Capella University review: Administrative withdrawal 13

Good Morning,

I hope this email finds you in the best of health and well-being. I am emailing you because Capella University has done almost the same thing to me. I had death in my family, homelessness, and more. I was in the dissertation portion of my program and have successfully completed 2 dissertation course rooms. I am 90% complete with my PhD. I was administratively withdrawn from my program despite the significant progress I have made. I can't begin to express the disappointment I feel in Capella's decision. I appealed it and disclosed some horrors in my appeal, but it was denied.

I feel not only disappointment, but cheated. My name is Christopher and if you want to call me to discuss this matter further, my cell number is [protected]. You can also respond to this email.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Kind regards,

Christopher

**********Capella University's Response to my appeal**********

Dear Mr. Worthington,

You have appealed the decision of the school of to withdraw you from the university due to not completing your program by the maximum time allowed to complete your program, and the Office of Academic and Community Standards has reviewed your appeal. Through your appeal, you have indicated your desire to be allowed to resume your program and to pursue completion of your degree.

In this appeal process, the role of the Office of Academic and Community Standards is to ensure that equitable decisions have been made by the school. More specifically, the role of the President Designee is to review your appeal to determine if an exception to the policy is appropriate based on: (a) the demonstration that you experienced extenuating circumstances that prevented your academic progress, (b) those extenuating circumstances have remedied, improved, or stabilized, and (c) that you have identified a realistic and feasible plan for regaining satisfactory progress. A realistic plan focuses on the courses and/or milestones, and the program requirements that will be needed to demonstrate satisfactory progress. All three areas of consideration must be sufficiently responded to, and this appeal decision is final and is not open for further appeal.

I have carefully reviewed your request and rationale, and have considered the details of your academic history, as well as the information submitted in your appeal. I found that you did not sufficiently respond to all three outlined areas above. My decision is to uphold your administrative withdrawal and to deny your appeal.

This decision is the final determination of the university. I thank you for engaging the Office of Academic and Community Standards and President Designee in the review of your appeal.

Best wishes,

Jennifer Raymer, PhD.
President's Designee for Academic Appeals
Office of Academic and Community Standards

********************Letter from Capella University Administratively Withdrawing me********************

Dear Christopher

We regret to inform you that you are being administratively withdrawn from your doctoral program for failure to complete your degree program within the allowed timeframe. Please see the enclosed letter for specific details and your options.

If you have questions, concerns, or wish to discuss your options, please contact [protected]@Capella.edu.

Sincerely,

Jonathan R. Gehrz, EdD
Manager, Center for Learner Academic Performance
Phone: 888.227.3552
Fax: 612.977.5060
Email: [protected]@Capella.edu

**************My Appeal to Capella University's Administrative Withdrawal******************

Dear President Designee;

The purpose of this document is to appeal my administrative withdrawal as a result of the University's maximum time to degree policy. I am appealing based on a series of extenuating circumstances. I have gone too far in this program to quit now or let my progress be destroyed due to events that were beyond my control. Life has thrown me so many challenges and obstacles, but somehow, I survived all of them. I continue to face challenges and struggles, but the things I have overcome in life have taught me lessons I could never learn in any classroom.

My journey has been extremely long and often heartbreaking. However, for every moment I cried a tear, I had 2 moments where I smiled. In order to explain what my journey has been like, I first need to share a little bit of the background. I am totally convinced people cannot empathize with what I have dealt with if they do not know where it all began.

All of the events listed in this document occurred while I was a PhD student. The circumstances that occurred in my background occurred before I began my PhD journey while circumstances in sections labeled as Event #1, #2, and #3 occurred while I was enrolled in my PhD program. Enrolling in any type of educational program is not something that should be taken lightly. However, enrolling in a PhD program is one of the biggest challenges anyone can voluntarily take. In my instance, not only did I enroll in a PhD program, I worked full-time and raised 4 children. Wearing all 3 hats, sometimes at the same time, was challenging to say the least and in many instances, I thought I would fail. In contrast, I emerged on the opposite end of the tunnel after having my life turned upside down numerous times.

