Academic Policies and Procedures

• Academic Actions and Exceptions
• Academic Misconduct (Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources, UW-Madison Writing Center)
• Academic Standing: Dean’s List, Academic Probation, etc.
• Accommodation of Religious Observances
• Additional ("Double") Major
• Attendance Policies
• Auditing a Course
• Class Standing
• Compassionate Refund
• Concurrent Enrollment at Two Institutions
• Credit Overload Permission
• Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS)
• Directed Study
• Dual Degrees (completing two degrees simultaneously)
• Exams: Midterm and Summary Block
• Grades and Grading Policies
• Graduating with Honors
• Grievance Policy in the School of Education
• Independent Learning (Learning Innovations) Course Enrollment
• Late Course Adds or Drops
• Military Service Policy
• Part-Time Enrollment Status
• Pass/Fail Option for Grading
• Repeating Courses
• Residency (Major and Senior) Requirements
• Student Records Policies

Academic Actions and Exceptions

Academic actions are used to record a student's progress through the University and to document various administrative and academic situations. Actions can be grouped into two broad categories: (1) those that permit exceptions to program requirements and School/University policies and (2) those that affect a student's standing in the University, e.g., probation, transferring from one program to another.

As the undergraduate dean's office, EAS is responsible for reviewing, approving, documenting, and sometimes initiating academic actions and exceptions. To be posted to a student's record, exceptions must go through several steps. Exceptions may be initiated either by program faculty/staff or by EAS staff. EAS staff and faculty/staff often consult about a specific exception. Once an exception has been approved, it is processed either as an official "Dean's action" through EAS and the Registrar's Office, or as a DARS exception through EAS. Students can find a record of dean's actions on their printed unofficial transcript (also called the student record–available at EAS) or on their DARS report. A DARS exception will be reflected in the individual student’s DARS report.

Exceptions to faculty approved program requirements generally include course substitutions and course or program requirement waivers. Waivers are very rarely permitted. Exceptions to campus or School policies include permission for adding or dropping a course beyond the deadlines, waiving senior or major residency requirements, extending the deadline for meeting a deficiency or finishing an Incomplete, and permitting students to repeat a course for credit.

A request for an exception requires careful consideration from all parties involved. Students should be prepared to explain the reasoning behind a request and offer supporting documentation (e.g. course syllabus, college catalog entry, letter of support, medical documentation). Substantial consultation time with faculty, staff, and/or deans may be required, so students should not expect to receive an immediate answer during the appointment.

Academic Misconduct (information from Dean of Students Office website, December, 2006)

UWS 14 is the chapter of the University of Wisconsin System Administrative code that regulates academic misconduct. UWS 14.03 defines academic misconduct as an act in which a student

• seeks to claim credit for the work or efforts of another without authorization or citation;
• uses unauthorized materials or fabricated data in any academic exercise;
• forges or falsifies academic documents or records;
• intentionally impedes or damages the academic work of others;
• engages in conduct aimed at making false representation of a student's academic performance;
• assists other students in any of these acts.

UW-Madison students accused of misconduct have the right to due process. To insure that academic work is completed with honesty and integrity, according to University standards, you should become familiar with the rules of academic misconduct. Ask instructors if you are uncertain about what behaviors constitute academic misconduct in a specific class or assignment (e.g., how to cite from the web or whether to work with another student on an assignment). Tell instructors about incidents of misconduct. Finally, be aware that helping someone else to cheat is a violation of the rules and may result in misconduct charges against you.

Go to the Dean of Students Office site (http://www.wisc.edu/students/saja/misconduct/UWS14.html) for detailed information on UW-Madison academic misconduct rules and procedures. Direct questions to Student Advocacy & Judicial Affairs (SAJA) in the Offices of the Dean of Students at 263-5700.

Academic Standing: Dean’s List, Academic Probation, etc.

To remain in good academic standing in the School of Education, students must earn both a semester grade-point average (GPA) and a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.5. While the 2.5 grade-point average may not be sufficient to permit students to be considered for admission to their program of choice, it is the minimum required to remain in the School of Education. This is substantially higher than minimum grade-point average requirements in some other schools/colleges on campus.

Dean's List. Students have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA and 3.5 or higher for the semester. Students must have received no incompletes in graded courses, no unreported grades, or end-of-semester academic actions for the semester. Credit/no credit and pass/fail courses are not considered in meeting the requirements for the Dean's List.

Probation. A student's grade-point average for a particular semester falls below 2.5, while the cumulative campus GPA remains at or above 2.5. Students must earn a minimum 2.5 grade-point average on the next semester's course work to be removed from probation status.

