Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

My name is Fiona McMillan, I am in my fourth year of my Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) with a minor in Philosophy, and I am petitioning to have my grade for PHIL 316 during the 2025 winter semester to be marked as a CR on my transcript.

I enrolled in this course during the 2024 fall course selection period. As I reviewing my courses, I realized PHIL 316 ran from 6:30-9:30pm. I work nights, so avoid taking any courses past 5:30pm. This led me to drop the course, and replace it with PHIL 351. However, a glitch occurred during this process, and the course was not successfully dropped. I did not realize I was enrolled in the course, and therefore did not attend any classes/submit any material.

When I checked my weekly schedule, the course did not show up. I realize now that this was due to my failure to scroll down and check courses running after 5:30pm, because as previously mentioned, I do not enroll in night classes. I also did not know you were able to enroll in more classes without permission, and do not recall paying more in tuition for the winter 2025 term. I also did not receive any emails from the course instructor during the duration of the semester. I did not realize I was enrolled in this course until December 2025, as I begun preparing my documents for graduate school applications.

I recognize that this is completely my fault. I take full accountability for my lack of awareness, and feel genuinely sick that I have let a mistake of this grandeur occur. I love school, and pride myself on being a dedicated and attentive student, which is apparent throughout the remainder of my transcript. I have never gotten lower than a B- in a course, never missed an exam, and have never petitioned to drop a mark previously.

I am currently in the process of applying for MFA programs, but require scholarships/ teaching assistant positions to fund my degree. This grade has brought my GPA down to a 3.4, which has left me ineligible for any entrance scholarships to my desired universities, as well as making me a far less attractive candidate for non-school affiliated scholarships. Furthermore, I worry my GPA will affect my chances of receiving teaching assistant positions during my MFA. This lack of teaching experience would drastically affect the trajectory of my career in arts education.

This mistake, although completely my doing, is immensely out of my character. I want my transcript to be an accurate representation of my time at Queen’s University, a time of emotional growth, academic dedication and intellectual stimulation. I worry that my grade in PHIL 316 will be detrimental to my future, both academically and professionally. Given the fact that this was an honest mistake, and one that does not align with my values as a student, I hope you will consider my request for a petition.

Regardless of the status of my petition, I promise to diligently check my schedules and courses throughout my the remainder of my academic career, both at Queen’s and future institutions. I truly love learning, and if given the chance- I hope to spend the rest of my life participating and contributing to academia. This grade could be the deciding factor between me pursuing a graduate degree or not, so I truly hope you give my request honest consideration.

Thank you for your time.

Kindly,
Fiona McMillan