Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Academic),

I am petitioning to drop CHEM 223 - Organic Reactions (Winter 2023) from my transcript. Since I did not meet the requirements for the course, I ended with a final “F” grade on my transcript.

At the end of my first academic year in 2021-2022, I was approached by the head of the Chemistry department to consider majoring in chemistry (since I completed CHEM 112 with an “A”). Furthermore, my chemistry teacher in high school also recognized my strong aptitude for the subject and endorsed a career path in chemistry as well.

After all of my success and high achievement, I was shocked that in my second academic year in 2022-2023, while majoring in Chemistry, I found the demands of the program quite difficult and intense. Although I could have dropped CHEM 223 earlier by Week 8, I was determined to study and try my best to remain in a required course for my program. I have never failed any course in my academic career, and therefore, failing CHEM 223 is devastating, and frankly traumatizing, to me.

I suffer from anxiety, and even switched my medication right before exams to help me maintain my focus and commitment to my studies. I connected with my doctor regularly throughout the year to express my concern about my elevated stress levels and mental health, and we noted the connection between my increased anxiety and program expectations. However, I did choose to remain resilient and face the challenge.

Despite all of these efforts and commitment to succeed, I was unable to pass a required course to graduate with a degree in chemistry. The amount of time I dedicated solely to CHEM 223 also detracted from my achievement in my other chemistry courses. Although I achieved fairly reasonable grades in my other chemistry courses, I feel I could have achieved even higher grades if I did not struggle to understand the material in CHEM 223.

I realize that although I am passionate about chemistry, it is not a suitable program of study for me at the university level. I have already made arrangements to change my program of study, and I was recently accepted into the Biology Department. I have also made arrangements to continue speaking with my doctor, on a regular basis, to ensure I am managing my stress and anxiety.

Since I will now focus my studies in Biology, I no longer require to graduate with CHEM 223. I would greatly appreciate your permission to drop CHEM 223 from my transcript so I can continue to pursue my studies in science without my GPA being severely impacted by a failing mark. I know I am a capable student, and I believe I will have a better opportunity to achieve success in a different science program.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Samantha Lenet