By Sophia Sasson
I recently petitioned the psychology department to add an elective course from a different department to my major. Let me start off by saying it was not an easy process. Though eventually successful, when I started the process over the summer my CCAS advisor discouraged me from even trying. They had seen students petition for the same class in the past and not once was it approved. Regardless, I was interested in the class and needed an extra elective to graduate on time — and I was desperate not to take 3 psychology courses in a future semester. I wasn’t able to get into any other classes in the fall due to time restrictions, so there was no other option. I thought to myself – what do I have to lose? I went to the person in charge and was immediately turned away. Naturally, I was discouraged because in my meeting I wasn’t being heard. I then spoke with a current professor of mine in the Psychology department who gave me two more names of faculty that would hopefully listen to me. If the next person said no, I could take my petition all the way up to the dean (who knew?). My intention was to make the course a permanent elective option for the major. However, the petition was only granted as an exception for my personal situation. I learned a lot from the experience and was the first person in (at least) four years who was granted the exception for this course! I set the precedent for future semesters which I think is pretty cool.
Takeaways
When dealing with any department within the administration it is important to be persistent. If the first person you email doesn’t get back to you, follow up. If they are still unresponsive, start a new email chain. If they have office hours, pop in and ask for a meeting there! It is important to get creative if you are being ignored. Try emailing other faculty who might be able to get you an answer or lead you in the right direction.
When you are asking for something that may be out of the norm, be persuasive. Why do you want this? How is it going to be beneficial to your education? Is this just an exception for you or are you trying to change a greater policy? It is important to articulate your argument in as much detail as possible and give valid reasons. If the question is why not, you should provide them with reasons they can’t refuse.
When dealing with the university, you need to maintain intrinsic motivation. This is the motivation that pushes you to master or complete the task at hand. It is the counterpart to extrinsic motivation which is the reward that comes from outside sources and people. Demonstrating intrinsic motivation is continuing to act without knowing if there will be a reward at the end. It is having fun with the task and learning the skills to do it to the best of your ability.
Lastly, it is important to eliminate emotion from the situation. If you are not getting the answer you want, ask yourself, “why, logistically, is this person saying no to me?”. What is the rule behind the negative answer? Are they saying no to you off the bat, or are they genuinely considering your argument? Is there anyone else you can speak to, respectfully maneuvering around the faculty member that rejected your request?
When working alongside the university, it is important to remember that they are just trying to follow a rule that we are trying to change or bend. It is essential for us as students to push back against antiquated rules and work together to enact meaningful change. At the end of the day, this is your college experience. If you feel like you aren’t getting what you need, you have the power to speak up about it.
