University Suspension Appeal Letter

Parents Forum
1

Hi,

I really need any suggestions. I am very desperate to get back to school and not lose a year.

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to appeal my current academic suspension from the Computer Science program. I was very disappointed with myself when I received the email informing me of my one-year suspension from school. I would like to urge you to accept me back into school for this year.

I will admit that my first year at university did not go as I had hoped it would. My first year at university was a very difficult time for me and my marks suffered as a result. I understand that the poor marks came from me however, I would like to explain the circumstances. My mental state was affected severely last year, I had some issues at home where I was very depressed. At the beginning of the year my parents weren’t home for the first month of the term and as a result I was at home taking care of my three younger siblings. I spent a lot of time driving them to school, cooking, and watching over them. After my parents were back I was relieved of this however, and could focus again on my studies.

Two weeks after my parents had returned there was some family issues that arose. I was in constant argument with my father, with both verbal and physical arguments taking place I was always feeling down and upset. As the months went on so did my arguments with my father and eventually got to a serious point where I was told to leave the house. I spent a couple of weeks away from home, sometimes spending nights at the streets and some nights at friends. This really had a severe effect on me and made me feel extremely depressed. I struggled with going to school and even finding any means to live. Eventually my mother told me to come back home and that we would have a talk. My parents were debating on getting a divorce and I was told that it was due to the constant arguments between me and my father, so I felt that I was the one to be blamed for my parent’s divorce. Carrying this burden was truly not easy. During this time, I feel that it was my fault that I had not contacted my professors informing them of some issues that were going on at home or even possibly taking a leave of absence until my issues at home were resolved. I still went to all my classes however, it was just too difficult to keep on track and focus. This lead me to feel hopeless as my marks slipped and I couldn’t recover them during the Fall/Winter term.

I made the mistake of taking summer courses after I was put on probation. I believed that I could push through and get some credits back that I was unable to in the Fall/Winter term. However, my issues which I stated earlier at home where not entirely cleared up and as a result a couple of issues caused me to get into a depressed state and really made me struggle my studies. Near the end of the summer term, my father and I decided to go to the doctors and see what we could do to fix our issues. After a couple of sessions with the doctor I believe that I was able to fix the complications I lived with my father.

My plans to succeed at school is to spend more time at school so that I can complete my homework without any distractions. I was given medicine to help with my depression and will continue to take my medicine for my ADHD. This will help me keep a clear mind and help me focus on my studies. To ensure that I stay on track with my school work I will get a tutor which helped me in high school where I was able to achieve high marks and get into university. I would very much appreciate a second chance because I believe that I have what it takes to achieve good grades. I truly feel that I am a good student who had one poor year.

2

Waaaaay too long. Consider the shorter version below.

I am writing to appeal my current academic suspension from the Computer Science program and to urge you to accept me back this year.

My first year at university did not go as I had hoped, I was very depressed by my home situation. At the beginning of the year I had to assume responsibility for my three younger siblings when my parents left for a month. I spent a lot of time driving them to school, cooking, and watching over them.

After my parents returned, they fought a great deal and I found myself in conflict with my father that got so bad, he told me I had to leave the house. Without a place to live, I was sometimes homeless, and spent some nights with friends. I struggled with school and lack of money.

I realize it was my fault that I did not withdraw from school or tell my professors about these difficulties. I was able to attend all my classes, but depression made it difficult to keep on track and focus. I felt hopeless and depressed, my grades slipped and I couldn’t raise them. After I was put on probation, I made the mistake of taking summer courses, but was unable to succeed then either.

Near the end of the summer term, my father and I sought counseling and medical help. I now believe our relationship is much better, and I am taking medication for depression and my ADHD.

My plan, should I be reinstated, is to continue with my medication, spend more time at school and get tutoring, something that helped me in high school.

I would very much appreciate a second chance because I believe that I have what it takes to achieve good grades. I truly feel that I am a good student who had one poor year.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

3

As a faculty member who has served on a student appeal board, I can offer this advice: You should certainly mention what caused your suspension, but you should focus on how your current circumstances are different and how they are conducive to educational success. @katliamom offers some sound advice for your letter. Since you’ve been seen by a medical professional, you also should ask for a letter from MD/PhD stating that you are on medication for ______ and that your mental health is on a positive track.

I’m assuming your school included instructions for a return to campus/class after the suspension year. Follow these instructions even for your appeal. Further, you may ask if there’s a retroactive medical withdrawal you might pursue.

But I’d like to say this: before you submit an appeal to return, think long and hard if this is the right time for you to be in school. Sometimes a forced break is most appropriate. If you are not positive that you can complete the semester successfully, then wait it out. It would be far worse for you to appeal, win, and then wind up in another suspension. Students are usually allowed a finite number of probations and/or suspensions before they are expelled permanently.

4

Overall I think this is okay…I would add more ideas on resources to use at your college if you are having trouble (see below). Colleges provide so many tools…you need to use them.

One thing I don’t like is “I was given medicine”…this does not sound like you are taking charge of your depression. Sounds very passive.

A successful appeal must do several things:

  1. show that you understand what went wrong
  2. show that you take responsibility for the academic failures
  3. show that you have a plan for future academic success
  4. in a broad sense, show that you are being honest with yourself and the committee

Here are some examples:

http://collegeapps.about.com/od/Academic-Dismissals/a/Sample-Appeal-Letter-For-An-Academic-Dismissal.htm

You are top heavy on “what went wrong” and need to hadd more of plan for success.

Some of this is general, and some specific to your situation.