Strict Probation. Strict Probation occurs when either (1) a student's cumulative GPA falls below a 2.5 OR (2) a student already on probation earns less than a 2.5 grade-point average for the subsequent semester. To be in good standing, students on strict probation must earn both a 2.5 GPA on the next semester's course work and also have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 by the end of the next semester.

Continued Strict Probation. A student already on strict probation obtained a 2.5 GPA or above on the next semester's course work, but the cumulative GPA is still below 2.5. Once both grade-point averages are at or above 2.5, the student will be in good academic standing.

May Not Continue in the School of Education. Students on strict probation or continued strict probation who earn less than a 2.5 GPA on the next semester's work will receive notice that they may not continue in the School of Education. Students on May Not Continue status who do not seek or are not granted permission to continue may be withdrawn from the university and dropped from registered courses ("disenrolled"). Students are expected to contact their advisor immediately to discuss options, including transfer to another school or college on campus, transfer to another university, or withdrawal from UW-Madison.

Students on Strict Probation, Continued Strict Probation, or May Not Continue status have a registration hold placed on their record for the subsequent semester. These students are not permitted to register until they have met with an EAS advisor.

Accommodation of Religious Observances

Faculty policy does not permit mandatory academic requirements to be scheduled on days when a religious observance may cause substantial numbers of students to be absent from university functions. For the fall semester, the policy specifically identifies Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as such days. Due to our university's multi-cultural community, there are bound to be conflicts between mandatory academic requirements and religious observances other than those listed. Major religious observances celebrated by Muslim and Buddhist students, such as the Islamic holiday Eid al Fitr, also occur during the semester. A partial listing of religious holidays is available on-line at www.interfaithcalendar.org.

Students must notify the instructor within the first two weeks of class of the specific days or dates on which he or she requests accommodation. Make-ups may be scheduled before or after the regularly scheduled requirements. It is understood that instructors may set reasonable limits on the total number of days claimed by any one student.

Additional ("Double") Major

School of Education students may be permitted to complete an additional major with their School of Education degree program. For instance, Art majors sometimes complete an additional major in another campus school or college. Elementary Education students may elect to complete a College of Letters and Science major to meet their minor requirement. Students completing a Secondary Education program (BS-Education) will be permitted to complete the L&S version of their Secondary Education major; for instance, Mathematics Education students will be permitted to complete and document on their transcript the L&S Mathematics major.

IMPORTANT: Education students must have been admitted to a degree program to be eligible to add an additional major; thus, pre-professional students cannot add another major.

Education students wishing to complete an additional major in the College of Letters and Science must complete these steps:

Go to the department that houses your major of interest. Meet with the undergraduate major advisor there, if appropriate. Complete the Major Declaration form and obtain departmental approval (usually a signature or stamp).
Take the Major Declaration form to Education Academic Services, Rust-Schreiner Halls, 115 North Orchard Street, and ask for a dean’s action to permit the additional major. Staff at EAS will take the major declaration and send it, along with the action, to the Registrar’s Office for processing. Do not take the form to L&S Student Academic Affairs in Bascom Hall–even if this is the advice of departmental staff. Requests for an additional major will be rejected by the Registrar’s Office for lack of dean’s approval.

Students will be granted a degree at the end of the fall, spring, or summer semesters in which all School of Education degree requirements are complete. Graduation will not be postponed if students have an unfinished additional major or certificate program.

Exceptions to the requirements of an additional major or certificate program must be approved by the department and school/college dean's office in which the major or certificate program is located.

Attendance Policies

(As approved by the Faculty Senate 1 December 1997, UW-Madison Faculty Document 1308b;
and revised by the senate on 4 December 2006, UW-Madison Faculty Document 1308e)

Faculty and instructors may require students to attend scheduled meetings of a class and/or to participate in other course-related activities, including distance activities. Students are responsible for materials presented in such meetings or activities. Because courses are designed and conducted in diverse ways, faculty and instructors should inform students in writing at the beginning of each course if there are specific expectations for attendance/participation, including whether any component of the grade is based on such attendance/participation.

Faculty and instructors are encouraged to extend reasonable consideration to accommodate students should their university-endorsed extracurricular activities, not including practice activities for performances or athletic events, conflict with class attendance requirements. It is expected that students provide adequate and reasonable advance notice to faculty and instructors in order that they can ensure that an accommodation, if granted, not jeopardize or compromise the pedagogical goals and requirements of the course and students' learning.

Auditing a Course

A student may audit a course only if the instructor consents and if no laboratory or performance skills are required. (The second restriction usually prevents students from auditing Dance or Art courses.) Auditors do not participate in classroom discussions or take examinations, but are expected to attend with reasonable regularity and do some assigned work.

