Dear Editor,
To whom it may concern at the Office of Community Standards, my name is Jacob Burte. I am a senior here at UConn, an honors scholar, and a close friend of a recently expelled friend who I will refer to as Student X, to protect his identity. I believe expelling Student X is both unfair and a mistake.
On December 1st Student X was expelled during a community standards conduct hearing. This hearing was due to an off-campus party. Last year not one student was expelled for hosting a party. I believe that the committee saw that he had one prior suspension, and therefor made the decision without considering how far he has come. After his mistakes as an underclassman, he took time off of school to work as a caregiver. Upon coming back to UConn, he joined leadership programs, earned three internships, and joined the rugby team. As a teammate, I have seen him teach others about the importance of work ethic and leadership. As a student, I have seen him mirror these character traits in the classroom. I have personally become a better person because of him.
If his expulsion is not reversed, he will lose an entire semester of academic progress and a prestigious, hard earned job offer. This punishment does not fit the infraction. Even though he was on probation, he had surpassed his minimum probation time. He simply did not know to file for a hearing to get off of probation. Please do not let this misunderstanding of a technicality have such disproportionate consequences for Student X’s life. I have seldom met a harder worker, a nicer man, and a more trustworthy person.
Student X has proven himself time and time again, on the field, in the classroom, and in the professional setting. He has made mistakes. We all have. However, expelling him because of a house party and one prior suspension is inconsiderate of all the steps he has taken in the last year and a half to become an outstanding member of the UConn community.
Thank you for your consideration. I hope the appeal board considers what I believe to be true. Student X is worthy of another chance.
Respectfully,
Jacob Burte
