Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Hello,

My name is Sayeda Sabira and I am a third year Life Science Specialization Student. I wish to drop two of my courses (BCHM 310 and MICR 360) and replace it with two new course (MTHE 339 and RELS 341). This also means that I will drop out of SSP and become a major student as of May 2020. I have sought and obtained permission from the professors of both MTHE 339 and RELS 341 and can provide proof of this if required. I have also obtained signed permission from Life Science Associate Dean, Dr. Louise Winn, to go ahead with the appeal.

The reason I failed to swap before the deadline is due to my struggles with anxiety. I was going through a tough time that week as it was the 1 year anniversary of my grandmothers death and due to the numerous emotions that come with an event like that, swapping the courses was not a thought. My stress from that event as well as my anxiety issues caused me to miss the deadline and are further causing me to have issues in regards to having success in BCHM and MICR.

The steps I have taken to solve my struggles with anxiety include booking an appointment with student wellness (on November 6th, 2019) and also speaking with academic counsellor Kerri Andrews, Life Science Advisor Katherine Rudder, and booking an appointment with career services (Sept. 24th, 2019). After deep consideration, I have come to the conclusion that taking on courses that I have more interest in such as RELS and MTHE will improve my feelings towards academics and help alleviate some of the anxiety I feel as a result of academic stress.

I hope that you will take into consideration the extenuating circumstances that have lead me to miss the course add deadline and will give me the chance to explore courses I feel will suit my interest better and allow me to improve my experience as a Life Science student.

Thank you,
Sayeda Sabira.