Important: Audited courses carry no degree credits, are not graded, do not count in determining full-time/part-time load for enrollment certification in an academic term, and do not meet degree requirements for School of Education students. Students interested in auditing a course should confer with their EAS advisor. The deadline to change a course from credit to audit is the end of the fourth week of classes; no exceptions to this deadline are permitted.

Class Standing

Students are classified by year according to the number of credits and grade points they have earned:
• Freshman: less than 24 credits
• Sophomore: at least 24 credits
• Junior: at least 54 credits
• Senior: at least 86 credits

Compassionate Refund

The campus Compassionate Refund policy applies to student who are unable to continue in classes due to compelling circumstances beyond their control and who withdraw from the University after the fourth week. According to the policy, refunds contingent upon withdrawal may be warranted in two sets of circumstances: (1) a life-threatening or disabling illness/accident for an enrolled student or (2) death of an immediate member of the family or household of an enrolled student. The definition of family or household includes spouses, children, partners/significant others, parents, step-parents, and in-laws. Students seeking a compassionate refund must consult with an academic dean and may be required to provide written verification. School of Education students should contact an advisor at Education Academic Services as soon as possible if they feel that they might qualify for consideration. Associate Dean Jeffrey Hamm will usually review these requests.

Concurrent Enrollment at Two Institutions

School of Education students may occasionally choose to take courses at another institution–e.g., Madison Area Technical College or Independent Learning through UW-Extension–while being a fully enrolled student on the UW-Madison campus. This is generally permitted, but does require a specific dean’s action from Education Academic Services. Without this action, course work taken concurrently at another institution will not be posted to the campus transcript by Undergraduate Admissions. Full-time or part-time student status is determined by the credits taken at UW-Madison only; thus, students who take only nine credits on campus and three credits at another institution are not considered full-time students.

Credit Overload Permission

School of Education undergraduates may, with dean’s permission, enroll for more than 18 credits in a semester. Students must confer with EAS staff and may be required to speak with Associate Dean Hamm. Students must be in excellent academic standing to be considered for a credit overload. Students will be liable for the additional tuition costs beyond 18 credits.

During Summer Sessions, students may as a rule carry one credit per week of instruction. One limitation applies to the number of credits you may take in the entire Summer Sessions and may vary among the colleges and schools. Maximum credit loads by college/school include the following: Graduate Students: 8; Law: 15; Medicine/Vet Med: 15; Undergraduates in Ag and Life Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering, Human Ecology, Letters and Science, Medical, Nursing, and Pharmacy, and Specials: 12.

Session-specific limits follow the rule of one credit per week of instruction, except nine credits are allowed in the Eight-Week General Session and six credits in the Five-Week Law Session. Students must obtain permission from their academic dean to carry an overload. See your EAS advisor.

Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS)

DARS is an automated reflection of a student's academic progress toward completion of a degree. A DARS report shows what requirements have already been completed and what requirements remain unsatisfied. It can offer suggestions about appropriate courses that may be taken to meet specific requirements.

DARS reports are currently available to most students in the School of Education; additional degree programs become available as they are developed. Students should check their DARS reports through My UW-Madison whenever a registration change (i.e. adding or dropping a class) is made. In addition, students can request a "what-if" DARS report through My UW-Madison. This feature makes it possible to select any number of programs and/or majors on campus and run a DARS report as if pursuing this option. It is an excellent tool for students considering new or additional areas of study. Requests for DARS reports can be made through the My UW-Madison web page Student Center, under academic history.

DARS is not intended to replace student contact with academic advisors. It encourages a more beneficial relationship between student and advisor because valuable advising time is not lost calculating how courses and credits fit into requirements. The quick and thorough analysis provided by DARS allows more time in an advising appointment to discuss course options, graduate school, or other issues of personal interest or concern to students. DARS is the document of record , i.e., certifying document of degree completion, for most program areas in the School of Education.

Directed Study

Directed Study offers the student an opportunity to work with a School of Education faculty member on an individual study program. Most School of Education departments make directed study courses available to students on the basis of the student's preparation and motivation and a faculty member's willingness to accept the student in such an endeavor. Directed Study courses are numbered 299, 399, and 699.

Directed Study is taken as a supplement to, but not as a replacement for, available course offerings. In this way, it may be used to expand areas of particularly strong interest. Extra responsibility is required from the faculty member involved, and no member of the faculty is obligated to accept a proposal for a directed study project. Students should have a well-defined outline of the topic to be studied before discussing the project with a faculty member.