I am human and know that life will throw unexpected curve balls, often, at the most inopportune times. Whenever I had to deal with life situations that were not only unexpected, but tragic, I had to do what I could to maintain my sanity. I took time off from school to deal with my mother's passing and my son's surgeries. Having a disabled child is an extremely difficult situation to be in. There was no way I could continue with my PhD program, work full time, care for 3 energetic children in addition to caring for a disabled son. My son's surgeries started when he was about 6 years old and required a lot from me. However, he's my son and I would do anything to make sure he was okay. I did not have any help from my children's father and sadly, my mother's health had taken a turn for the worse. When I had to deal with those situations, I was able to recognize I was not invincible and I needed to take a step back. In order to make everything workout for my family, I took a quarter off. Once my son was better, I was able to register for the next quarter and I was successful.

I had started to think things were getting better for me, but unfortunately, they did not. After I completed a quarter, my mother had a stroke. That put me in a situation of having to care for my 4 children and my ailing mother. I did not have any help or any other family that could share the "burden" with me. Somehow, I managed, but Just when I thought things were improving for my family, my mother died. No one saw it coming and I never imagined I would have to deal with that. I had seen many people have strokes and recover. I thought…no, I prayed my mother would be the same, but it did not work out that way. To make things worse, she did not have any insurance and I was broke. My mother died in October of that year and it was not until December that I was able to make a payment on her cremation. It was another few months before we could claim her ashes. I had to deal with all of this by myself and for awhile, I felt like I was going to lose my mind. The only family I had was my children and they were under the age of 18. So, I had to figure out things on my own. Also, I had to be strong for my kids because they were handling my mother's death based on my actions. I could not let them see me break. While still dealing with my mother's death, my son required another surgery. I cannot begin to tell you how many nights I would go in my closet or get in my car and cry my heart out. I honestly thought I would not make it through with my sanity. Contrary to what I felt at the time, I survived the chaos and heartbreak.
I felt a grief I had never felt before when my mother died. If I did not take some time away from school, I do not think I would be here today. I do not know if an "ordinary" death or grieving period exists, but if it does, I certainly did NOT experience it. It was bad enough losing my mother, but not being able to claim her ashes and having the funeral home call me every day demanding money or they would dispose of my mother's ashes was heartbreaking.

With everything that was going on during that time, I honestly do not remember if I took 1 quarter off or 2 quarters off. What I do remember is recognizing that I my kids needed me and quitting was not an option. I had to take steps to preserve my family, their well-being, and most importantly, my sanity. I brought truth to the old saying, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." At this point in my life, I tell others who are dealing with crises situations that I am a "She-Hulk" because I have been through more than the average person. Whenever I reflect on my past experiences, I am sure I had options that I did not know about. I could have asked for assistance from Human Services to help me pay my bills or I could have received assistance from the institution where I received my undergraduate degrees. Maybe, I could have sought help from some non-profit organizations or at the minimum, asked for guidance to find out what resources I had available.
Looking back on everything I went through in the recent years taught me a lot. One of the biggest lessons learned is even though I am a strong woman, it is okay to ask for help and I do not have to take on the world by myself. I felt overwhelmed and like everything was a waste of time, but I did not let those thoughts sway me. I have even learned that if I had used some of the resources offered by Capella, things may not have been as bad as they were. Yes, I took time off from school to deal with impossible situations, but I always returned and was successful. I could have chosen to be a failure, but I made a conscientious choice to take a break, recoup, and continue my journey.

An articulation of the EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES experienced that prevented my degree completion

Background

I am a divorced mother of 4 children-3 boys and 1 girl. My father raised me, but he died when I was 16 years old, which is when my life changed in a major way. As a result of his death, I turned into a homeless teenager. Even though my mother was alive, she did not want me. It was not until I became an adult that I learned that she rejected not because she did not want me, but instead, because she suffered from mental illness. Unfortunately, I grew up during a time when it was considered horrid to receive any mental health treatment, let alone be diagnosed with a mental illness.

Approximately 6 months after my father's death, I ended up in an accident (T-Boned by an 18-wheeler) that took the life of my aunt and nearly cost me my life. After a 3 month stay in the hospital, I was released to my mother, who turned me over to Social Services after me being out of the hospital for a month. At that time, I was unable to walk, dress myself or do anything else for myself. In fact, I had to be catheterized every 4 hours. I could barely feed myself. Despite how difficult I had it, I had to fend for myself and I did.

Eventually, all of my broken bones healed to my doctors' surprise and I was ready to live life. Though I had been told that I would never walk again, I never gave up and learned how to walk on my own. Approximately 2-3 months after taking my first steps unassisted, I ended up pregnant with my first son. In spite of his father running away from my son and me, I was able to obtain an Associate's degree. Though my body was still having some issues from the accident, being as young as I was, I did not let those issues stop me from pursuing my education.

