I submitted my case and arguments after speaking with the professor today. The following letter was submitted to Graduate Advising, with whom I met yesterday. I submitted this letter as a cover letter for a package with a copy of all the e-mails I had with the company and the professor. Writing skills don't fail me now!
Dear -----:
Due to unforeseen circumstances, I am forced and am requesting to drop MAE 5780: Feedback Control Systems. In order to pursue a potential job opportunity, whose schedule was made aware to me only on October 16, I will be unable to make the scheduled time for the first prelim, scheduled for October 28. I was invited to attend a three-day interview and invitational that requires that I be away from campus, from October 27 to October 29. This is a petition to drop MAE 5780 (without a 'W' on my transcript, if possible).
In a long discussion with the course professor via e-mail, he has expressed his intention of following course policy and will not offer me a make-up exam, and I have noted that this is an event that I cannot miss.
The following is an account of the events, from my perspective, that have transpired between Saturday, October 16 and Wednesday, October 20. I have enclosed a copy of e-mail correspondences with both the professor and the company to elaborate on my situation. Please note: I am not trying to get anyone in trouble.
On Monday (Oct 20), I made the necessary phone calls and sent out the needed e-mails to the potential employer to obtain more information on the terms of the invitational next week. What I gathered from two sources from the company (one from HR and one from a recent Cornell alumnae), this is one event that I should not miss.
On Tuesday (Oct. 19), I have spoken with you at the graduate advising office. You ask me about fairness, citing university policy about the drop deadline being Friday, October 15. Of course, in fairness to other students, my request for dropping the class without a 'W' ought not be approved, at the expense of fairness to me; I strongly believe I did nothing wrong as a full-time graduate student who is both involved in academics and in job-searching. While I cannot say what the future implications of a 'W' on my transcript will be, I know that the connotation of a 'W' suggests to whoever that is reading my transcript that the course was dropped do to poor grades or student uncommitment. This is certainly not the case. The professor agrees that I am up-to-date with all my homework assignments, quizzes, and lab reports, doing above the class average. I am requesting that this course be dropped without a 'W' preventive, and to protect myself from this blemish on my transcript, especially since the circumstances (occurring so close the the drop deadline) were not up to me.
On Wednesday (Oct. 20), I met with the professor. After presenting my situation and expressing my intention to drop the class, he reluctantly offered a make-up exam for next Tuesday, October 26. At this point in time, I had to decline his offer and ask for his support in my decision to drop the course for the following reasons...
The events that have transpired over the past few days regarding this single class have severely diverted my attention away from my other classes and commitments (including two prelims this week). Not only am I becoming increasingly unprepared for my other courses because of this situation, I have fallen behind in my coursework for MAE 5780 itself (homework and lab report due this week) because I was waiting on the professor's decision. This series of unfortunate and mal-timed events has caused me a significant amount of emotional and mental stress to the point of affecting my performance in my classes, research project, and job.
As I am determined to attend this three-day invitational next week and current circumstances do not allow me to take this course, I am respectfully requesting, with the support of both my academic advisor and the course professor, to drop MAE 5780 without a 'W'.
Sincerely yours,
Kevin
I met with the graduate advisor today as I submitted my petition. The professor and the advisor had been talking and decided that my situation does warrant a droop without 'W'. She didn't even have to read my letter. This ends the five day long saga. I don't know how I feel about it just yet. I guess I can find solace in the fact that I my argument won out again the professor's... I guess. More like, the professor acquiesced to my request. Unfortunately, it was a little too late.
Thanks everyone for your advice and support. Sorry Stephen for abandoning you.
