Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I would like to appeal to waive the 21 day deadline for an appeal for my requirement to withdraw for one year. In early May 2021 before having received the requirement to withdraw, I began seeing counselor Jason Summers after a consistent 4 years of repeated poor academic performance and mental health brought me down to my last ropes. The particularly difficult 2020 school year and knowledge of the weight of my academic situation enabled me to overcome my long-standing hesitations against seeking help after a traumatic experience with a psychiatric ward hospitalization in December 2016. I thereafter began regular appointments with Jason, but only got two in before I received the letter of withdrawal. However, I felt that giving myself an opportunity to work on my underlying problems with SWS over the summer first was the preferable decision, rather than rushing prematurely into permanent life-changing career decisions or an ill-prepared letter of appeal. As I was still in a very poor mental state up to July, way past the 21 day window, I needed that extra time working with Jason in order to obtain a clearer and healthier mental vantage point. Only from there, I felt, could I determine best if I wanted take my career life out of academics, or from there to enable SWS to more holistically understand my situation and support my appeal if I did decide to appeal the requirement to withdraw. I have decided now that do indeed wish to continue my academic path if at all possible, and thus ask for the opportunity to appeal my requirement to withdraw. In that appeal, I would elaborate on the extenuating circumstances which led to my current academic standing, my renewed plan of attack for the remainder of my academic career (with support from SWS, SASS, and Accessibility Services), as well as attempt to prove my academic viability and competence.