Petition letter to appeal academic dismisal.

<p>Could you please provide me with feedbacks about my letter. Thank you. </p>

<p>To Whom It May Concern:</p>

<pre><code>I am writing to appeal my academic dismissal from xxxx University School of Nursing, because of disapprobatory grades on my final exams of Fundamental of Nursing and Health Assessment and Skills.

I believe the policy should not apply to my case because an urgent medical situation prevented me from demonstrating my knowledge about the material covered throughout the quarter.

Last quarter was my second quarter in xxx University and one of the most disappointing quarters in my academic history due to health issues and personal difficulties. On Friday xxx at 20:30 pm, I had a laparoscopic gall bladder removal surgery at the xxx hospital. I decided to have the surgery two days before my final tests because the doctor recommended that I could not postpone the surgery any longer as I had been postponing it since the last April. During my postponement, I was trying alternative medications such as holistic medications to improve the condition of my gall bladder. By the time it became unbearable I also became concerned about possibly losing my Medi-Cal benefits and not being able to afford the surgery. My financial situation changed from the last year and every year I have to fill out forms on my financial situation. I was contacted and asked to submit the annual forms by the end of May. I have been the guardian of my younger sister who has come to America from Japan after the earthquake and nuclear power issue of March 11, 2011. Stressing on losing medical assistance, not being able to afford the surgery and wanting to take care of my health concerns were important for my sister and I since we are in the United States with little family support. If there were to be a chance that I would lose medical coverage it would be a great hindrance to my family situation. I felt that it was the responsible thing to do after my last discussion with my doctor. He expressed that the last ultrasound result showed the presence of a medium sized stone that was causing me to experience pain more often and that the only thing I could do to control the pain was to take medications. He also explained that most patients usually have minimal post-operatory pain and that after one day I could return to my normal activities. Therefore, I decided to have the surgery and take my final tests as scheduled. I felt confident that I was going to do well on the tests because I was studying ahead of time and later after the school quarter was over I would take a better post-operatory rest. However, my body did not respond as I was expecting instead I felt weak, anxious, and tired. The doctor told me after the surgery that the gall bladder itself was in a very bad condition and could have caused damage to other parts of my body if it stayed in. The pain and bloating sensation did not leave until two weeks after surgery. Before the finals and the surgery had become an issue, my family in xxx had financially helped me purchase a flight ticket to go back home to xxx. At the time of the purchase I thought that I was feeling well. I had made some changes in my diet and I was trying holistic medications to improve the condition of my gall bladder. However, the pain came back toward the end of the school quarter. Mentally, I was using my trip to xxx as motivation to stay focused on my work at school and my trade. Regardless of the pain that I was feeling, I had in mind that I was going to take care of my mother who had a hip prosthesis replacement four months ago. Also, after three and a half years I was going to see my grandmother, and my aunt and uncle which helped raise me and to whom I treat as a mother and father figure. The pain that I was going through before the finals along with worrying about disappointing my family on helping them along with the fear of grade expectations became a hindrance to my concentration. The medication that I was taking for the pain affected my ability to focus and I had to decide on going through the final with the pains, or taking the final while being medicated, which would leave me drowsy and unfocused. The morning of the final test, I chose to take the finals while taking the pain medication.
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<p>Throughout the quarter I met many people that like me worked hard to get into the nursing program and have passion about nursing and helping people. Unfortunately, many do not share the same passion or they possibly lost focus because of the pressure for obtaining good grades, so their personal and moral values were harmed by the desperate attempt to succeed in classes. A few weeks before finals I heard a conversation that bothered me a lot and as the weeks passed it really made me feel very uncomfortable. Regrettably, I did not address this matter in the proper way and I let the conversation to internalize inside me obtaining emotions that injured my ability to do well on the tests.</p>

<p>In preparation for resuming my studies, I plan to prioritize things in my life more wisely. I will listen to the health professional recommendations in regards of my physical and mental health condition and take a good care of my body by meeting with the doctor whenever I have concerns of my health. Also, I will have a better time management where I not only will take time for my studies but also for my health and personal responsibilities such as my sister. Furthermore, I will not risk my grades again and I will come to my teacher to explain them what is going on with myself in order for them to be aware of my condition so they can be in a better position to help me. Lastly, I will not let other people’s opinions, comments and actions to affect me because I cannot control them but I can control myself and my future in xxx University.</p>

<p>Wayyyyyy too long. </p>

<p>Do not blame others. </p>

<p>Why didn’t youncontact school at time of gall bladder surgery, which was the sensible thing to do.</p>

<p>I agree, it is quite lengthy. You should try to condense it a bit. </p>

<p>Also “Throughout the quarter I met many people that like me worked hard to get into the nursing program and have passion about nursing and helping people. Unfortunately, many do not share the same passion or they possibly lost focus because of the pressure for obtaining good grades, so their personal and moral values were harmed by the desperate attempt to succeed in classes. A few weeks before finals I heard a conversation that bothered me a lot and as the weeks passed it really made me feel very uncomfortable. Regrettably, I did not address this matter in the proper way and I let the conversation to internalize inside me obtaining emotions that injured my ability to do well on the tests.”</p>

