Petition Letter
To the Associate Dean of Studies,
I am appealing to drop the course WRIT 120 (Summer 2018) late. I was looking to enrol in a summer course to complete the honours portion of my degree at Queens University. As a return to studies student, I was having trouble with my Queens related accounts ie. Solus, Queens Outlook etc. and was frequently locked out and unable to access my emails and course schedule. After enrolling for WRIT 120 and being placed on the waitlist for this course I was again locked out of my accounts. I made several attempts to re-access my accounts and tried to get in touch with Queens IT services, but due to my full time job and summer hours at Queens I was unable to unlock my account. This prohibited me from finding out that I was taken off the waitlist and enrolled in to this course. I was not an active participant in this course and was completely unaware that I had even been enrolled by the time the course was finished.
This entire situation has been extremely difficult for me, as I have already graduated from Queens with a BA in Global Development and Political Studies. The course that I am now appealing was supposed to grant me my honorus portion of my degree in order to fully graduate and move on to higher education. After my international exchange to Nanyang University in Singapore in 2016 I met with several academic advisors and workers in the International Programs Office to ensure that I was on track for graduation in the spring of my fourth year. I was told that I would only need to take four courses a semester in my fourth year in order to graduate. After much thought I decided to take a full course load in my first semester in order to ensure I would be safe when approaching my application for graduation. After applying for graduation in my second semester and being told I was able to graduate with my full degree, I was emailed only two weeks prior to my May gradation date and told that I had not fulfilled my required credits to gain my honours degree. The registrar contacted me to inform me that I had not passed one of my exchange courses and I would not be able to graduate due to this discrepancy. I had planned my entire course load for my fourth year with advisement from more than one Queens¿¿s faculty members and was completely misled. This late message was devastating to my family, and myself because it halted any post-graduate plans and programs I had already been in the midst of applying for. I was then given the opportunity to graduate with a BA on the same graduation date as my peers, but I was called up after the rest of my class, not alphabetically along with them. This has contributed greatly to my struggle with anxiety, which has made it even harder for me complete my honours degree. After applying for WRIT 120 in the summer I assumed I would be notified if taken off the waitlist. I was not notified and then when attempting to check my status on Solus and my Queens email I was asked to write another return to studies form, which I had already submitted three times prior. I tried to contact IT services to unlock my account and by the time I had completed the form and got in touch with IT the course had already come to a close (AUG 6).
This has been an extremely difficult year for me. I have been struggling to accept that I have not graduated from school and have had to put my life on hold because of this course. I am hoping to move on from Queens and go on to higher education and cannot complete my applications until I have attained my honours degree. I would like to appeal this course and complete my elective as soon as possible so that I can resume my applications and move forward into my future.
I am appealing to drop the course WRIT 120 (Summer 2018) late. I was looking to enrol in a summer course to complete the honours portion of my degree at Queens University. As a return to studies student, I was having trouble with my Queens related accounts ie. Solus, Queens Outlook etc. and was frequently locked out and unable to access my emails and course schedule. After enrolling for WRIT 120 and being placed on the waitlist for this course I was again locked out of my accounts. I made several attempts to re-access my accounts and tried to get in touch with Queens IT services, but due to my full time job and summer hours at Queens I was unable to unlock my account. This prohibited me from finding out that I was taken off the waitlist and enrolled in to this course. I was not an active participant in this course and was completely unaware that I had even been enrolled by the time the course was finished.
This entire situation has been extremely difficult for me, as I have already graduated from Queens with a BA in Global Development and Political Studies. The course that I am now appealing was supposed to grant me my honorus portion of my degree in order to fully graduate and move on to higher education. After my international exchange to Nanyang University in Singapore in 2016 I met with several academic advisors and workers in the International Programs Office to ensure that I was on track for graduation in the spring of my fourth year. I was told that I would only need to take four courses a semester in my fourth year in order to graduate. After much thought I decided to take a full course load in my first semester in order to ensure I would be safe when approaching my application for graduation. After applying for graduation in my second semester and being told I was able to graduate with my full degree, I was emailed only two weeks prior to my May gradation date and told that I had not fulfilled my required credits to gain my honours degree. The registrar contacted me to inform me that I had not passed one of my exchange courses and I would not be able to graduate due to this discrepancy. I had planned my entire course load for my fourth year with advisement from more than one Queens¿¿s faculty members and was completely misled. This late message was devastating to my family, and myself because it halted any post-graduate plans and programs I had already been in the midst of applying for. I was then given the opportunity to graduate with a BA on the same graduation date as my peers, but I was called up after the rest of my class, not alphabetically along with them. This has contributed greatly to my struggle with anxiety, which has made it even harder for me complete my honours degree. After applying for WRIT 120 in the summer I assumed I would be notified if taken off the waitlist. I was not notified and then when attempting to check my status on Solus and my Queens email I was asked to write another return to studies form, which I had already submitted three times prior. I tried to contact IT services to unlock my account and by the time I had completed the form and got in touch with IT the course had already come to a close (AUG 6).
This has been an extremely difficult year for me. I have been struggling to accept that I have not graduated from school and have had to put my life on hold because of this course. I am hoping to move on from Queens and go on to higher education and cannot complete my applications until I have attained my honours degree. I would like to appeal this course and complete my elective as soon as possible so that I can resume my applications and move forward into my future.