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You’ve come to the realization that you are tired and need an unscheduled vacation from classes.
Of course this is completely unheard of, thus you now have the task of convincing the dean of
your respective college (Business, Arts and Sciences, etc.) that you deserve a week off with no
consequences. The reason for the excused absence is up to you.
As you can well imagine, this is going to take some careful planning prior to composing your
email for the dean. Preparea word document that details your planning. Be sure to take the time
to prepare the following
1. Your analysis of the situation. Write a brief paragraph describing the objective of this
email. Define your audience. Why specifically do you need to take a week off from
school? What do you anticipate will be the reaction to your request? What do you need
to say in order to sway opinion in your favor?
2. The information you’ve gathered before you begin writing. Include the key pieces of
Do you have a medical condition that would
information that you will use to compose your email. For example, what, if any, has been
your prior experience with the dean?
warrant time off? Is there research that supports the idea that an unscheduled week
away from classes would be of greater long-term value than actually attending classes.
Do you have a plan for making your instructors aware and for how you will make up
work? What additional arguments do you think will help sway the dean?
Get organized. Put an outline together to show how you see your email coming
together.
3
art 2: Writing/Completing
After you’ve completed your planning, compose your email to the dean. Keep in mind the value
of a strong subject line. Think about the appropriate length of the email.
Remember that not all information gathered would necessarily go into your email. The
information however may be critical in helping you to formulate your email.
Be sure to attach your planning to your email and send me both before class on February
13.