This study option is intended primarily for advanced students who have a depth of knowledge in a field, the self-discipline necessary for independent work, and strong motivation to pursue a special project. Many majors limit the number of Directed Study credits that can be earned in the major.

Students who wish to pursue Directed Study must:

Contact the department or an individual professor in the desired academic area and present an outline for an individual project.
Develop an agreement (preferably written) that includes a determination of the number of credits (usually 1 to 3) to be received.
Enroll in the course using the professor's individual section number for Directed Study.

Independent study by correspondence. Students may enroll in an independent study course offered by the UW-Independent Learning (Extension) without additional tuition costs if concurrently enrolled for at least 12 credits at UW-Madison. If carrying fewer than 12 credits at the university, students must pay an additional fee to Independent Learning. Some administrative fees must be paid, regardless of full or part-time status. For any given semester, total credits, including correspondence courses, may not exceed 18 without permission of Education Academic Services, and additional fees will be assessed for each credit over 18. Majors in Kinesiology must secure formal permission from their advisor for independent study through UW-Independent Learning.

Dual Degrees

Students may be permitted to complete two degrees simultaneously; for instance, students may complete two degree programs in the School of Education or may choose a degree program in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences along with their School of Education degree. Not all schools/colleges permit dual degrees–e.g., this is not permitted by the College of Letters and Science or by Engineering. Students should confer with their EAS advisor and with Associate Dean Jeffrey Hamm regarding the ability and feasibility of completing two degrees programs simultaneously. Students wishing to earn two undergraduate degrees must follow these academic policies:

If the two degrees to be earned are within the School of Education, at least 30 additional credits–and all course and grade point requirements for the second degree–must be completed for the second degree. When the first degree requires 120 credits, a minimum of 150 credits for most majors would be required. The two degree programs must differ sufficiently to permit the total credits to be accumulated. Courses may count toward the fulfillment of both degree programs. Permission to complete two degrees simultaneously requires the academic dean’s approval. This approval, and the formal academic action permitting the dual degree work, should be sought as early as possible to ensure that it is feasible to complete both degrees.
If the two degrees to be earned are from two different schools/colleges (one degree in Education and one degree in another school or college on this campus), the following academic policies shall be followed:
1. Permission to complete two degrees simultaneously requires academic dean’s approval from both schools/colleges. Students should see their current dean’s office for the required paperwork.
2. Admission into the other school/college shall be based on the admission criteria for that particular school/college and, when necessary, particular program.
3. The two degree programs must differ sufficiently so that the combined total requirements for the two degrees are at least 150 credits.
4. The student's program must be reviewed and approved in both colleges before the start of a student's senior year in residence.
5. The degree from each college will be awarded simultaneously.
6. Exceptions to degree requirements must be taken by staff from the school/college linked to the particular degree.

Students are encouraged to meet with Associate Dean Jeff Hamm regarding completing two degrees. Students completing degrees in the School of Education and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences should click here for the dual degree application form.

Exams: Midterm and Summary Block/Finals (from the L&S Handbook, December 2006)

Mid-Term Evening Exam Hours for Daytime Classes. University policy governs the scheduling of mid-term examination hours for daytime classes. Two evening examination periods have been established for daytime classes that require evening mid-term examinations. The first period is to accommodate examinations of 90 minutes and is scheduled from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Examinations can begin any time before or during this period as long as they end no later than 7:00 p.m. The second period begins at 7:15 p.m. and will accommodate longer exams. Exceptions to this general policy may be authorized by the Academic Vice Chancellor.

Instructors of daytime courses who plan to give evening mid-term examinations must footnote such intentions in the Timetable so students will be aware of potential conflicts with evening courses or other commitments. Whenever possible, times and/or days of evening examinations should also be footnoted. Instructors who schedule evening examinations should make every possible effort to accommodate students with unavoidable conflicts. In courses where conflicts with evening examinations have been a problem, classes should be scheduled to end before 7:00 p.m. or to begin at 7:15 p.m. or later to minimize potential conflicts with evening examinations. Faculty Senate rules indicated that it is the instructor's responsibility to assure that all students with conflicts between daytime courses with evening exams and evening courses are treated fairly and without penalty. “If a scheduling conflict exists between the evening exam of a daytime course and a regularly scheduled evening course, then the evening course takes precedence over the exam."

Summary Blocks/Final Examinations. Policy with regard to final examinations and course activity during the summary block period is governed by faculty legislation. The following paragraphs summarize current policy.

