Petition Letter
To the Associate Dean (Academic),
I am writing to respectfully petition for permission to exceed the 6.0 unit Letter of Permission (LOP) limit and take a total of 9.0 units of EMPR credits through Athabasca University. This request is being made under extenuating academic circumstances that have directly impacted my ability to complete my degree as planned, through no fault of my own.
When I enrolled in the B.A. in Employment Relations in 2020, I was explicitly advised that the program could be completed fully online. Based on this understanding, I organized every aspect of my academic and personal life accordingly — including my location, employment, finances, and course scheduling. I have followed my degree plan carefully and remained in good academic standing throughout.
I recently discovered, with no prior warning, that the remaining upper-year EMPR courses required to fulfill my degree requirements are now only offered in person. This represents a sudden and fundamental shift in course delivery that I could not have reasonably anticipated. I am currently unable to relocate to Kingston, and without the ability to substitute these courses externally, I will be unable to graduate — despite meeting all other program conditions.
The 9.0 units I am requesting to take through Athabasca University are:
EDUC 317 – Training and Development in Organizations (accepted as EMPR 334)
HRMT 441 – Strategic Human Resource Management (pending EMPR 300 equivalency)
HRMT 326 – Compensation Strategies and Practices (pending EMPR 331 equivalency)
These courses are all upper-year, directly aligned with my program outcomes, and two have already been submitted through the LOP system. This petition is not an attempt to bypass Queen’s policies or expectations — rather, it is a good-faith appeal to ensure that I can complete my degree after an unforeseen change in course accessibility.
I have attached my Academic Advisement Report (AAR) showing my outstanding EMPR 300-level requirements. I am fully committed to maintaining the standards of Queen’s University and completing these external courses with integrity and excellence. I am simply seeking a fair and viable path to graduation in light of circumstances beyond my control.
I deeply appreciate your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Rachel Ferguson
Student Number: 20290439
I am writing to respectfully petition for permission to exceed the 6.0 unit Letter of Permission (LOP) limit and take a total of 9.0 units of EMPR credits through Athabasca University. This request is being made under extenuating academic circumstances that have directly impacted my ability to complete my degree as planned, through no fault of my own.
When I enrolled in the B.A. in Employment Relations in 2020, I was explicitly advised that the program could be completed fully online. Based on this understanding, I organized every aspect of my academic and personal life accordingly — including my location, employment, finances, and course scheduling. I have followed my degree plan carefully and remained in good academic standing throughout.
I recently discovered, with no prior warning, that the remaining upper-year EMPR courses required to fulfill my degree requirements are now only offered in person. This represents a sudden and fundamental shift in course delivery that I could not have reasonably anticipated. I am currently unable to relocate to Kingston, and without the ability to substitute these courses externally, I will be unable to graduate — despite meeting all other program conditions.
The 9.0 units I am requesting to take through Athabasca University are:
EDUC 317 – Training and Development in Organizations (accepted as EMPR 334)
HRMT 441 – Strategic Human Resource Management (pending EMPR 300 equivalency)
HRMT 326 – Compensation Strategies and Practices (pending EMPR 331 equivalency)
These courses are all upper-year, directly aligned with my program outcomes, and two have already been submitted through the LOP system. This petition is not an attempt to bypass Queen’s policies or expectations — rather, it is a good-faith appeal to ensure that I can complete my degree after an unforeseen change in course accessibility.
I have attached my Academic Advisement Report (AAR) showing my outstanding EMPR 300-level requirements. I am fully committed to maintaining the standards of Queen’s University and completing these external courses with integrity and excellence. I am simply seeking a fair and viable path to graduation in light of circumstances beyond my control.
I deeply appreciate your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Rachel Ferguson
Student Number: 20290439