Dear [DEAN’S NAME], [ASSOCIATE DEAN’S NAME], and College of Arts and Sciences,
My name is [STUDENT] and I am writing to request an appeal to my academic suspension for the Fall 2018 semester. I am deeply disappointed with my performance across my freshman year and understand the reason why I am receiving a suspension notice, however I would like to provide some insight about the reasons of my performance and subsequent remedial action which is in progress. I sincerely hope for your consideration of allowing me the opportunity to continue pursuing my higher education at this prestigious institute.
In my debut semester, I found the transition to independence in a new environment especially difficult. I am an out-of-state student from [X STATE] who let the stress of a new environment combined with moving away to be on my own to take a toll on my mental well-being. I found myself in toxic relationships I was scared to leave in fears of being alone, however those same relationships proved detrimental to my academic focus. I did not have the prioritization skills to achieve academic success, and quickly realized so once my grades fell and I struggled to bring them to passing standards. I was very aspirational and started off my semester well and was managing my academics, however I allowed my relationship challenges to hinder me from fully focusing on my schoolwork and managing my time. The stress from my relationships and academics started to affect my health and I had to visit the ER on three occasions during my semester for rashes and fevers that worsened with additional stress. As my health issues arose and grades fell, I lost focus of my goals and gave up when I saw I could not rectify my situation and earn passing grades by the term’s end, causing me to forego seeking help from my professors or university resources. By the end of my term I was aware of the corrective action I had to take, and I took steps to improve my academic standing my subsequent semester.
My Spring 2018 semester, I took steps to avoid the outcome of my last semester by reducing my course load and enrolling in [STRATEGIC LEARNING COURSE] with [PROFESSOR NAME]. [STRATEGIC LEARNING COURSE PROFESSOR] helped to restore my confidence in my academics while providing guidance through any personal and academic issues of mine residing from my poor fall semester, and I talked with her throughout the semester and continued to work to overcome my academic shortcomings. Additionally, I took steps to meet with my academic advisor [ADVISOR NAME] and decided to transition from a Biology pre-med degree to a Health Science Studies program that would suit my academic strengths better and allow me to excel in the future. Aside from pursuing university resources, I improved my relationships and participated in study groups for my courses which allowed me to improve in my spring semester by nearly 0.4 points. Seeing the improvements my actions had, I was more confident in my abilities as I did better.
My improvements in the spring prompted me to take up three credits in the summer which were manageable, however I experienced an unprecedented health issue during the course which diminished my performance. My family had traveled during the summer before starting my course and my sibling and I returned with a viral case of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. The disease was accompanied by symptoms that developed into fevers, ulcers, and body pain which left me bedridden and under medication. With my physical condition, I found it difficult to focus on the cumulative subject matter nearing the end of the course and do well on the tests and assignments, and my grade dwindled as a result. Despite my circumstances, I recognize that my low grades are my fault, however I have faith that I can rectify my academic standing and return to making the progressive changes that allowed me to improve upon myself during the spring semester.
I have the full intentions of improving in my coming semesters and I feel confident in the history of my corrective actions to improve my grades significantly if I am granted the privilege to continue my education at Baylor. Should I be granted reinstatement for the next semester, I will strongly emphasize my focus on my GPA, retake any courses I have earned unsatisfactory grades in, continue to use university resources for academic improvement including but not limited to SI and tutoring, integrate myself into Baylor’s Academic Support Programs with the help of Professor Easley-Young and my advisor, manage my time more wisely, and keep communication open between my professors, advisors, and I when challenges arise that threaten my success. Attending Baylor is a privilege, not a right, and I am confident that I can prove myself successful to earn such a privilege. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to speak of the reasons behind my academic difficulties to supplement your decision.
Sincerely,
[STUDENT NAME]