The academic semester consists of an advising and a registration period, a regularly scheduled instructional period, and an eight-day summary period. During the instructional period, there is an advising period and registration occurs for the next semester. The first day of the summary period is for individual study and review, and no classes or exams are to be scheduled then. The last seven days are prescheduled to include one two-hour summary block for each course of two or more credits. This two-hour block shall be used for an examination or for other instructional activities as deemed appropriate by the instructor and as approved by the instructional unit offering the course.

Final examinations or other summary period activities cannot be scheduled during the two weeks preceding the summary period. Take-home final examinations are due at the scheduled two-hour block. The summary period block schedule must be published in the Timetable and must be adhered to by all faculty.

The time of a two-hour block for a class and/or the due date for a take-home examination may be changed only with prior approval of the appropriate Associate Dean. Such changes are rare. Where a student has more than two (that is, three or more) summary blocks scheduled within a period of 24 hours, the instructor may, within guidelines adopted by the College faculty, reschedule a final exam for that individual student to avoid hardship. Students must notify the course instructor(s) within the first three weeks of the semester of the specific examination conflict. Rescheduled summary blocks shall be of the same general nature and quality as the activities of the regular two-hour summary block.

Special hours within the prescribed summary period shall be assigned by the Registrar's Office for combined Summary Periods in multiple-section courses that have no common meeting hour. Undergraduate seminar courses, independent study, and directed study courses are exempted from the above rules. Also, the rules apply only to courses numbered 699 or below.

Course grade must be calculatled by each instructor and submitted to the Registrar's Office within four calendar days (96 hours) from the date and hour of the two-hour block scheduled during the summary period.

Grades and Grading

Grading System. See the “Enrollment and Records” section of the UW-Madison Undergraduate Catalog for detailed information on the campus grading system, including the list of possible grades and their impact on a student’s grade-point average.

Credit/No Credit Courses. Courses designated as being offered on a Credit/No Credit basis are indicated on the transcript as either CR, meaning the student earned the credits for which the course was offered, or N, meaning that the student did not earn any credit even though enrolled for the course. Students may not take such courses on any other basis.

"F” Grade Policies. If the course is repeated, the original F will remain on the transcript and will be included in computing the GPA. If a grade of F, N (no credit), or U (unsatisfactory) is received in student teaching or in courses within required practica, the course may be repeated only if the faculty adviser, the supervisor of the practicum or student teaching, and the associate deans for teacher education and student services give approval by official academic action. A third attempt to register in a course under these conditions is not allowed.

Incompletes. A grade of "Incomplete" may be reported for a student who has carried a subject with passing grades until near the end of the semester and then, because of illness or other unusual and substantiated cause beyond the student's control, has been unable to take or complete the final examination, or to complete some limited amount of term work. An Incomplete is not given to a student who stays away from a final examination except as indicated above. In the absence of substantiated cause, the grade shall be F. Even with such proof, if the student's work has convinced the instructor that s/he cannot pass the course, the grade shall be F.

Any Incomplete taken by School of Education students must be completed by the end of the student's next semester of residence (specifically, by the last day of classes), excluding Summer Sessions. If the work is not completed by this deadline, the Incomplete will lapse into a Failure unless the time limit has been extended in writing by the dean's office. (Note that this differs for College of Letters and Science students: Incompletes for these students must be completed by the end of the fourth week of classes of the student's next semester of residence at UW-Madison, excluding Summer Sessions.)

Pass/Fail Grading. Students may take courses on a pass/fail basis if they have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade-point average based on UW-Madison course work. Students who qualify may register on a pass/fail basis as follows:

• Only elective courses may be carried on a pass/fail basis.
• Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors may carry one pass/fail course each semester.
• Seniors may carry two pass/fail courses each semester.
• A maximum of 10 pass/fail courses can be taken as an undergraduate.

Pass/fail course registration must be completed by the end of the fourth week of classes. There are no exceptions to this policy. Eligible students who wish to take a course on a pass/fail basis must first register for the course following standard procedures and then complete the pass/fail option form available through the Registrar's Office website (http://www.registrar.wisc.edu). Once the form is completed and printed, take it to Education Academic Services, Rust-Schreiner Halls, 115 North Orchard Street, for processing.

Courses completed on a pass/fail basis do not apply toward liberal studies, major, minor, or professional education requirements for graduation. Students planning graduate study should not take courses on a pass/fail basis if these are pre-professional requirements for admission to graduate and/or professional programs. Individuals who are undecided about a major should avoid taking a course on a pass/fail basis that might later become a required course needed to complete a major. Students may wish to consult with an advisor before taking a course pass/fail.

