Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Letter: Appeal to the Board of Studies
Queen’s University
Faculty of Arts and Science

Dear Members of the Board of Studies,

I am writing to respectfully appeal the Associate Dean’s decision to deny the final portion of my petition to take additional courses through a Letter of Permission (LOP). While I am deeply appreciative that 19.5 units of my MUSC Specialization courses have been approved for transfer on compassionate grounds, I must request reconsideration of the denial of my elective credits. Specifically, I seek permission to take up to 9.0 additional units (three courses) at another accredited Canadian university. Without this approval, I would not be able to transfer the necessary courses I need back to Queen’s University, leaving me unable to fully meet my degree requirements and progress into the fifth year of the Concurrent Education program.

The Associate Dean’s letter explained that my petition for elective courses was denied because it did not demonstrate extenuating circumstances preventing me from enrolling in electives through Arts and Science Online (ASO). I respect the reasoning provided; however, I believe this decision is not reasonable when considered against the actual program requirements of my degree and the documented limitations of ASO’s course offerings.

To qualify for Intermediate/Senior (I/S) entry in the Faculty of Education, I must achieve a minimum B- average (2.7 GPA) across 24.0 units in my second teaching subject, Visual Arts. At present, my Visual Arts GPA is approximately 2.0, and I urgently need to improve it to meet the required threshold. The Faculty of Education’s rules stipulate that only one first-year full-year course may count toward the 24.0 units; the remainder must be drawn from upper-year (200-level and above, ideally 300-level) courses. It is therefore not sufficient for me to take “any electives.” I must specifically enroll in Visual Arts–eligible courses at the upper-year level in order to raise my GPA to the required standard.

Unfortunately, the Associate Dean’s decision rests on the assumption that these courses can be completed through ASO. This is not accurate. A review of the ASO catalogue shows that its Visual Arts offerings are limited to ARTF 101, ARTH 120, and ARTH 350. I have already completed both ARTF 101 and ARTH 120, which means the only remaining option is ARTH 350 — a single course that cannot, by itself, fulfill the requirements I face. Without additional upper-year Visual Arts courses from another institution, I cannot transfer sufficient credits to Queen’s to raise my GPA or complete the 24.0-unit requirement. In other words, without approval for these additional 9.0 units, it will be impossible for me to fulfill my degree requirements and remain eligible for fifth-year entry into Concurrent Education.

Regulation 1.7.1.7 makes clear that petitions to exceed the 6.0-unit maximum may be granted when courses elsewhere are necessary due to extenuating circumstances or when they represent an academic opportunity not otherwise available at Queen’s. My circumstances satisfy both conditions. The extenuating circumstances related to my mental health, which require me to remain living at home, were already accepted in the partial granting of 19.5 units. The lack of appropriate upper-year Visual Arts electives at Queen’s online creates a further academic necessity: without access to external courses, I cannot complete the requirements of my program.

Furthermore, my request for 9.0 units is not to create an advantage, but to ensure I can carry a full academic load that aligns with degree pacing and program completion. Without this approval, my program requirements remain unfulfilled, and my path to graduation and teacher certification is jeopardized.

I also wish to emphasize that I am mindful of the Faculty’s transfer-credit regulations. My request remains within the maximum allowable 57.0 transfer units and does not exceed the “one-half less 6.0 units” rule for Specialization plans. I am fully committed to ensuring all courses receive prior LOP approval and are carefully chosen to meet both Arts and Science and Education requirements.

In summary, I respectfully submit that the denial of my elective request did not reasonably account for:

1. The Faculty of Education’s requirement that I achieve a 2.7 GPA across 24.0 Visual Arts units, with restrictions on first-year credits.
2. The fact that ASO does not offer sufficient Visual Arts electives — particularly since I have already completed ARTF 101 and ARTH 120, leaving only ARTH 350 as an option.
3. The reality that without approval for an extra 9.0 units, I cannot transfer the courses needed to Queen’s, leaving my degree requirements unfulfilled and my eligibility for fifth-year Concurrent Education at risk.

For these reasons, I respectfully request that the Board of Studies overturn the Associate Dean’s decision in part and permit me to complete up to 9.0 additional units (three courses) of upper-year Visual Arts–eligible courses at another accredited Canadian university during the 2025–2026 academic year, in addition to the 19.5 units already approved. This remedy would allow me to meet all degree requirements and ensure timely progression within both the Faculty of Arts and Science and the Faculty of Education, while remaining fully compliant with transfer-credit regulations.

Thank you for considering my appeal. I remain committed to my studies at Queen’s and to following all required procedures for LOP approval. I am grateful for the time, care, and fairness you will bring to this review.

Sincerely,
Heidi Cui