he was also struggling. Consequently, I raised my hand to explain to professor Seroude the situation. I asked if it would be okay to reschedule the lab so that we could have more time to study the proper calculations. In response, he walked up to our desk and quickly took the quiz out from under us and began questioning why we didn??t come to class prepared. When I tried to explain that there was a misunderstanding with the calculations we studied, he cut me off and told us to just leave. Astonished of the situation, we packed our things up quietly and headed for the door. On our way out, I asked the professor if he could help guide us in the right direction and quickly walk us through the calculations. His response was that he cannot take the time to teach us simple mathematics that are supposed to be learned in elementary school. This statement was belittling on many levels, and it felt like I was being openly insulted in a room full of people. Feeling embarrassed, belittled, and anxious, we left the lab.
The Next week, I was determined to push through the frustration and overcome the issues I had with the calculations. My housemate and I wanted to go into the lab next time and show the professor that we were more than capable. With this attitude, I studied extensively until I gained a firm understanding of the material. Additionally, we both met with the TA to go over a practice question that was giving us problems. After this friendly interaction, we scheduled our lab again for later that week. On the day of the lab, I was overwhelmed with anxiousness. I just wanted to finish the lab without having any interactions with professor Seroude. But I also knew that would be impossible. Finally, when we got to the lab at our scheduled time, there were two other students sitting at our assigned benches. Professor Seroude and the TA looked at each other confused at the overlapping time slots. Right away, I asked if it would be okay for us to sit at the next open benches right in front of them. Without explaining why, the two instructors responded with a firm ??no? and told me that I could do my lab in about an hour and that my housemate would have to reschedule entirely. Looking for some justification, we questioned why we wouldn??t be able to sit at another bench. The TA responded by telling us that it wasn??t our equipment. After being told to leave the lab and come back in an hour, my housemate asked how it was fair for us to have to reschedule and come back again given the short amount of time to complete the course. The TA responded angrily by saying we have already done a lot to accommodate each of you, I wouldn??t push your luck. This felt like a threat coming from one of the two people who would be involved with grading our assignments. I was astonished at the way this situation was handled, and until this day I am not even sure what we did wrong. I do not feel like we were accommodated in any manner whatsoever. If anything, it felt like I was walking into that lab with a target painted on my back to be belittled for not understanding and threatened for questioning the methods. With that, we left the lab and walked straight to student services to discuss an appeal to drop the course.
The last thing I want to mention is regarding professor Seroudes email display picture. Recently it drew my attention that the professor??s Queens email display picture is an animated feces emoji. Maybe this is meant to be comical, however I think it is completely unprofessional and overall, poorly represents Queens university (see supporting documents).
Taking into account my mental health, I believe that the best option for me now is to remove myself from the situation completely. As I mentioned, I am now in my fifth year here at queens and I am generally pretty good at finding ways to cope with my anxiety. In the past, I have had stressful experiences in other classes that I was able to push through and still achieve high grades. After the encounters outlined above, I no longer feel comfortable attending the lab as I constantly find myself in a state of anxiousness. Had the course begun at the start of the semester, I would have had ample time to drop it before the final drop date. However, since the last day to drop a course without academic penalty was March 4, 2022, and we were not able to appear in class until February 28, 2022, there was only four days to attend the lab and make a decision about the course.
With all this to consider, I would like to thank you in advance for taking the time to review my appeal. With this formal letter, I have attached two supporting documents to help verify my case. The first document is a note from my family doctor that I had recently requested for the purpose of this appeal. The note provides a brief explanation of my mental health history, as well as indicates specific diagnostic dates. The other document contains screenshots of the emails that were sent from the professor and his display picture. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there are any questions or if any additional information is required.
Best Regards,
Nicholas Denniston
20054283
16ngd1@queensu.ca
My name is Nicholas Denniston, and I am currently in my fifth year of life sciences here at Queens university. I am writing this letter with regards to an uncomfortable situation that I found myself in during my first appearances in the BIOL403 lab. Before I explain this experience, I would like to share some personal information concerning my mental health. For many years prior to my time at Queens, I struggled with anxiety. I found myself regularly breaking down over small tasks and unable to function effectively in my environment. Fortunately, since my diagnosis, I have had a lot of experience coping with these conditions. Resultantly, I no longer take medication for either illness as I have acquired natural methods that work best for me. That being said, it is not often that I find myself in unbearable situations.
At the beginning of the winter 2022 semester, I was very excited to start my first lab-based course at Queens. However, unfortunately due to the Covid-19 pandemic we were unable to attend in-person classes until February 28, 2022. As a result, Professor Laurent Seroude sent out an email to everyone in the class to inform us that we would be unable to proceed with the course until we were allowed back in the lab. Additionally, the email contained a brief description of the course, a live zoom link to ask questions about the class, and a link to the class website. Immediately, I was taken off-guard by the untraditional structure and layout of the class. For example, the course does not have an Onq webpage. Instead, the course is only accessible from the link provided in the first email sent at the beginning of the semester. When I first clicked on this link, an error page popped up in my browser to notify me that I was accessing an unsecure network. After navigating through advanced browser settings, I was able to proceed to the website which my computer deemed unsafe. After opening the link, I was able to access the brief course description and informal syllabus provided on the homepage. My first encounter with the professor was on January 18, 2022, when I loaded into a live zoom session scheduled for students to ask questions about the course. I was the only student in the session, and it was very quiet. After saying hello a couple times, the professor appeared in the frame and responded with yes?. With no introduction, I fell into a state of nervousness and hesitated before saying my question. I wanted to confirm that we had no responsibilities for the class prior to February 28 as this was also untraditional of any Queens?? courses, that I've taken before. When I finally asked my question, he responded with a firm no and told me I would have known that if I had read the email he sent out. I replied quickly, thanking him for his time and left the session soon after. This interaction left me with mixed emotions for my first impression of professor Seroude. On one hand, I wanted the professor to like me. Fourth year courses at Queens are generally smaller classes where students can thrive off close relationships with the professor and I did not want to miss out on that experience. But on the other hand, this also made me feel like I should avoid any confrontation going forward.