Instructors will report letter grades to the Registrar and will not know whether the individuals are registered on a pass/fail basis. The Registrar will convert the letter grade to the appropriate Pass or Fail designation. Note that A, AB, B, BC, and C are passing grades in courses taken on a pass/fail basis. Degree credits will be recorded for S (satisfactory), but no degree credit will be granted for a U (unsatisfactory). Thus, students receiving a D in a course taken pass/fail will not receive degree credit. Once a grade has been recorded as a Pass or a Fail, it cannot be converted to a letter grade or included in computing a grade-point average.

Six-Week Grades. Only first-year students receive six-week grades. The goal of six-week grades is to provide students with important feedback about course performance before the course drop deadline. Students should check their six-week grade report to make sure all courses are indicated. An "NW" means that "No Work" has been turned in; if you have been attending the course, contact the instructor immediately. If there appears to be a course registration problem, see your EAS advisor immediately. If any course grades are a surprise, contact your TA or professor immediately–these are your best resources around class content and exam preparation.

Grades from Transfer Courses. Grades from transfer courses are not posted to the UW-Madison transcript; however, the School of Education uses all attempted transferable course work to determine program admission eligibility and selection grade-point average. Students should be aware that grades earned at another institution will be included in admission calculations. (Courses for which an "F" is earned do not transfer to UW-Madison.) See your EAS advisor if you have additional questions about this policy.

Graduating with Honors

Undergraduate students are invited to wear an honors stole at graduation if they have indicated they expect to graduate at the conclusion of the current semester, have a cumulative GPA that places them in the top 20% of students expecting to graduate in their school/college, and have earned at least 60 credits in residence at UW-Madison. Credits in progress in the current semester count towards the 60 credit requirement.

Graduating With Distinction is a separate calculation and is posted to the undergraduate student's transcript after all grades and degrees have been recorded. Students qualify for the Distinction notation if they have received their degree, have a cumulative GPA that places them in the top 20% of degree recipients in their school/college, and have earned at least 60 credits in residence at UW-Madison.

Grievance Policy in the School of Education (updated September, 2005)

Any student who feels that he or she has been treated unfairly by a faculty or staff member has the right to complain about the treatment and to receive a prompt hearing of the grievance, following these grievance procedures. The complaint may concern course grades, classroom treatment, program admission, or other issues. To insure a prompt and fair hearing of any complaint, and to protect both the rights of the student and the person at whom the complaint is addressed, the procedures below are used in the School of Education.

The person whom the complaint is directed against must be an employee of the School of Education. Any student or potential student may use these procedures unless the complaint is covered by other campus rules or contracts. The following steps are available within the School of Education when a student has a grievance:

The student should first talk with the person against whom the grievance is directed. Most issues can be settled at this level. If the complaint is directed against a teaching assistant, and the student is not satisfied, the next step would be to talk to the TA’s supervisor, who is usually the course professor. If the complaint is not resolved satisfactorily, the student may continue to step 2.
If the complaint does not involve an academic department, the procedure outlined in Step 4 below should be followed. If the complaint involves an academic department, the student should contact the chair of the department. The chair will attempt to resolve the problem informally. If this cannot be done to the student’s satisfaction, the student may submit the grievance to the chair in writing. This must be done within 60 calendar days of the alleged unfair treatment.
On receipt of a written complaint, the chair will refer the matter to a departmental committee, which will obtain a written response from the person at whom the complaint is directed. This response shall be shared with the person filing the grievance. The chair will provide a timely written decision to the student on the action taken by the committee.
If either party is not satisfied with the decision of the department, he or she has five working days from receipt of the decision to contact the Dean’s Office (at the number below), indicating the intention to appeal. If the complaint does not involve an academic department in the School, the student must contact the Dean’s Office within 60 calendar days of the alleged unfair treatment.
In either case, there will be an attempt to resolve the issue informally by the Associate Dean. If this cannot be done, the complaint can be filed in writing with the Dean’s Office. This must be done within 10 working days of the time the appealing party was notified that informal resolution was unsuccessful.
On receipt of such a written complaint, the Associate Dean will convene a subcommittee of the School’s Equity & Diversity Committee. This subcommittee may ask for additional information from the parties involved and may hold a hearing at which both parties will be asked to speak separately. The subcommittee will then make a written recommendation to the Dean of the School of Education who will render a decision. Unless a longer time is negotiated, this written decision shall be made within 20 working days from the date when the grievance was filed with the Dean’s Office.

Questions about these procedures can be directed to Associate Dean Mariamne Whatley, 312 Lathrop Hall, 262-2463, whatley@education.wisc.edu.