I had raised my son for 2 years as a single mother before I met my (ex) husband. When I met the man I considered my soul mate, we eventually got married and I gave birth to 3 more children. During my marriage, I went to college and was able to complete 2 Bachelor degrees and a Masters degree. Contrary to what many thought, my marriage was far from a happy one. My ex-husband was abusive mentally, emotionally and at times, physically. Inevitably, he walked out on the kids and left me to raise them alone. I was not allowed to work when I was married, so, when he left, I had to find a job to support my family.

I was able to find work and though I am not going to go into deep details about that job, I had to sleep in my vehicle every other weekend because the commute was 180 miles, round-trip and gas money was often an issue. I found myself sleeping in my truck for the last 3 years I worked as a Juvenile Correctional Officer. In 2009, my children and I moved to Richmond so I could be closer to work and my kids, but in December of that year, I had a massive fire and lost everything. Thus, my children and I lived in a hotel for the next 6 months.

Somehow, I managed to pick up the pieces and get back on my feet yet again. Then, in 2010, my second son had to have surgery on his legs. He ended up having 3 surgeries that year and because I lost so much income, we ended up being evicted from our home. We moved into a shelter and my son had another surgery, but after 6 months, I was able to get back up on my feet yet again.

In 2012, I suffered a meltdown at my job because of a brutal gang rape during a weekend I was sleeping in my vehicle and ended up having to leave that job. I never reported the incident because I was so ashamed and embarrassed. After awhile, I decided to continue my education and started at Capella University. I completed my Post Masters in Education in December 2012. As of today, I am 90% of the way towards finishing my Doctorate.

There are many events that happened along the way that I did not mention. I just want you to see that I have a lot of experience from life as well as knowledge gained along the way to offer others and I see completing my PhD as being a good way to tell me story of Tragedy, Hurt and Triumph. As you can see, it did not matter what I was up against…I never gave up.

Event #1, My mother passed unexpectedly

My mother died unexpectedly in October 26, 2017 and yes, it was a turning point. It was very sudden and we all took her untimely death in one of the worse ways one can imagine. We are doing better now, but each time anyone mentions her, we all just tear up. My mother was not a good mother to me, but she gave my kids what they wanted, which isn't too surprising considering they were her only grandkids. We used to eat at her house every Sunday and when one of my kids acted up, she was on their case too. She died without insurance, so I could not bury her. It took me nearly 4 months to pay for her cremation because we wanted her ashes. I do not have an urn to keep them in, but at least we finally got them. My mother had sisters, but after my mother died, I severed ties with them. They treated my mother bad all her life, but what they did after her death was absolutely despicable. They took up donations for her funeral and kept the money for themselves. As a child, I remember how bad they treated my mother and when my mother would get sick over the last few years, they did not bother to check on her. I could go on and on about how horrible those people are, but I am you read enough to understand my actions.

Event #2, My son's surgeries

I have a disabled son, who had 7 surgeries in the past 4 years and need another one in the upcoming 2 months. He is doing a whole lot better now and fortunately, the surgery coming up is not considered a major surgery. He is 25 years old and has a girlfriend, so I do not have to worry about taking care of him. Furthermore, my youngest son is 18 and does not mind helping his older brother.

Event #3, I lost my job due to Covid

I lost my job due to Covid. As I previously stated, I was in a severe motor vehicle accident (MVA), which caused severe injuries. Part of the internal injuries I suffered included a ruptured spleen. As a result of losing my spleen, my immune system became compromised. In other words, I had to take extra precautions to avoid getting sick. When the pandemic started, the job I had at the time did not take ANY precautions. In fact, the city I worked had one of the highest Covid rates in the state! Despite people getting sick, being hospitalized, and in some cases, dying, no precautions were taken. In fact, I believe some of the people in charge felt Covid was a hoax though it they never stated it. Since having that MVA, I have always been told by medical doctors I need to take extra caution about preventing sickness. So, seeing healthy people die from Covid frightened me and I felt it was best I leave. I loved my job, but I loved my children and my life more.