  1. search this topic on CC and you will see many other posts on academic appeals
  2. Make sure your letter states what the issue was that caused you to have academic difficulties
  3. Did you talk to your professors/dean of students about the issue?
  4. Did you make use of the many resources your school has? if not, why not?
  5. Find out what those resources are…e.g. counseling center, talking to professors, talking to your adviser, withdrawing from class, talking to dean, maybe taking incompletes,
  6. State how you would use those in the future
  7. How are you addressing what caused the issue? Have you addressed the depression?
  8. Think about if you should continue at college, or take a break.
  9. Think about if you should continue at a community college, to be close to your family
  10. How is your college funded? Will that continue?

In general, keep in mind what the college wants…they want students who can succeed. They need to know that you understand what the issue was, know now the resources that you can use, how the problems is resolved so you will not have academic issues in the future.

Here are general tips on resources for doing well in college…maybe add some more in like “I will attend office hours if I am having trouble with a subject” or “I will get a tutor”

  1. GO TO CLASS, BUY THE BOOK, READ THE CHAPTERS, AND DO THE HOMEWORK!

  2. Go to Professor’s office hours early in the semester and Ask this question: “I know this is a really difficult class-- what are some of the common mistakes students make and how can I avoid them?”

  3. If you have problems with the homework, go to Prof’s office hours. If they have any “help sessions” or “study sessions” or “recitations” or any thing extra, go to them.

  4. Form a study group with other kids in your dorm/class.

  5. Don’t do the minimum…for STEM classes do extra problems. You can buy books that just have problems for calculus or physics or whatever. Watch videos on line about the topic you are studying.

  6. Go to the writing center if you need help with papers/math center for math problems (if they have them)

  7. If things still are not going well, get a tutor.

  8. Read this book: How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less by Cal Newport. It helps you with things like time management and how to figure out what to write about for a paper, etc.

  9. If you feel you need to withdraw from a class, talk to your advisor as to which one might be the best …you may do better when you have less classes to focus on. But some classes may be pre-reqs and will mess your sequence of classes up.

  10. For tests that you didn’t do well on, can you evaluate what went wrong? Did you never read that topic? Did you not do the homework for it? Do you kind of remember it but forgot what to do? Then next time change the way you study…there may be a study skill center at your college.

  11. How much time outside of class do you spend studying/doing homework? It is generally expected that for each hour in class, you spend 2-3 outside doing homework. Treat this like a full time job.

  12. At first, don’t spend too much time other things rather than school work. (sports, partying, rushing fraternities/sororities, video gaming etc etc)

  13. If you run into any social/health/family troubles (you are sick, your parents are sick, someone died, broke up with boy/girlfriend, suddenly depressed/anxiety etcetc) then immediately go to the counseling center and talk to them. Talk to the dean of students about coordinating your classes…e.g. sometimes you can take a medical withdrawal. Or you could withdraw from a particular class to free up tim for the others. Sometimes you can take an incomplete if you are doing well and mostly finished the semester and suddenly get pneumonia/in a car accident (happened to me)…you can heal and take the final first thing the next semester. But talk to your adviser about that too.

  14. At the beginning of the semester, read the syllabus for each class. It tells you what you will be doing and when tests/HW/papers are due. Put all of that in your calendar. The professor may remind you of things, but it is all there for you to see so take initiative and look at it.

  15. Make sure you understand how to use your online class system…Login to it, read what there is for your classes, know how to upload assignments (if that is what the prof wants).

  16. If you get an assignment…make sure to read the instructions and do all the tasks on the assignment. Look at the rubric and make sure you have covered everything.

  17. If you are not sure what to do, go EARLY to the professors office hours…not the day before the assignment is due.

5

I don’t think that you should be concerned about “losing a year”. You are still very young and have a lot of years left. The main point right now is to get your life on a healthy track and your depression handled effectively.

Being a university student is a lot MORE than a full time job. You need to be completely 100% dedicated to studies before you go back, and need to have a stable living situation which allows you to be fully 100% dedicated to studies.

Are you sure that you are really ready to resume full time studies? The university will still be there one year from now and for many years into the future.

6

I think this letter is a good argument for waiting a year to return. Many students who do get medical leaves, have to prove during a year’s time that they are ready to return, with a physician’s note, interview, sometimes even full-time work. I do not think there is any way you can make this appeal work, no matter how well you word the letter.

If you have a diagnosis of depression and are under treatment, it might seem as if you could argue for return but, again, it takes some time for healing to occur, and colleges usually want some evidence over time that the treatment is returning you to functioning. Your family situation adds more uncertainty from the college’s point of view. This may seem unkind, and you are not at fault of course, but if you have trouble at home sufficient to interfere with studies, then the college has a right to ask you to take some time to resolve things. And your meeting with your father was very recent.

Taking a year off can be a wonderful opportunity to clarify things, heal, and try out some work and/or volunteering.

PLEASE get an MD and/or therapist note stating your diagnosis and listing possible accommodations for you at school. Visit the disabilities office and register. They will give you letters to take to professors, and you and also seek support from deans, medical and psych. services, tutors and others. Get all of this in place before you go.

You can qualify for a reduced course load, extensions on papers, and if you were residential, a single room. Your doctor may have other things to include.

I think your letter shows that a year off is a very good idea. I am a parent whose kids have taken time off for medical reasons and their lives improved as a result. The time out really doesn’t matter.

CS is a tough major but it provides a great future. Make sure you are in a position to do it well, and reap the benefit long term, even if you feel you are losing out in the short term.

7

Agree with most commenters above. Your letter suggests that taking a year off will benefit you. I’m not suggesting altering the letter, but I am suggesting reconsidering your appeal.

8

September seems late to be going through the appeals process. You could think about appealing to have just one semester instead of a full year off. (Though because of the nature of many courses, it may make more sense to start the year in September.) How many courses, if any, did you actually pass? I agree with others, you don’t really sound ready to go back to school.