Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern,

I am in my final semester and intend to graduate in June 2026 with a Biology General degree. I have completed all degree requirements except the 12.0-unit BIOL 200-level requirement.

To date, I have completed BIOL 200, 205, and 206, and STAT 263 in place of BIOL 243. The only remaining courses that meet this requirement — BIOL 212 and BIOL 243 — are full with waitlists. My current plan is Mathematics General, and I cannot formally change to Biology General until May 2026, after the Winter term ends. This plan restriction has prevented me from registering for BIOL 212 prior to open enrollment.

I have contacted both the Biology Department and Dr. Paul Grogan (Undergraduate Chair) to request an exception, but was informed that no departmental override could be given because current Biology majors are also waitlisted. While I respect the department’s fairness policy, this leaves me with no path to complete my degree on time.
My primary request is approval to substitute a 300-level or 400-level BIOL course toward the 200-level requirement. If this is not possible, I respectfully ask for consideration of an override into BIOL 212 for Fall 2025 or Winter 2026 despite my current plan status.

Without this exception, I will be unable to graduate for another full academic year solely due to course availability and plan-change timing. This petition is made in good faith to complete my degree requirements on time while respecting departmental capacity limits. I am open to any equivalent course option, including those offered in the summer or online, that could satisfy this requirement.

Thank you for considering my request.