It is important to note that Fall 2020 was my first quarter in dissertation. The world essentially stopped as a result of the pandemic and even though Covid was having a devastating on the people around me, I did not let it stop me in pursuing my dreams, objectives, goals, or whatever term you choose. Mandatory lockdowns, schools closed, gas shortages, toilet tissue shortages, just to name of few were the reality the world was facing, yet I completed my first quarter of dissertation. I believe that shows a lot about my integrity, motivation, and determination. Obtaining my PhD has not bee a "walk in the park" or an easy objective. I have encountered many speed bumps, hiccups, mountains, and downright blockages along the way. However, I never gave up and I never will. My children already refer to me as having a PhD, so the most important audience of my life are watching me. My children see that I never gave up in my quest to obtain my PhD and they never will.

An articulation of how those extenuating circumstances have remedied, improved, or stabilized

I cannot say I overcame every circumstance with no devastating effects, but I can say I overcame every circumstance a stronger person than I was prior to the tragedy. I lost my mother and though it is a pain one never gets over, it is something I have learned to live with. My mother endured a lot of chronic pain and suffering. She was constantly in and out of the hospital. I will never say I am happy she is gone, but she is no longer in pain. It was difficult dealing with her death, but I managed to get through it. Death of a loved one is never easy and can really bring destruction when it occurs. However, I persevered through such a tragic loss. I am now in a place emotionally where I can help others deal with similar grief, whether it is a parent, child, sibling, or another loved one.

As far as work goes, I have secured a better job and luckily, Covid precautions are taken very seriously. More importantly, I am fully vaccinated, so fears of contracting Covid have been reduced. I know I can still contract Covid but working for a company who takes the health of employees very seriously is an advantage. I cannot say the worse parts of my life are over because I am not psychic, but I know I am strong enough to push through challenges that many would admit defeat on.

A realistic and feasible plan for completing the outstanding requirements of my program

I have completed 2 dissertation courses and on track to finish within the next 8-10 months, if not sooner. There are no doubts in my mind regarding my successful completion of my PhD. I note that I am on "track" in the first sentence of this paragraph, but I should put it a little differently. I WILL finish my PhD because failure is not an option for me. Noteworthy, I have completed the draft of Chapters 1 and 2. I have created a template for Chapters 3, 4, and 5. I will revise as progress in this last phase of my PhD journey. I survived the worse part of obtaining a PhD…maybe describing it as the worse part is a bad way of putting it, but any way it is phrased would mean the same thing. Since being on this PhD journey, I have been assaulted several times, homeless twice, loss my mother, almost loss my family, dealt with a disabled son, and more. Many people would have given up years ago, but I did not. I kept going in spite of what I was going through. Furthermore, not only have I been approved by IRB, but I have also completed all my field interviews for my study. I am literally in the process of transcribing them. My journey is near completion! So, I am pleading with you that you allow me to finish my journey.

My Plan for completion

Currently, I have a stable home, income, employment, and in a very good place emotionally and mentally. My job is very supportive in regard to me obtaining my PhD. I am aware of my timeline and have a plan in effect. I implemented this plan quarter May 2021. Furthermore, I do not have any little children that require extra time to take care of or any extra responsibilities outside of my needs. The nature of my job allows me an opportunity to do some research for peer reviewed articles while at work. Better yet, I do not work over 25 hours a week. Basically, my work schedule is geared towards me having the time I need to complete my dissertation. I have created a schedule for my dissertation writing in which I allot a small amount of time every day to either writing or performing research. I find it easier to switch the days because it keeps my mental juices flowing in the right direction. I understand other people tend to use different approaches, but this one has been working for me. In fact, they constantly ask me how it is going and allot me time to work on my dissertation every other day. Not many jobs would do that! I am very fortunate in being employed by a company that is so accommodating to my educational goals. I have absolutely no reason not to finish. Again, if you look at my transcripts, you will see I have completed 2 dissertation courses satisfactorily.

