ACADEMIC REGULATIONS
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NOTE: Check here for any policy updates/revisions since May 2010.
Course Numbering System
Courses in the 500 series and some in the 600 series
are “slash” courses; they are graduate courses with a companion
number in the 300 or 400 series and are open to upper division
undergraduates (who have earned at least 60 credits) and
graduate students. All courses with numbers in the 700 and 800
series and some in the 600 series are for graduate students
only. Students in all master’s degree programs must earn at
least one-half of the minimum number of semester credits
required in their program in graduate-only level courses.
Student Load
A recommended full-time load for a graduate student is 12
credits per semester. A maximum load is 15 credits per semester
and nine credits during a 12-week summer session, with no more
than six credits in a four-week summer session. (This applies to
any combination of courses - all graduate or
graduate/undergraduate.) Students are considered full-time if
enrolled for at least nine credits each semester and five
semester credits during the summer term. Credit load
requirements are different for students receiving financial aid
during the summer. See the financial aid office for more
information.
A student may earn, as a maximum, the number of credits
corresponding to the number of weeks in any interim session
(i.e., a student may earn a maximum of three (3) credits during
Winter Intersession). Any request to carry more than the maximum
allowable credits for a semester, summer, or interim session,
must be submitted in writing with documented “extenuating
circumstances,” and must be approved by the student’s graduate
program director prior to enrollment for any of the previously
mentioned sessions. An “Overload Request Form” is available from
the graduate program director.
Academic Records Transcripts
Academic records are confidential between the
student and the university. Students may request transcripts of
their permanent records at any time, provided they are not
financially encumbered to the university. Transcripts may be
requested in person, online, or by writing to the Records and
Registration Office. A transcript request form is available at
www.uwlax.edu/records/transcripts.
There is a small fee for transcripts. Transcripts will not be
released without the student’s authorizing signature. Under no
circumstances will partial transcripts be issued.
FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act)
University Grading System
Scholastic standing is determined by the grade
point system. Grade points are used to determine an official
scholastic average for each student. A semester grade point
average is calculated by dividing the grade points earned by
the number of credits attempted that semester. The
cumulative average is the total number of grade points
earned divided by the total number of credits attempted.
To successfully complete a course at the
graduate level, a grade of “C” (or better) or “P” must be
earned. No graduate credit will be applicable to a degree
for courses completed with grades below “C.”
Note: UW-L grade point averages are determined
only by grades in UW-L courses. Probationary status and
grade point deficiencies of students already matriculated at
UW-L may not be improved by enrolling in courses at other
institutions.
Grading Scale
A — 4.00
grade points/credit
AB — 3.50 grade
points/credit
B — 3.00
grade points/credit
BC — 2.50 grade
points/credit
C — 2.00
grade points/credit
D — 1.00
grade points/credit
F — 0.00
counted as credits attempted
Additional university grades and grade points
used but not part of the grading scale:
I — incomplete / 0 (not counted as credits attempted)
W, WP — withdraw passing / 0 (not counted as credits
attempted)
WF — withdraw failing / 0 (counted as credits
attempted; averaged into GPA)
EP — emergency withdrawal / passing* / 0 (not counted
as credits attempted)
EF — emergency withdrawal / failing* / 0 (not counted
as credits attempted)
AS — audit satisfactory / 0 (not counted as credits
attempted)
AU — audit unsatisfactory / 0 (not counted as credits
attempted)
S — satisfactory / 0 (counted as credits earned)
U — unsatisfactory / 0 (not counted as credits
attempted)
P — pass / 0 (counted as credits earned)
F — fail / 0 (counted as credits attempted; averaged
into GPA)
F1-F14 — not active / 0 (counted as credits
attempted; averaged into GPA) Student did not officially
withdraw from the course, but failed to participate in
course activities through the end of the period. There is
sufficient evidence to make a meaningful evaluation of
academic performance possible. The N/A grade will appear as
an “F” on the student record.
NR — no report / 0 (not averaged into GPA; the “NR”
grade is posted for all missing grades.
PR – progress for thesis, seminar paper, culminating
projects / 0 (not counted as credits attempted)
*NOTE: The faculty Committee on Academic
Policies and Standards has established EP and EF as grades
that are to be
utilized only for the emergency medical withdrawal of
students and military call-ups. These grades will be
recorded on
the permanent academic record to indicate level of performance at
the time of withdrawal; however, such grades will
not be averaged into the student grade point average.
Change of Grade - An instructor
may request to change a final grade for one semester
immediately following the close of the semester in which the
grade is first recorded. The instructor and department chair
authorize the change by signing a “Change of Grade” form and
forwarding it to the appropriate dean for signature. The
dean will then file it with the Records and Registration
Office.
Appeal of Final Grade -
All departments have established policies and
procedures, which enable students to appeal final grades.