State law contains additional provisions regarding discrimination and harassment. Wisconsin Statutes 36.12 reads, in part: “No student may be denied admission to, participation in or the benefits of, or be discriminated against in any service, program, course or facility of the system or its institutions or center because of the student’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, disability, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status or parental status.”In addition, UW-System prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or gender expression. Students have the right to file discrimination and harassment complaints with the Equity & Diversity Resource Center, 179A Bascom Hall, 263-2378, Wisconsin Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Independent Learning (Learning Innovations) Course Enrollment

Students occasionally elect to take an Independent Learning course by correspondence/email through the University of Wisconsin-Extension. Many of these courses will count toward specific degree requirements. Students have an entire year to complete their course work. Individuals interested in enrolling in an Independent Learning course should note the following important issues:

Course equivalencies. UW-Extension courses are not automatically transferable as equivalent UW-Madison campus courses–even when the Extension course carries the same number and title. Use the Transfer Information System (TIS) at http://www.uwsa.edu/tis/ to insure that the Independent Learning course is equivalent to the campus required course. Faculty and dean’s offices may have some discretion in permitting courses to count for requirements even when they are not coded as exactly equivalent; see your EAS advisor.

Concurrent enrollment. UW-Extension is an entirely separate institution from UW-Madison. Thus, UW-Madison students must have permission from their academic dean to be enrolled concurrently in another higher education institution. Permission for concurrent enrollment is granted routinely for School of Education students through EAS. Students should to the Registrar’s Office website and download and complete the form at http://registrar.em.wisc.edu/forms/faculty/learning_innovations_form.pdf. This form both indicates permission for concurrent enrollment and, in some circumstances, provides for waiver of the tuition for the Independent Learning course (see additional information below). Take this form to the front desk at Education Academic Services, Rust-Schreiner Halls, 115 North Orchards Street, for processing. In some cases students may be asked to meet with an advisor. This form must then be sent to Independent Learning after it has been approved at EAS.

Tuition waiver. The tuition for Independent Learning courses may be waived with dean’s permission. Students are eligible for a tuition waiver if they register for an IL course during the semester they are concurrently enrolled at UW-Madison. Students may be allowed to register for IL classes once they have enrolled in courses for the subsequent semester, linking their IL registration with the credits for the succeeding semester. Students must be full time (enrolled for at least 12 credits on campus), but their credit total must not be more than 18 credits after adding the Independent Learning course. Students should see their EAS advisor for additional information on these policies. As indicated above, download and complete the form at http://registrar.em.wisc.edu/forms/faculty/learning_innovations_form.pdf and submit to EAS, Rust-Schreiner Halls, 115 North Orchards Street. This stamped form must then be sent to Independent Learning, with a copy remaining at EAS. NOTE: Registrar’s Office no longer receives a copy of this form.

Posting Independent Learning courses to the UW-Madison transcript. IL courses are posted to the campus transcript by staff at Undergraduate Admissions. A transcript for an Independent Learning course must be officially submitted to Undergraduate Admissions. Courses will not be posted unless a dean’s action permitting concurrent enrollment has been taken.

Timing for course completion and degree posting. IL courses require substantial time to complete. Students should not expect to begin an IL course only a few weeks before it must be completed. Perhaps even more important, students completing an IL course to meet final degree requirements should be aware that the UW-Extension transcript completion date must be prior to the UW-Madison graduation date for any given semester. A completion date beyond the official graduation date will result in the student’s degree being posted for the subsequent semester. For example, if Student A’s UW-Extension transcript indicates a course completion date of May 25, but the UW-Madison degree completion date is May 23, the student’s degree will be posted for the subsequent August graduation date, not for the May graduation day. This could create serious problems for teacher education students hoping to secure a position. For this reason, students completing final degree requirements via Independent Learning should consult carefully with EAS staff and Extension regarding the timing of their course completion and degree posting.

Late Course Adds or Drops

Registration and Timetable regulations are in effect when adding and dropping courses. Students are responsible for knowing and complying with the published drop deadlines. See the Registrar’s Office website (www.registrar.wisc.edu) for deadlines. Students are expected to check their academic records routinely to minimize the need for late drops based on registration errors.

Late course add. Students must obtain instructor, departmental, and dean’s approval to add a course after the course add deadline. Complete the “Course Change Form” found at the Registrar’s Office website, www.registrar.wisc.edu (For Students>Forms) or go to the "Forms" link on the front page of this site.

Late course drop. After the drop deadline, courses may be dropped only with the permission of Education Academic Services. Such permission is not granted routinely, but only in unusual circumstances. Students seeking a late drop will be required to complete a formal request form and may be asked to supply a written justification, medical or other documentation, and/or proof of having consulted with the course instructor. Requests for backdated drops due to ignorance of campus drop deadlines or to remove a "DR" from the student's record will not be honored. Students seeking a late drop must (1) schedule a meeting with an EAS advisor and (2) complete an EAS Late Course Drop Request Form.