Presently, I am on Milestone 8 (Dr. Larson's approval of my first two chapters). Therefore, I have Milestones 8-16 to complete, which includes: Dr. Larson's approval of my Chapters 1&2 (Milestone 8), Dr. Larson's approval of my full dissertation (Milestone 9), my committee's approval of the dissertation (Milestones 10 & 11), the University's Doctoral Publications' approval (Milestone 12), my defense call (Milestone 13), Dr. Larson's final approval of the work (Milestone 14), publishing the work to ProQuest (Milestone 15), and the dean's final approval (Milestone 16). During my next active quarter of enrollment, I intend to submit my first two chapters to Dr. Larson and to continue my data analysis. Realistically, I expect Dr. Larson will have feedback and I will need time to make further revisions to the first two chapters, but in this first quarter, I intend to complete Milestone 8, my data analysis, and an early draft of my final chapters (3-5). The following quarter, I will assemble the full manuscript and begin negotiating Dr. Larson's and the committee's full approval of the work. Here too, I would reasonably expect that both Dr. Larson and the committee will have revisions noted and I will need time to implement those changes but will work to complete Milestone 9 and potentially 10 & 11 (10 & 11 now represent a single requirement). If successful in negotiating my committee's approval, I believe I will be positioned to finish the remaining milestones, 12-16, during a third quarter. Here too, I am anticipating that both the Doctoral Publications review and the Dean's review may yield further changes and a need for revisions.

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Copies of the Emails

From: doctoralsuccessprogram
Sent: Thursday, October 7, 2021 7:40 AM
To: Christopher Worthington
Subject: RE: Notice of Administrative Withdrawal - Christopher Worthington--Appeal attached

Good morning!

Happy to do so. I'll try and review this morning. Back soon!

Jonathan R. Gehrz, EdD
Manager, Center for Learner Academic Performance
Direct: [protected].
Fax: [protected].
Email: Jonathan.[protected]@capella.edu
Capella University
225 South 6th Street, 9th Floor
Minneapolis, MN 55402
www.capella.edu

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From: Christopher Worthington
Sent: Wednesday, October 6, 2021 8:42 PM
To: doctoralsuccessprogram
Subject: Re: Notice of Administrative Withdrawal - Christopher Worthington--Appeal attached
Importance: High

Good Evening Dr. Gehrz,

I hope all is well. I am attaching my appeal for your review before I submit it. Please let me know if there are any changes I need to make.

Thank you in advance for your attention and assistance in this matter.

Very Respectfully,

Christopher

From: doctoralsuccessprogram
Sent: Friday, October 1, 2021 2:55 PM
To: [protected]@HOTMAIL.COM
Cc: doctoralsuccessprogram ; Larson, Mark
Subject: Notice of Administrative Withdrawal - Christopher Worthington

Dear Christopher

We regret to inform you that you are being administratively withdrawn from your doctoral program for failure to complete your degree program within the allowed timeframe. Please see the enclosed letter for specific details and your options.

If you have questions, concerns, or wish to discuss your options, please contact [protected]@Capella.edu.

Sincerely,

Jonathan R. Gehrz, EdD
Manager, Center for Learner Academic Performance
Phone: 888.227.3552
Fax: 612.977.5060
Email: [protected]@Capella.edu

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From: doctoralsuccessprogram
Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2021 12:46 PM
To: Christopher Worthington
Cc: Larson, Mark
Subject: RE: Inquiry on Appeal

Good morning!

I've not received a decision notification yet, but I have a meeting with the president's designee (individual who performs the review) on a different matter later this afternoon. I'll see if I can secure an update from her on where she stands with the review.

Jonathan R. Gehrz, EdD

Manager, Center for Learner Academic Performance
Direct: [protected].
Fax: [protected].
Email: Jonathan.[protected]@capella.edu
Capella University
225 South 6th Street, 9th Floor
Minneapolis, MN 55402
www.capella.edu

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From: Christopher Worthington
Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2021 10:48 AM
To: doctoralsuccessprogram
Cc: Larson, Mark
Subject: Inquiry on Appeal

Good Afternoon Dr. Gehrz,

I hope this email finds you in great health and sound well-being. I am emailing you because I am inquiring about my appeal. It has been 6 weeks and I still have not heard anything. Do you know if a decision has been made on my appeal? Please let me know at your earliest convenience if a decision has been made.

Thanks in advance for your time and attention in this matter. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Very Respectfully,

Christopher

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From: doctoralsuccessprogram
Sent: Friday, October 8, 2021 7:42 AM
To: Christopher Worthington
Subject: RE: Intent to appeal Administrative Withdrawal

Good morning!

Thank you. I will file the appeal this morning. If you have any questions moving ahead, please don't hesitate to reach out. Have a lovely weekend!

