Reinstatement Appeal into the College of Letters & Science at University of California

Instructions were to describe as
1. What was happening in life during term/terms of academic difficulty. Comment on your overall record, as well as the quarter that was the most problematic.

2. How have you resolved these difficulties?
3. What major do you plan to pursue? Have you met with the undergraduate advisor in your major department?

To whom it may concern:
I am writing to appeal for reinstatement into the College of Letters & Science at University of California, Santa Barbara. Is not to my surprise why I was academically dismissed after not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress in Spring 2015. Physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted from events occurring in the past two semesters, I had decided to take time off to resolve the issues interfering with my academic progress because I felt that it was best to resolve these issues before taking on the added challenge of coursework.

I knowledge that my grades haven't always been best, but recently they have plummet downhill since the last quarter I attend UCSB. I have had been having an extremely difficult time coming back to school in the fall of 2014 and my grades suffer because of it. I know that my grade is something that only I have control of, thus I don't blame anyone but me from my poor educational performance, but please let me explain.

The string of unfortunate events goes as such, early October of 2014 I was released from Santa Barbara County Jail. I had been held there since late September due to a life threatening fight that I had partake in right off campus. It was me against three other people on my property and when it came down to it in court, the odds were against me as I had to go up against three guys and the one I injured the most, he's dad was the lawyer. I had to fight for my freedom because they were charging me for a felony and I felt that was very unjust for what took place that night. Not trying to pull the race card as I am a African American and there were all white but still things just 3 times harder on me when it came down to court.

Not only did I start back school totally unprepared, fatigued and my mind in utter shock, I had to deal with being sanctioned by UCSB's Office of Judicial Affairs. Early October when I attempted to get my class schedule off my gold account and I was immediately denied access because it had been blocked do the this incident. Its wasn't till October 6, when I was told to meet with Suzanne Perki, the assistant director of policy analyst and hate incidents to talk about unblocking my schedule along with my sanction. Early October to the end January , I ended up going back and forth to Miss Perkins office until we got to a ultimatum on the matter, which was waiving my sanction into disciplinary probation. Not only was I trying to overcome my court issues, I was also dealing with so much anguish stress from all type of directions during this quarter that I just couldn't cope with it.

Other things that made it pretty difficult for me that Fall quarter was after being released from jail and was told that I wasn't able to go back into Isla Vista until court was over, my boss letting me go from my on campus CSO (Community Service Organization) job that I had been working at for 3 1/2 years prior to this incident, having to find a new residency outside of off campus grounds and not having any means of transportation besides the bus which added on to all my burdens. This was my daily struggles, a flustered human being having to commute from different areas of where I would sleep in Santa Barbara everyday via bus to school, to only being able to walk around campus and not off-campus, where I originally lived and as well having to find another job, while all in the start up of school.

In addition to this, winter of 2015 comes around and I'm still in and out of court rooms every 2 to 4 weeks. When I hired my lawyer back in early November he told me that I could get my case dropped to a misdemeanor, which he kept telling me every month as long as I kept paying him a grand a month, until mid March , saying that I'm looking at a strike, with 188 days in jail and 5 years probation after I graduated UCSB. This coincidence had put back in the state of being overwhelmed and scared and I was in my right mindset to study for the quarter and results prove that such.

2. How have you resolved these difficulties?

Needless is to say, from dealing with court, sanctioning, couch surfing places downtown, sleeping in the library, not talking to my father anymore because of this incident and trying to pick up a job that would hire me while is facing these charges had played a big role of cutting into my study time and in my mental control of not being able to think about anything other than going back to jail. It's not until late March, that I finally understand that I've been claiming to be a man and that now it was time for me to actually start be one. Therefore, I started taking control of my life by relieving my lawyer in court and ask the judge to extend my hearing until I found a public defender who was more willing to help me out. In the outcome of things he helped me relieve a lot of tension and stress overall by getting me the deal that was fighting for all along; that my hackling lawyer before him do, who I also paid over $9,000 for, claimed he could but never did. As court played out to my satisfaction and I am now at the point where I am standing up for my actions and being that man that I should've been a long time ago. I had panic for months in all it did was landed me was here back to having to reinstate to becoming a Gaucho. I tried to handle things in a way that I thought would be best, but I was wrong. I know that I am stronger than what this piece of paper prevails and ashamed that I am just now manning in life.

3. What major do you plan to pursue? Have you met with the undergraduate advisor in your major department?

I truly love UCSB; since being here I have seen and done things that I would have never imagine be given the opportunity to do or see in life. The people I've met here are inclusive, intelligent, unique and much more different than what I've grown up from. Students and staff that not I only want to better themselves, but also to everyone else around them as well. I love this little slice of paradise and I can't picture myself not finishing my global degree here or anywhere else for that matter. This is what it feels like to be a UCSB student and I'm not looking give that up. I want to be the first person in my family graduate college, I want to understand what it feels like to graduate know that I've over came so much and if I'm reinstated I will put the time and effort into myGlobal studies coursework along with managing a better lifestyle for myself to achieve those things. As far as my meeting up with advisor, I did so back in winter 2014, before all this happen we only talked about me being able to walk the stage that year and finishing up during the summer. That was back then, now I will be meeting with my advisor to see what information they can give me to get back on track. My grades doesn't justify for me being a bad student, I just had a lot going on and didn't know how to handle the flux of issues and if I was handling them right or wrong. I've grown tremendously from this experience and I sincerely hope that you would give you an opportunity at his second chance to show you that I prepared to do whatever it takes to get my degree at university level.