The semester progressed and in-person classes resumed. The next email from professor Seroude was on March 8th, reminding all the students who had not yet scheduled a lab to do so. In this email I was able to see my own name along with the names and emails of thirty-one other students who also had not yet scheduled their lab. In the following week, I went with my housemate, who is also enrolled in the course, to the BioScience complex to schedule our first lab. This second interaction was quick and friendly. Together, we left the building excited to do our lab later that week. Prior to that date, I spent multiple hours researching and exploring concepts that would be encountered on the lab. Additionally, I spent a good amount of time reviewing the two equations provided in the brief description on the website. I felt ready for both the lab and the two mandatory quizzes that were to be done beforehand. When we arrived at the lab, there were about five students sitting at the benches and the professor seemed rushed. Immediately, we were told to find our seats and wait until he had a minute. When he walked up there was no introduction, the first thing he asked was who is going first?. Nervously, we did the first micropipette quiz one by one. Not long after, we each sat down again to take the calculations test. This time, when I looked at the quiz, I realized that I had studied the wrong equations and was unable to complete any of the questions. When I looked up to see how my housemate was doing, it was evident that he was also struggling. Consequently, I raised my hand to explain to professor Seroude the situation. I asked if it would be okay to reschedule the lab so that we could have more time to study the proper calculations. In response, he walked up to our desk and quickly took the quiz out from under us and began questioning why we didn??t come to class prepared. When I tried to explain that there was a misunderstanding with the calculations we studied, he cut me off and told us to just leave. Astonished of the situation, we packed our things up quietly and headed for the door. On our way out, I asked the professor if he could help guide us in the right direction and quickly walk us through the calculations. His response was that he cannot take the time to teach us simple mathematics that are supposed to be learned in elementary school. This statement was belittling on many levels, and it felt like I was being openly insulted in a room full of people. Feeling embarrassed, belittled, and anxious, we left the lab.
The Next week, I was determined to push through the frustration and overcome the issues I had with the calculations. My housemate and I wanted to go into the lab next time and show the professor that we were more than capable. With this attitude, I studied extensively until I gained a firm understanding of the material. Additionally, we both met with the TA to go over a practice question that was giving us problems. After this friendly interaction, we scheduled our lab again for later that week. On the day of the lab, I was overwhelmed with anxiousness. I just wanted to finish the lab without having any interactions with professor Seroude. But I also knew that would be impossible. Finally, when we got to the lab at our scheduled time, there were two other students sitting at our assigned benches. Professor Seroude and the TA looked at each other confused at the overlapping time slots. Right away, I asked if it would be okay for us to sit at the next open benches right in front of them. Without explaining why, the two instructors responded with a firm ??no? and told me that I could do my lab in about an hour and that my housemate would have to reschedule entirely. Looking for some justification, we questioned why we wouldn??t be able to sit at another bench. The TA responded by telling us that it wasn??t our equipment. After being told to leave the lab and come back in an hour, my housemate asked how it was fair for us to have to reschedule and come back again given the short amount of time to complete the course. The TA responded angrily by saying we have already done a lot to accommodate each of you, I wouldn??t push your luck. This felt like a threat coming from one of the two people who would be involved with grading our assignments. I was astonished at the way this situation was handled, and until this day I am not even sure what we did wrong. I do not feel like we were accommodated in any manner whatsoever. If anything, it felt like I was walking into that lab with a target painted on my back to be belittled for not understanding and threatened for questioning the methods. With that, we left the lab and walked straight to student services to discuss an appeal to drop the course.
The last thing I want to mention is regarding professor Seroudes email display picture. Recently it drew my attention that the professor??s Queens email display picture is an animated feces emoji. Maybe this is meant to be comical, however I think it is completely unprofessional and overall, poorly represents Queens university (see supporting documents).
Taking into account my mental health, I believe that the best option for me now is to remove myself from the situation completely. As I mentioned, I am now in my fifth year here at queens and I am generally pretty good at finding ways to cope with my anxiety. In the past, I have had stressful experiences in other classes that I was able to push through and still achieve high grades. After the encounters outlined above, I no longer feel comfortable attending the lab as I constantly find myself in a state of anxiousness. Had the course begun at the start of the semester, I would have had ample time to drop it before the final drop date. However, since the last day to drop a course without academic penalty was March 4, 2022, and we were not able to appear in class until February 28, 2022, there was only four days to attend the lab and make a decision about the course.
With all this to consider, I would like to thank you in advance for taking the time to review my appeal. With this formal letter, I have attached two supporting documents to help verify my case. The first document is a note from my family doctor that I had recently requested for the purpose of this appeal. The note provides a brief explanation of my mental health history, as well as indicates specific diagnostic dates. The other document contains screenshots of the emails that were sent from the professor and his display picture. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there are any questions or if any additional information is required.
Best Regards,
Nicholas Denniston
20054283
16ngd1@queensu.ca