These policies and procedures outline the progression of a
formal appeal and specify who is empowered to change a final
grade. All appeals for a final grade change must be
initiated in writing through the department in question
during the semester immediately following the semester in
which the grade was earned. A copy of each department’s
policies and procedures is on file in the office of the
appropriate dean.
Repetition of courses -
A
graduate student can repeat up to two courses once in which
a grade of “C” or lower was earned and with the permission
of the program director. The new grade will replace the
original grade in the GPA calculation. Both grades will
appear on the academic record.
Reports on Grades and Credits -
Official
grades may be submitted at the end of each course and are
viewable on
WINGS;
however, grade point averages are only updated at the end of
the term. Academic action is taken at the end of each term.
Grades are not mailed; they are available electronically on
the Web via the WINGS Student Center.
Pass/Fail Grading Policies -
Credits taken on a P/F basis will not be averaged into a grade point
average if “P” is filed by the instructor. The credits will
count as credits earned. An “F” will be averaged in and will
be counted as credits attempted. Specific courses are
approved for pass/fail grading. Students do not have the
option to request a graded course be taken as P/F. Students
should realize that P/F graded courses might not be accepted
in transfer to other institutions of higher learning.
Professional schools are especially reluctant to accept P/F
graded course work. Some employers, principals, and/or
superintendents may be unable to acknowledge credits or
reward employees, especially graduate students working on
advanced degrees, when course work has been taken under the
P/F grading system. UW-L does not accept graduate transfer
credit from other institutions in which a grade of “pass”
was earned.
Incomplete Grades - An incomplete grade
(“I”) is a temporary grading symbol (not a final course
grade) which may be reported for a student who has carried a
subject through the last date that one may withdraw from a
course 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
complete some limited amount of work.
When an incomplete grade is requested, the
student must file an Incomplete Grade Request with the
instructor. The instructor will prepare and present to the
student a written statement that describes the work that
must be completed to remove the incomplete. Removal of an
incomplete requires that the student satisfy the conditions
set forth in the request.
Students have one year (12 months), barring any
extenuating circumstances, to remove an incomplete grade. A
failing grade (“F”) or the grade noted by the instructor
when completing the incomplete form will be recorded for
incomplete grades that are not removed within one calendar
year of the date recorded whether or not a student is
enrolled.
“PR” Grade
A “PR” grade (for Progress) will be used for seminar papers,
theses, and terminal or culminating projects. The “PR” grade
would be subject to the seven-year period for degree
completion. If the “PR” grade is not changed after the
seven-year period, the “PR” grade will either default to an
“F” or the grade that was assigned by the instructor when
completing the form.
Audit Policy
Graduate students may audit courses under the
following arrangements:
1. Students must receive consent of the department chair and the
instructor offering the course.
2. No change from audit to credit will be permitted after the
first week of classes. No change from credit to audit will be
permitted after the first half of a semester or summer session
course.
3. No credit will be granted for any course that is audited. “Aud”
will appear on the student’s permanent academic record.
The “AS”- “AU” grading system is used for auditors. (The
grade will not affect your GPA.)
4. An audited course may be repeated for credit in another
semester or term.
5. Appropriate tuition and fees are to be paid for the course.
Note: Courses being audited may not be taken in
excess of student load limits for credit generating courses
without special “overload” permission from the academic dean.
Courses being audited are not usable to establish full-time or
part-time status for any type of eligibility - such as for
athletic participation, student grants/loans, or loan deferment.
Transfer of Graduate Credits
Graduate Studies at UW-L subscribes to the statement
by the Council of Graduate Schools that describes the master’s
program as “a coherent sequence of lectures, seminars,
discussions and independent studies or investigations designed
to help the student acquire an introduction to the mastery of
knowledge, creative scholarship, and research in [the student’s]
field. The college or university that offers the master’s degree
undertakes a responsibility in the public interest to establish
and maintain high quality in the experience given to its
students.”
Thus, a graduate program of study is not merely a
collection of courses taken in satisfaction of a set of degree
requirements. A high quality graduate experience is
characterized by graduate students, advised and taught by
faculty scholars, coming together in an environment of
intellectual and creative pursuit and interchange with other
students and faculty in the discipline.
The following transfer policy has been established
in keeping with a commitment to highest quality and integrity.
Graduate Level Credit Transfer Policy
In order to be considered for graduate transfer
credit at UW-L, these requirements must be met:
1. Transfer credits will not be accepted with grades lower
than “B” (not “BC” or “B-”) or equivalent nor with
grades of
“pass.” Staff from the Office of International Education may
assist in evaluation of courses from international
institutions.
2. The institution offering the course must be regionally
accredited at the graduate level if it is a domestic
institution, or
internationally recognized if it is an international
institution.
3. The course must be acceptable for graduate credit toward a
graduate degree at the offering institution, and must be
appropriate to a degree at UW-L.
4. It must appear as a graduate course on the student’s graduate
transcript from the offering institution.
