Petition Letter
Dear Dr. Stephenson,
I am petitioning to drop CISC 452 (Fall, 2023).
In the second week of the term, I met with advising to discuss dropping CISC 452 after attending a few classes. After viewing the syllabus and lecture slides, I felt that the course would be challenging to manage with my current load. Additionally, I have previously struggled with Professor Abbas’s instruction methods and receiving necessary extensions in a different course. I could not find a course to swap with CISC 452 and fulfill my CISC 400-level requirement in the Fall term, so I decided to stay.
My mental health started to be affected by my overwhelming workload and trying to catch up in the course, as it was progressing quickly. It was difficult for me to follow in class, and the provided slides and resources were not helpful. The slides confusingly explained the material and used YouTube videos uploaded 11 years ago. I spent significantly more time trying to teach myself the material than I was spending on my other courses. I requested a 3-day extension for the first group assignment due September 20th. Professor Abbas granted our group a 2-day extension, stating that he does not give more than 2-day extensions. Given the nature of the assignment, I was able to complete the work in time and receive a good grade.
The first individual assignment was due on September 27th. I had multiple assessments in different courses due that week, and I was worried that I could not submit them all in time. I requested a 7-day extension for the assignment. Professor Abbas granted me a 2-day extension, stating that “waiting for the last few days before submission and counting on the fact there is a 7-day accommodation is not the wise thing to do as a student.” After involving my QSAS advisor, speaking with my advisor on the phone, and a day of email exchanges, I escalated the incident with QSAS and accepted the 2-day extension. I finally reached a breakdown that day; my mental health issues spiked, and I struggled to function normally for the following days.
The individual assignment comprised two parts: a coding and a theoretical section. Despite understanding the lecture material, I had no idea how to start the assignment. We had not previously seen the theories discussed in the slides implemented in code or similar questions to the theory section. I submitted my assignment half-completed, a day late, and received a 20%. The time I spent learning the material wasn’t enough to understand the assignment, and it caused me to neglect my other courses and put me behind in them. As we enter reading week, I don’t feel I will be able to understand the last five weeks of material and keep up with future assessments. As this commitment is affecting my other courses, I feel it would be best to fulfill this degree requirement in a different class next semester.
I am petitioning to drop CISC 452 (Fall, 2023).
In the second week of the term, I met with advising to discuss dropping CISC 452 after attending a few classes. After viewing the syllabus and lecture slides, I felt that the course would be challenging to manage with my current load. Additionally, I have previously struggled with Professor Abbas’s instruction methods and receiving necessary extensions in a different course. I could not find a course to swap with CISC 452 and fulfill my CISC 400-level requirement in the Fall term, so I decided to stay.
My mental health started to be affected by my overwhelming workload and trying to catch up in the course, as it was progressing quickly. It was difficult for me to follow in class, and the provided slides and resources were not helpful. The slides confusingly explained the material and used YouTube videos uploaded 11 years ago. I spent significantly more time trying to teach myself the material than I was spending on my other courses. I requested a 3-day extension for the first group assignment due September 20th. Professor Abbas granted our group a 2-day extension, stating that he does not give more than 2-day extensions. Given the nature of the assignment, I was able to complete the work in time and receive a good grade.
The first individual assignment was due on September 27th. I had multiple assessments in different courses due that week, and I was worried that I could not submit them all in time. I requested a 7-day extension for the assignment. Professor Abbas granted me a 2-day extension, stating that “waiting for the last few days before submission and counting on the fact there is a 7-day accommodation is not the wise thing to do as a student.” After involving my QSAS advisor, speaking with my advisor on the phone, and a day of email exchanges, I escalated the incident with QSAS and accepted the 2-day extension. I finally reached a breakdown that day; my mental health issues spiked, and I struggled to function normally for the following days.
The individual assignment comprised two parts: a coding and a theoretical section. Despite understanding the lecture material, I had no idea how to start the assignment. We had not previously seen the theories discussed in the slides implemented in code or similar questions to the theory section. I submitted my assignment half-completed, a day late, and received a 20%. The time I spent learning the material wasn’t enough to understand the assignment, and it caused me to neglect my other courses and put me behind in them. As we enter reading week, I don’t feel I will be able to understand the last five weeks of material and keep up with future assessments. As this commitment is affecting my other courses, I feel it would be best to fulfill this degree requirement in a different class next semester.