Jonathan R. Gehrz, EdD
Manager, Center for Learner Academic Performance
Direct: [protected].
Fax: [protected].
Email: Jonathan.[protected]@capella.edu
Capella University
225 South 6th Street, 9th Floor
Minneapolis, MN 55402
www.capella.edu

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From: Christopher Worthington
Sent: Thursday, October 7, 2021 7:17 PM
To: doctoralsuccessprogram
Subject: Intent to appeal Administrative Withdrawal
Importance: High

Greetings,

I have attached my Letter of Intent to Appeal my Administrative Withdrawal from my program. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Very Respectfully,

Christopher Worthington

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From: doctoralsuccessprogram
Sent: Thursday, October 7, 2021 4:35 PM
To: Christopher Worthington
Subject: RE: Notice of Administrative Withdrawal - Christopher Worthington--Appeal attached

A few minor changes needed:

Select all your text and convert to a single text font throughout (changed to Calibri with your additions).
Between Event #1 and #2, there is an unintended page break. You'll want to delete that to keep the text together.
In your plan for completion, I would move the final sentences of your second paragraph to the first, so that the first paragraph affirms that you have IRB approval, have completed your data collection, have a draft of your first two chapters completed, have begun your analysis and outlining your chapters 3-5. Keep all that information together v. spread across the two paragraphs.

The second paragraph then, I would suggest going further with articulating your plan. Consider:
Presently, I am on Milestone 8 (Dr. Larson's approval of my first two chapters). Therefore, I have Milestones 8-16 to complete, which includes: Dr. Larson's approval of my Chapters 1&2 (Milestone 8), Dr. Larson's approval of my full dissertation (Milestone 9), my committee's approval of the dissertation (Milestones 10&11), the University's Doctoral Publications' approval (Milestone 12), my defense call (Milestone 13), Dr. Larson's final approval of the work (Milestone 14), publishing the work to ProQuest (Milestone 15), and the dean's final approval (Milestone 16).

During my next active quarter of enrollment, I intend to submit my first two chapters to Dr. Larson and to continue my data analysis. Realistically, I expect Dr. Larson will have feedback and I will need time to make further revisions to the first two chapters, but in this first quarter, I intend to complete Milestone 8, my data analysis, and an early draft of my final chapters (3-5).
The following quarter, I will assemble the full manuscript and begin negotiating Dr. Larson's and the committee's full approval of the work. Here too, I would reasonably expect that both Dr. Larson and the committee will have revisions noted and I will need time to implement those changes, but will work to complete Milestone 9 and potentially 10&11 (10&11 now represent a single requirement).

If successful in negotiating my committee's approval, I believe I will be positioned to finish the remaining milestones, 12-16, during a third quarter. Here too, I am anticipating that both the Doctoral Publications review and the Dean's review may yield further changes and a need for revisions.

You are welcome to amend to your own voice, Christopher, but it's that level of detail that I think you want to capture in articulating your plan for completing the degree.

Hope this helps.

Jonathan R. Gehrz, EdD
Manager, Center for Learner Academic Performance
Direct: [protected].
Fax: [protected].
Email: Jonathan.[protected]@capella.edu
Capella University
225 South 6th Street, 9th Floor
Minneapolis, MN 55402
www.capella.edu

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From: Christopher Worthington
Sent: Thursday, October 7, 2021 3:13 PM
To: doctoralsuccessprogram
Subject: Re: Notice of Administrative Withdrawal - Christopher Worthington--Appeal attached

Good Evening Dr. Gehrz,

Thank you for responding. I have made the changes you suggested. Can you look again to be sure I have included everything I need?

Thanks,

Christopher

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From: doctoralsuccessprogram
Sent: Thursday, October 7, 2021 8:44 AM
To: Christopher Worthington
Subject: RE: Notice of Administrative Withdrawal - Christopher Worthington--Appeal attached

Morning!

Christopher, I've completed my review of your statement and have a few minor recommendations. Please feel free to accept/reject any comments as you find helpful. It's most important that the appeal reflect your position and truly, no offense taken if you reject any or all feedback offered. For your consideration:

I recommend removing Dr. Welzant from your salutation. Appeals of this sort are actually reviewed at the university-level only, not by the dean or School of Public Service & Education. The president's designee is the most appropriate salutation.

In your opening paragraph, it may feel like an obvious statement, but I would affirm that you are appealing your withdrawal as a result of the University's maximum time to degree policy. There are many policies that can lead to withdrawal and I find setting the context helpful and affirming that you are indeed exercising an option provided for by the University.