I was just re working your essay and your previous post disappeared!

Hi Dameon. I'll give your essay another look and help you clean it up and make it all around more professional.


Not sure if this is necessary. I think they probably already know you are applying for reinstatement for the university and college.


I wouldn't acknowledge that your grades weren't the best to begin with. It seems like you're saying that you know you're not a great student and I don't think that helps your case in any way unless you can explain why that was and how you've improved (from before the dismissal). You also don't need to ask permission to explain what happened. That's the point of this essay.

I acknowledge that my grades plummeted downhill in my last quarter at UCSB. I had an extremely difficult time returning to school in the fall of 2014 and because of this my grades suffered. I was dealing with extreme and unusual circumstances at the time. I understand that I am solely responsible for my grades, and don't blame anyone but myself for my poor classroom performance.


Were you attacked in this incident? If so, I would say so. It's still pretty vague as to what happened, but from what you've written it seems like 3 people picked a fight against you on your property. If it was you who started the fight, I wouldn't mention it, but if it was them I would include it as you were attacked. I also wouldn't include the race thing. You can simply say that you felt discriminated against and you get the same point across.

In September of 2014, a series of traumatic events began. I was involved in a fight off campus that became a life-threatening situation when I was attacked by 3 other people on my property. Following this incident, I was mandated to court to deal with this situation; however, after injuring a lawyer's son in the incident, I was charged with a felony. I felt that the odds were against me in court. I was discriminated against, and what took place both during and after the incident was unjust. I was forced to fight for my freedom and I was held in jail for a month.


When I started school again, I was unprepared, fatigued, and in utter shock. I was sanctioned by UCSB's Office of Judicial Affairs. In early October, I attempted to obtain my class schedule from my gold account, and I was denied access. I wasn't able to access my schedule (say for how long you were blocked from your schedule) for x weeks/ months. During this time I met with Suzanne Perkin (According to a web search, her last name is Perkin- not Perkins or Perki. ) (the assistant director in the Office of Judicial Affairs) multiple times to discuss unlocking my schedule and my sanction. I met with her from October until the end of January to resolve this issue. Eventually, my sanction was resolved and I received disciplinary probation. At this time I was still trying to overcome my situation with the court, as well as dealing with extreme stress that I had a hard time coping.


This was not the only situation that made it extremely difficult for me that fall quarter. After being released from jail, I was told that I couldn't return to Isla Vista until court had been adjourned. My boss at that time also let me go from my on-campus Community Service Organization job, where I had been working for three and a half years prior to this incident. I was forced to find new residency at this time as well (after not being allowed to stay at my off-campus residence) and I had no means of transportation to and from campus besides the bus. Because of this, I was homeless at that time and struggled to find a place to sleep each night, such as the library and friend's houses. I was managing all of this at the same time, along with not being allowed in the area where I previously lived. Every day became a struggle.

During this time, I was working to resolve these issues by going to court and meeting with Suzanne Perkin to revoke my sanction. At this time I was homeless, couch surfing from home to home, and sleeping in the library. My relationship with my father became strained at this time as well, and I was also working hard to find a job while facing these charges. It was incredibly hard for me to focus on anything other than my court situation. All of these things were largely detrimental to my education and largely reduced my study time. It was not until March where I was able to stand up and attempt to regain control of my life. I relieved my lawyer in court and requested an extension from the judge until I could find a public defender who could resolve my case more efficiently and defend me properly. Doing this helped to resolve these issues because the court results ended in a more positive way, to my satisfaction. I am able to stand up for my actions, and I'm aware that I attempted to resolve the situation in the wrong way at that time. Now I know that I am stronger than ever, though I am ashamed it has taken me this long to feel this way.

I would also add something at the end saying something along the lines of how now that the court case has been resolved and is over, you feel more prepared to succeed in school. I would also say if you were able to get a job or find a place to live, as those were also large factors that you mentioned as to why your grades were low (and understandably so!). This way not only is court over, but you can also talk more about what else you have done to make sure you succeed.

As far as your last essay is concerned, I don't think you need to talk about your love for the school. It's not necessary. I think if you want to keep that, clean it up and limit it to 2 sentences about why you want to be at UCSB. The majority of that paragraph should answer the question, and the question doesn't ask you why you love the school. I would answer the question as completely as possible and if it's short, it's short. You don't need to add any extra info. You can also discuss how you want to manage a better lifestyle and what steps you've taken to do so in the previous question as it fits much better there.


I want to know what it feels like to overcome these incidents and graduate from UCSB. If reinstated, I will put the necessary time and effort into my Global Studies coursework. I am currently maintaining a better lifestyle that will make it easier for me to be successful. I previously met with my advisor in the winter of 2014; however at that time we only discussed the fact that I would not be able to graduate and that I would have to finish my coursework in the summer. I plan to meet with my advisor say when you will meet them to discuss reinstatement and getting my coursework back on schedule. I don't believe that I am a bad student; I was bad at coping with the issues I faced at the time and did not know if I was handling them properly. I have grown tremendously from this experience. I hope to have the opportunity to prove that I am prepared to succeed and obtain my degree from UCSB.