Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

My name is Alice Yixin Chen, and I'm appealing to drop PHIL111 online course (Summer, 2014) due to numbers of my personal reasons. The severity and exhaustion of my experience from May to the present has brought me to make this decision, that I'm no longer able to carry on studying this course.

I had great interests and ambitions to study PHIL111 in this summer, until my first problem occurred, that the city where I live in China-Weihai, experienced several severe fire accidents. Many important electricity wires were damaged and the city was in chaos. The entire city was out of electricity for a week. However, that was the time when I was suppose to submit my first paper and two quizzes. I didn't have a choice to make things go better until the 5th of June, I flied to Beijing and wrote Dr. Miller an email, explaining my case. He showed understanding and generosity to my happening, and allowed me to submit paper 1 a bit later.

I wanted to catch up everything and follow up the works, but I did not expect time flied so fast, and on 9th June, I had to start my travel in Europe with my mother, as I have planned in this January. It was a tough decision to get on the airplane to Europe, because at that time, I was already aware of being left behind of the study schedule, and there'll be many uncertain problems which will appear in this travel and bother my study. Sometimes there's no internet access, sometimes I couldn't afford to stay up in the night after a full day travel. I struggled, and wanted to quit this travel. However, when I saw my mother, who has been looking forward to this travel so badly, I couldn't say no.

My second problem happened on 17th June, when my mother and I were walking in a street corner in Avignon, my backpack was pulled by a stranger, while he took out a knife, we were scared and he ran away. The backpack has my wallet, phone and laptop. We went to the police station, but due to language difficulty, they didn't quite get what I wanted to do, and ask us to wait for their response. We had to leave Avignon on the 18th, but after that, I haven't heard anything from them. I experienced great pressure from that time until today, because I was so concerned about my study. I couldn't get on moodle or email, therefore I cannot check power point slides, finish my reading or even tell my situation to Dr. Miller. I couldn't fall in sleep and had little appetite, neither travelling or studying was able for me. It was my mother, who suggested my to drop PHIL111 this time, and take it at another time when I'm in a more capable status. I really didn't want to do so, because of the expensive fee, and my will to continue Philosophy as my major in this fall. However, my mother emailed Continued and Distance Studies department and asking about how to drop the course. She thought she could drop the course through email, and officially emailed Allison to drop PHIL111. However, Allison replied her back and said it can only be proceed if the student herself drops it on SOLUS. At that time deadline has passed already.

I have taken serious and cautious considerations about my current circumstance, and I finally decided to write this letter to you, and wish you would understand my appeal of dropping PHIL111. I have certainly over-estimated myself on balancing the travel and study schedule, however, I also came to realize my weaknesses in front of unexpected happenings. That is what I need to overcome in my future study and life. If I have the chance to take PHIL111 again and continue Philosophy as a major, I want to be more planned, more thorough, and more confident with my decision, and stay strong while problems occur.

Thank you very much for your time,
Yours Faithfully,
Alice Yixin Chen