Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

I am writing to respectfully request permission to take one of my option courses through Athabasca University during the upcoming Winter 2026 term, despite having previously taken courses on an International Letter of Permission (ILOP).

Last fall, I participated in a semester abroad in Rome to enrich my academic experience and address challenges I face as a fully remote student, which at times can be quite isolating. Originally, I was scheduled to attend Bader College, but due to unforeseen structural issues on campus, I was informed that it was no longer possible. As a result, I attended John Cabot University in Rome, which required enrollment in a minimum of four 3.0-credit classes. To do so, I was granted permission to take 12 credits on an ILOP. At that time, I was advised that no core courses would be approved and that the credits I earned abroad would count only toward my elective requirements.

In my first and second years, I often struggled to register for online option courses due to limited availability and classes filling up before my enrolment period. While my semester abroad was an invaluable experience, it also meant I could not complete any option courses that fall. Since then, I have already completed two of the three online option courses available in the winter term. Because of these restrictions, I am now registered in four psychology courses this fall and one in the Winter 2026 term.

Balancing four intensive courses with part-time work of approximately 25-30 hours per week has proven to be very challenging. Taking one option course externally would reduce my course load to three courses this fall and two in the winter, allowing me to manage my academic and work responsibilities more effectively while still staying on track to graduate at the end of the Winter 2026 term.

I am currently preparing graduate school applications and want to ensure I have enough time to complete my coursework successfully while maintaining a strong GPA. I am open to taking alternative courses, such as STAT_Options, but unfortunately, none are available online in the Winter 2026 term. Had there been any Queen's core courses available, I would have gladly enrolled in them, but such options are not currently offered.

After consultation with an Academic Advisor who reviewed my LOP, I was informed that the Athabasca course I am requesting to take does meet the requirements of a core course. However, the concern is that I have already exceeded the 6-credit limit under an ILOP, and for this reason, I am requesting permission to take one additional course externally.

I sincerely appreciate your consideration of this request, and I am happy to provide any additional documentation or details if required.

Thank you for your time and support.

Sincerely,
Caroline Petrucci
20378232
3rd-Year ASO Student