In a university setting, writing a petition letter is a very common occurrence. This is because in the academic world there are many exemptions for students and professors, but in order to get this exemption, one has to write a letter of petition to the appropriate department or person.
That is not to say that every petition letter gains approval but it does go a long way towards getting your position known and heard. Before you write such a letter find out the name of the person to whom it should be addressed. Even if you send the letter to the correct department, it may not be forwarded to the proper person.
For the most part all applications submitted to graduate schools in universities across the country must be accompanied by a petition letter. In this letter you provide a brief summary of the documentation you have included in your application and express your reasons for applying to this graduate program.
The usual requirement for admission to graduate school is a GPA of 3.0. Students will a lower grade point average can still gain admission if they address the issue in their letter explaining the reasons why they should be admitted and if there are any extenuating circumstances that could account for the lower than acceptable grades.
Even within a department, you may need to make a petition for different reasons. If you transfer from another university, for example, and you have already completed the work for a specific course under a different name at the former university, you may have to write a letter requesting that you be exempted from this course for your current program of studies.
In this letter you should make specific references to the topics studied and the types of assignments you completed along with documentation attesting to this from the previous university. This does not mean that gaining exemption will give you one less course to complete, but you should ask for recommendations of another course that could fulfill this requirement.
Both students and professors must adhere to deadlines in university because of the nature of the semester teaching schedule. There are times during the year when students are unable to meet deadlines for assignments or for being able to meet the testing schedule.
Sometimes waiving the deadline is a simple matter of discussing the situation with the professor, but other situations may require a petition letter to the Registrar’s Office or the Dean of a department. This usually refers to not being able to meet application deadlines. Such petitions usually do not meet with approval unless the circumstances are really exceptional and warrant an extension of the deadline.
Students who do not agree with the grades they receive in a course can also petition the department to reread the exam. Other examples include asking for permission to withdraw from a course without academic prejudice or to obtain a refund of the tuition paid. Most universities require specific details to be included in the petition format, which include:
o student’s full name and address
o student’s university number
o student email address and telephone numbers
o a clear statement of the action requested in the petition
o a description of the conditions that warrant this action
o a statement of why university policy should not be followed in this case
Without inclusion of this information, the petition will not be recognized and therefore will not result in any action being taken.
By: Sarah Martin
Posts Tagged ‘Admission’
Tips For Writing a University Petition Letter
April 14th, 2010Prestigious University In The Heart Of Phoenix Takes Students To Heart
December 15th, 2009Good education is the solid foundation on which an individual builds his life. Today there are numerous universities mushrooming every day offering courses that were not available earlier. Some of these universities are recognized and command lot of respect globally. The University of Phoenix is one such institution. This university was established in the year 1976 in Phoenix and achieved recognition as a non-public graduate school providing a good strong education. Unlike other universities which gratify all kinds of students the University of Phoenix places a lot of emphasis on individuals. Its main aim is to educate the individual to be an assiduous professional.
What do you need in order to be admitted into the University of Phoenix? Well, first of all, you need to have studied in a graduate school or university which is a recognized one. It has to be recognized either nationally or even regionally. Further, your degree transcript should have a GPA of at least 2.5. Of course, if you have the additional advantage of work experience, that will be counted as an added bonus. You also have to specify where you are currently employed. For students who are not native English speakers, there will be the additional tests that he will have to take and score well in like TOEFL, TOEIC or G.E.D.
If you do want to get into this prestigious institution, maybe it will be worth your while to get yourself a job and some work experience before you seek admission. The courses too, tend to be more relevant when you have some experience of the real world. What the university courses aim to do is give you a lot more than just theoretical training – they give you a practical advantage as well.
Although you pay tuition fees on a course by course basis at the University of Phoenix, you only need to attend class once a week with your teacher and once at night with course mates. This is so that you can attend to your work, your home and other responsibilities as well. Yet, you tend to keep abreast with the help of your classmates who guide you so the chances of flunking or dropping out are less while you are busy acquiring skills which will help you make a mark in the outside world.
The instructors at the University of Phoenix are all very experienced and hold high positions in their own academic area which enables them to discuss the latest theories and include them in the curriculum. The classes are populated with few students so there is a great deal of interaction. The courses are designed in such a way that the subjects can be studied in depth. The class room imitates the atmosphere of the workplace so the candidates get proficient at management skills, leadership and communication at the same time.
The University of Phoenix also has membership programs with other educational bodies like the American Council of Education, the Association of American Colleges, the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education. etc which enables the student to explore different horizons.
By: Tom Sample
