Do I need to submit Instructor Recommendation Forms with my petition?

Instructor Recommendation (IR) Forms are required for each course in which you
received a grade for the semester in question if you are petitioning for a full-term
Retroactive Medical Withdrawal. IR Forms are required for each course you are
petitioning to medically drop for both Medical Drop by Deadline and Retroactive
Medical Drop petitions.
Why does my petition require an Instructor Recommendation Form?
Instructor Recommendation (IR) Forms are one piece of documentation that the
Medical Petition Committee uses when evaluating a petition. It is not the only
documentation used and will not be assessed in a vacuum. The IR Form helps the
committee members to have a sense of your academic performance throughout the
course of the semester.
Will negative feedback from my professor cause my petition to be denied?
Instructor Recommendation (IR) Forms are one piece of documentation that the
Medical Petition Committee uses when evaluating a petition. The IR Form is not an
opportunity for an instructor to prevent a student from being granted a medical
withdrawal or drop. Decisions about medical withdrawal petitions are made by the
Medical Petition Committee, not instructors.
Im still missing one or more of my Instructor Recommendation Forms.
Can my petition be reviewed anyway since all of my other documents are
submitted?
No. All Instructor Recommendation Forms are needed before the petition can be
reviewed. Even if just one form is missing, the committee cannot review the
petition.
How do I ask my instructors to complete the Instructor Recommendation
Forms?
There are several ways to contact an instructor and to request that s/he complete
the Instructor Recommendation (IR) Form:
(1) Download the IR Form pdf from the Dean of Students Office website, complete
the top half, save it as a newly renamed pdf, and attach it to an email to your
instructor. The email should request that the instructor complete the bottom
portion of the form and email to the Dean of Students Office using the
dsocares@dso.ufl.edu address.
(2) Complete the top portion of the IR Form and print a hard copy. Take the hard
copy of the IR Form to your instructors office hours and request that your instructor
complete the bottom portion of the form.

(3) Complete the top portion of IR Form and print a hard copy. Fax the hard copy to
your instructor with a cover letter requesting your instructor complete the bottom
portion of the form.
(4) Complete the top portion of the IR Form and print a hard copy. Send it to your
instructor via postal mail with a letter requesting your instructor complete the
bottom portion of the form.
For options 2 through 4, your instructor may then return the form to you for hand
delivery to the Dean of Students Office Care Area; scan the form and email it to
dsocares@dso.ufl.edu; fax the form to (352) 392-1216; or mail the form to the Dean
of Students Office Care Area via campus mail or postal mail using the address P.O.
Box 114075, Gainesville, FL 32611-4075.
I have contacted my instructor multiple times to request s/he complete the
Instructor Recommendation Form and havent received a reply. The
instructor still hasnt submitted the form to DSO either. What can I do
now?
After reaching out to an instructor and requesting that s/he complete the Instructor
Recommendation (IR) Form, it is reasonable to wait one to two weeks before
following up with an email or phone call to check in on the status of your request. If
you still do not hear back within a week or two, it is acceptable to approach the
Chair of the instructors department to request that s/he encourage the instructor to
complete and submit the IR Form or to request that s/he complete and sign the IR
Form in lieu of your instructor.
I dont remember who my instructors were for the semester I am
petitioning. How do I find that information?
You can learn the names of your previous instructors by using the Course Listings
section of the Schedule of Courses page at the following link:
http://www.registrar.ufl.edu/soc/.
I dont know my instructors contact information. How do I find that
information?
You can locate contact information for your instructors using UFs VIVO employee
search at http://vivo.ufl.edu/ or by using the UF Directory at
https://directory.ufl.edu/.
I never spoke to my instructors about my situation. Will they still be able
to complete the form?
Yes. Your instructors do not need to know the details about your personal situation
in order to complete the Instructor Recommendation (IR) Form. The IR Form only

asks the instructor to provide academic information. There is a comment section

where an instructor can provide additional feedback but it is not required.
I have tried all of the suggestions provided here and still cant get all of
my Instructor Recommendation Forms submitted. What can I do?
Please call (352) 392-1261 to speak with someone from the Dean of Students Office
Care Area. Care Area staff would be happy to assist you further with your situation.