<p>This paragraph is essentially you blaming others. None of the excuses here are usually considered “valid” for an appeal. Cut this entire paragraph and the sentiments you express there from your essay.</p>

<p>Yes, far too long and too detailed. And never bring other people’s lack of focus or poor morals into the discussion. This is a about you, only you, and your performance. Oh, and paragraphs are your friends.</p>

<p>Look, I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer but nursing programs often operate under stricter rules because at the end of the day, students must pass boards, which are not written or administered by your school. Exceptions simply are not made for students who don’t meet the standards spelled out by the department. So, when you say things like you’ll keep your teachers advised of what is going on, it means nothing in terms of meeting requirements of the profession. In other words, it doesn’t matter why you aren’t doing well. If you can’t perform well enough to pass course tests at the required level, you will not be able to pass boards, you will not be a nurse and the kindest thing the school of nursing can do is kick you out now before you waste more years and money.</p>

<p>You also don’t say what you want. If you want to progress to the next course in the sequence, probably not going to happen. If you are asking to be left in the program, retake the courses and then progress, you might have a shot. It will probably mean another semester or another year in school, but if your are sure you can be successful, that might be what you have to do.</p>

<p>Summarize the medical problem down to five sentences.</p>

<p>Agreed with the 5 sentence summary. Cut out references to holistic medication and every little detail of your treatment and ultrasound results. Here’s my suggestion:</p>

<p>1.- I had gallbladder surgery on (date) at (hospital) and medical complications made me do poorly on my test.
2.- I had been postponing surgery because of XYZ reasons but had to get it done on that date because XYZ.
3.- Doctor had said I would be ok by (date) but I did not improve until (date) because XYZ.
4.- I had to take my exams while taking medication X, which has side effects X, Y, and Z, which contributed to my poor performance.
5.- I continued to take the medication even on the test date because I had a planned trip to X on (date) to go take care of my sick mother.</p>

<p>Are you Japanese or are you Peruvian? If you are Peruvian what was your little sister doing in Japan. I spent many years in Japan as a diplomat and I can not imagine the Japanese Government even allowing an unaccompanied minor from South America to enter the country let alone reside in Japan indefinitely. If your mother is Japanese why did she not have her hip replacement surgery done in Japan where it would have been free and under much better conditions?</p>

<p>I wouldn’t even do five sentences. You were dealing with a medical situation which required surgery; you regret not having informed your professors of the situation and side effects which impaired your ability to study and your performance.</p>

<p>As a result of this unfortunate experience, you are even more committed to becoming a highly trained and skilled nurse.</p>

<p>sincerely, etc. the mother, the sister, it’s all too much.</p>

<p>To Whom It May Concern:</p>

<p>I am writing to appeal my academic dismissal from xxxx University School of Nursing. An urgent medical situation prevented me from performing in a satisfactory manner during the second quarter. I do not believe that I should be dismissed from the university because this health issue is not likely to recur. </p>

<p>Last quarter I did not make satisfactory academic progress because I was experiencing medical problems. I had experienced gall bladder difficulties for approximately one year, but I thought that I could make it through the second quarter before I addressed these issues.</p>

<p>However, my doctor advised me that I should no longer postpone the surgery any longer and on Friday xxx I had a gall bladder removal surgery. Most patients make a quick recovery and I assumed that I would recover quickly as well. Unfortunately, I experienced medical complications and did not recover as quickly as I had hoped. I had to continue using powerful pain medications longer than I had anticipated. Unfortunately, I was unable to focus on my studies while on these medications. I decided to complete my final examinations. I did the best I could under the circumstance, however I did not attain satisfactory scores on my exams.</p>

<p>I have learned a lot from this experience. In the future I will attempt to address all health issues immediately. I am also aware that I can contact people from the university to assist me if I am sick in the future.</p>

<p>Thank you for reading this letter.</p>

<p>Sincerely,</p>

<p>Your Name</p>

<p>Agree with above posters. Also volunteer to provide medical documentation and work on getting a letter from your doctor regarding your longer than normal recovery period.</p>

<p>I agree that a highly condensed letter (see Proudpatriot)accompanied by a letter from your primary care doc and/or surgeon would be the best approach.</p>

<p>LOVE proud patriots letter!!! He/she did a great job cutting it down - remember - they don’t care about details or excuses. Just that it was extenuating circumstances that won’t happen again, and that you have learned new strategies.</p>

<p>You will need to provide corroborating documentation from the doctor and the hospital to the appeals committee. Not everyone will be permitted to read it but someone on the committee has to be in possession of proof of your claims.</p>

<p>Also, you should include an item about how you will recover academically from your poor grades. You may need to retake the course(s). It’s very unlikely that your grades will be raised retroactively. </p>

<p>Your family obligations, while heavy, are not going to be considered a reason for clemency. They are considered your choice and not something the school has to take into account.</p>

<p>I also want to reemphasize what other have said about blaming others. It’s counterproductive and doesn’t add to your case. Remove all references to your peers and tone down references to your family situation. Focus on the untimely scheduling of a necessary surgery.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

<p>Worth a try, but I would be wondering why you didn’t plan for your studies and do the surgery accordingly - earlier. You said postponing since April which kind of makes your time frame elective - but you ignored it.</p>

<p>Thank you everyone. I appreciate your comments.</p>