Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Sir/Madame,
I am writing in regards to an appeals process. I wish to withdraw without academic penalty from ASTRONOMY 101(Summer 2015).

Having taken WRIT 121 during the fall semester of 2014, I wished to continue my studies. At the time I enrolled for the summer semester, I believed the astronomy course to be a good and interesting fit. Though there was a limited amount of information pertaining to what would be involved in the labs, the outline stated that there would be no extensive math or physics involved.

Also, I was also unaware as to what would be involved in terms of observation periods.
As a result, due to my conflicting schedule, weather did not always cooperate when I was available. Pollution and clouds often made observations impossible. Also, a lack of EXCEL 2013 graphing experience did not help for much of what was involved in the labs. Also, my location in the congested city of Seoul did not help matters. Tall buildings and heavy traffic made observations impractical. Also, certain sections of the course were not made available in advance. Had I known much of this information earlier I would have made a better informed decision. This in addition to the fact that labs were not marked in a timely fashion, gave me little reference as to what was expected.

I would have also liked to see fewer periods of internet blackout. Often when I logged into the system, it was undergoing maintenance. I can understand this happening once per week, but it was often three or more times per week. For a writing or history course this would be fine, however for a course that requires labs and additional software in addition to timed online quizzes, it proved problematic. In hindsight, it probably would have been a better idea to contact the course advisor in advance to discuss what exactly was involved.

Having realized my miscalculation after a period of belief that I should press on, I attempted to drop the course during the week of July 8th, which is what I believed to be the deadline. Drop dates for the summer sessions were somewhat confusing, as I am now informed that there are two different summer sessions. I was later informed that the date was indeed during the last week of June. Consequently, I contacted the Distance Education office, at which time I was advised to enter the appeals process.

As I¿¿m sure you are aware, these courses are very expensive for international students. As I do wish to continue courses through your program, I would be greatly discouraged should my GPA suffer as a result of this situation. Suffice to say I have learned my lesson, and will take greater care in choosing my next course. I appreciate your attention concerning this matter, and respectfully ask for your understanding.

Sincerely,

S.J Park