At the student's request, staff will schedule an appointment for the student with either her/his assigned advisor or the advisor s/he has seen most often. Students can print the Late Course Drop Request Form from this website (set up to print as a single page) or get the form at the EAS front desk, Rust-Schreiner Halls, 115 North Orchard Street.

The student will meet with the advisor to discuss the drop request. The advisor will collect information about the circumstances around the request. If appropriate, the advisor will warn about the drop's possible consequences for financial aid, insurance coverage, student status (for international students), etc. The decision around the late drop may or may not be made during this meeting. Advisors may confer with instructors as needed to verify students' reports and obtain additional information. Advisors may also require students to contact the instructor. Students should understand that advisors may also consult with one another and with the Associate Dean about specific cases. This can be done confidentially (not divulging the student's name), but it is routine and sometimes necessary for a decision to be rendered. Students will be informed via email or phone about the disposition of their request. Dean Hamm will usually process the permitted late drop request himself through the ISIS system (late drop forms are not sent to the Registrar’s Office).

Military Service Policy

The University makes every effort to accommodate students who are called to active duty in the armed forces during the course of a semester. The Military Service Policy at http://www.provost.wisc.edu/memos/military.html#policy clarifies the options available to these students. This policy has been reviewed and endorsed by both the University Committee and the Associate Administrative Council. The intention of this policy is to permit students to select whichever option fits their particular circumstances. Consult with your EAS advisor if you have additional questions about this policy.

Part-Time Enrollment Status

Students who choose part-time enrollment status or who anticipate falling below full-time enrollment status due to dropping a course should consult with an EAS advisor. Part-time enrollment may have important implications for health insurance coverage or financial aid. Athletes and international students should especially consult with EAS and other advisors before choosing part–time enrollment. Students who drop below 12 credits need not leave university housing.

Repeating Courses

Most courses on the UW-Madison campus may be taken only once for purposes of credit. Some courses may be repeated a limited number of times for credit. Other courses may be repeated an unlimited number of times for credit. When courses are taken more than once, all grades and their associated grade points are included in the cumulative campus grade-point average.

Some School of Education professional programs permit students to retake courses for admission eligibility purposes. For example, at present some Kinesiology programs allow their prerequisite courses to be retaken once, with the second grade earned used to compute the prerequisite GPA. Students should consult EAS staff with questions regarding repeated courses.

Residency (Major and Senior) Requirements

Major Residency. Students must complete at UW-Madison at least 15 credits in upper-level courses in the major. Some programs, e.g. Art, require more credits to meet major residency requirements. Upper-level courses are generally defined as those numbered 300 and above. Retroactive credits and credits granted by examination do not count toward the residency requirement.

Senior Residency. Seniors in Education must take the last 30 credits in residence. Special permission to take a portion of senior work either at another institution or by correspondence (via UW-Extension) must be obtained in advance from Education Academic Services. Course work taken as part of a UW-Madison sponsored study abroad program does not count against senior residency. Students should discuss senior residency issues with their EAS advisor. Retroactive credits and credits granted by examination do not count toward the residency requirement.

Student Records Policies (from the L&S Handbook, December 2006)

Students have the right to inspect and review most of the education records maintained about them by the University, and, in many cases, to decide if a third person can obtain information from them. Policy in this area is governed by the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, often referred to as the "Buckley Amendment."

Limitations on Access to Student Records. No one outside the University shall have access to students' education records, nor will the contents be disclosed, without the written consent of the students except as provided by the Act. Exceptions provided in the Act include personnel within the institution whose responsibilities require such access, officials of other institutions in which students seek to enroll or are enrolled, persons or organizations providing student financial aid, accrediting agencies carrying out their accreditation function, persons in compliance with judicial orders and persons in an emergency when necessary to protect the health or safety of students or other persons.

Students' Right of Access to Review Their Records. A student has the right to inspect and review all education records about himself or herself except:

Personal notes (available only to writer and not maintained in an official student file) of University staff and faculty,
Student employment records,
Counseling records used solely for treatment,
Records in the Department of Protection and Security,
Parents' financial records,
Confidential letters and statements of recommendation placed in the records before January 1, 1975, and,
Confidential letters and statements of recommendation for admission, employment, or honorary recognition placed in the records after January 1, 1975, which students have waived the right to inspect and review.

Assistance with Problems or Questions About Compliance. A student who has questions about the provisions of the Act or wishes copies of the policy should contact the Registrar's Office.

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This file was modified on 2/16/2009 4:46:59 PM

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