I appreciate the external insight you are providing to help provide context to the events that have made you who you are today, Christopher, but I think it important that we not lose sight of the fact that the review is reviewing the extenuating circumstances that contributed to your not finishing your doctoral degree in a timely manner. Consider, it's not till mid-page 2 that you actually refer to your doctoral program enrollment. Perhaps elaborating on your statement, "…I see my PhD as being a good way to tell my story…" How did these life events contribute to the decision to pursue the PhD? I think that would help to make more explicit why this information is actually relevant to your appeal, yes?

As you proceed to discuss events that have occurred while enrolled in your program, beginning with your mother's passing, be sure to integrate and reference your program position. In October 2017, for example, you were enrolled and completing your first residency. Following the Fall 2017 quarter, it looks like you took two quarters off. A good example of how your time to degree extended further, perhaps as a result of your need to take time to bury your mother.

Similarly, as you're discussing your son's surgeries, be sure to make the connection to how that impacted your program enrollment. Over the past four years, there are quarters where you took off. Or you could discuss the impact that had on your initial attempt of the comps exam or progress into the dissertation. In appeals, I find reflection to be a powerful tool. Perhaps in looking back on what you have endured, Christopher, you see that there were other options that you didn't pursue at the time that you perhaps should have considered earlier?

In discussing COVID impacts and your job loss, you might also reference that Fall 2020 was your first quarter in dissertation. As above, important to make the connection to how the circumstances impacted your progression in the program.

In discussing your realistic plan for completing your degree, you reference you have completed two dissertation quarters. By my count, Christopher, Summer represented your fourth quarter in dissertation.

In your initial "realistic plan" paragraph, I would suggest keeping the focus solely on the plan to finish. The first paragraph strays from that. Your second paragraph is a much stronger start to this section. You've affirmed your current position with the research itself, but keep in mind, your audience may not be familiar with what you are proposing in your research. In completing your interviews, are you saying you have completed your data collection? If so, I would state as much. But perhaps comment further on what you have written as well. Have you begun writing any of your dissertation chapters?

Perhaps most important comment I am offering, Christopher, but in asking for an additional 6-8 months, you need to need develop that plan fully. How are you arriving at that timeframe? That may well be true, but you need to articulate your plan for finishing Milestones 8-16. 6-8 months is basically 2-3 quarters. Elaborate further on your plans for finishing your transcription and data analysis, drafting your manuscript, and negotiating the final reviews/approvals of the work. Similar to developing a Plan of Action at the start of each quarter, your plan should be SMART (specific, measurable, action-oriented, results-driven, and time-bound). Be sure the plan factors in time for reviews and revision work, as well as your plans for future engagement with your mentor and committee. If you have any questions about the final requirements of your program or are uncertain about your plan, happy to help here. But the plan is a big piece to securing approval of the appeal. Without, the odds are quite high the president designee would not approve your appeal, so be sure this piece is fully developed.

I hope this helps, Christopher. If you have any questions, if I can clarify any of my feedback further, or be of any assistance, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Jonathan R. Gehrz, EdD
Manager, Center for Learner Academic Performance
Direct: [protected].
Fax: [protected].
Email: Jonathan.[protected]@capella.edu
Capella University
225 South 6th Street, 9th Floor
Minneapolis, MN 55402
www.capella.edu

***************************New Email*************************

From: Christopher Worthington
Sent: Wednesday, October 6, 2021 8:42 PM
To: doctoralsuccessprogram
Subject: Re: Notice of Administrative Withdrawal - Christopher Worthington--Appeal attached
Importance: High

Good Evening Dr. Gehrz,

I hope all is well. I am attaching my appeal for your review before I submit it. Please let me know if there are any changes I need to make.

Thank you in advance for your attention and assistance in this matter.

Very Respectfully,

Christopher

***************************New Email*************************

From: doctoralsuccessprogram
Sent: Friday, October 1, 2021 2:55 PM
To: [protected]@HOTMAIL.COM
Cc: doctoralsuccessprogram ; Larson, Mark
Subject: Notice of Administrative Withdrawal - Christopher Worthington

Dear Christopher

We regret to inform you that you are being administratively withdrawn from your doctoral program for failure to complete your degree program within the allowed timeframe. Please see the enclosed letter for specific details and your options.

If you have questions, concerns, or wish to discuss your options, please contact [protected]@Capella.edu.

Sincerely,

Jonathan R. Gehrz, EdD
Manager, Center for Learner Academic Performance
Phone: 888.227.3552
Fax: 612.977.5060
Email: [protected]@Capella.edu