5. Students may be granted permission to transfer a maximum of
nine semester credits. This maximum may vary in the case
of special consortia or joint degree programs recognized by
the Graduate Council. Students pursuing a master’s degree
may transfer no more than nine credits from a previous
master’s degree or other recognized post-baccalaureate degree
program, regardless of whether the graduate degree was
awarded by UW-L or another institution.
6. All credits must have been earned during the seven-year
period prior to the proposed date of the completion of all
required graduate work.
7. Students must submit a formal request for approval of
transfer credits. Students currently enrolled at UW-L must
secure approval from their graduate program director and
college dean in advance of enrollment at another institution
for such course work to transfer back to UW-L.
8. Officials at UW-L will not accept transcripts from other
institutions that are marked “Issued to Student” for evaluation
and/or the awarding of credit. Transcripts must be mailed
directly from the issuing institution(s) to the UW-L Admissions
Office.
Graduate program directors have discretion in
evaluating proposed transfer credits and determining if graduate
courses taken at other institutions may apply to a student’s
program of study at UW-L. In addition to reviewing an official
graduate transcript, graduate program directors may request to
review a course syllabus, written assignments, and examinations
in order to assist them in their evaluations. Other factors that
may be considered include the method of course delivery and
course format. Individual program directors may have
program-specific information on credit transfer policies and
procedures.
Academic Advising
Advising is a critical part of graduate education.
It is important for each student to meet with their program
director early in their studies to chart a plan of study.
Program directors serve as the advisers in some programs; in
other programs, advisers are assigned. Consulting with your
adviser prior to each registration will reduce the possibility
of enrolling in courses which do not meet your goals.
Registration
The university has Web registration via the
WINGS system at
www.uwlax.edu/wings.
Registration for spring semester begins in November;
summer registration begins in early April, followed by fall
registration in mid-April. Your enrollment date and time is
located on your WINGS Student Center page. You may register at
your assigned time or any time after that through the fifth day
of classes (third day for a summer term) unless enrollment
limits have been met. You must pay a deposit prior to
registration and have a zero balance on your account. The
registration system will not permit a student to enroll in a
class for which a prerequisite has not been completed. The
online Timetable has complete instructions for registration and
changes-of-schedule. Some graduate programs require that
students register through their advisers instead of using the
Wings system.
Schedule Changes
The period of time between a student’s initial
registration for any term through the first five days of
instruction in any semester (three days during summer session)
are considered to be the “drop/add-change-of-schedule” period.
During this time, a student may drop classes without affecting
his/her permanent academic record; he/she may also add classes
or change sections, if the desired section is not closed.
Neither the adviser’s signature nor the instructor’s signature
is required for schedule changes during this period. The
signatures of the department chair and the instructor will be
required only if a student seeks to enter a class that is
closed. Between the fifth and tenth days of instruction, to add
a course, the student must obtain the instructor’s signature.
After the tenth day of instruction, classes cannot be added
except in unusual cases and then only with the consent of the
instructor, department chair and dean.
Class Drops at the Discretion of an Instructor
A student enrolled in any course is expected to be
in attendance from the first day or to have notified the
instructor or the Office of Student Life that attendance is not
possible. A student registered in a section who fails to attend
the first two class sessions or provide proper notification may
be dropped from the course at the discretion of the instructor.
An instructor who wishes to drop a student from a course
should complete a drop/add form and submit it to the Records and
Registration Office during the drop/add - change-of-schedule
period. A decision by an instructor to drop a student from a
class may not be appealed to any other individual or body in the
university. A student should not assume that an instructor will
use the discretionary drop if he/she does not attend class. It
is a student’s responsibility to withdraw from a class.
Withdrawal from Classes
Any student may withdraw from a class until one week
beyond midterm of a semester or summer session. All withdrawals
from classes after the “drop/add - change-of-schedule” period
will be recorded with a “W” on the student’s permanent academic
record along with the official date of withdrawal. Half-term
courses (either semester or summer session) or short-term
courses will have withdrawal time limits established on a basis
prorated to withdrawal dates for full-term courses. The student
must obtain either his/her adviser’s or the instructor’s
signature during this time period. No student is permitted to
withdraw from a class later than one week beyond the midterm of
a semester or summer session. Only a grade of “F” or “I” may be
recorded for any student who enters this time period and fails
to complete a course. These deadlines vary for courses that do
not last the entire semester.
Withdrawal from the university is a matter of major
importance. Students considering withdrawal from school should
discuss the matter with his/her academic adviser or program
director prior to initiating action. The official date of
withdrawal from all classes will be recorded on the permanent
academic record if the student withdraws after classes begin.
Forms for withdrawing from the university may be obtained from
the Office of Student Life. The forms provide a checklist which
withdrawing students are expected to follow carefully.
Withdrawal procedures must be fully completed before a
withdrawal becomes official.
An official withdrawal
entitles a student to a refund of fees when the withdrawal date
falls within a refund period. The official date of withdrawal is
the date the withdrawal form is received in the Records and
Registration Office. A “W” (Withdrawal) will appear on the
student’s academic transcript if the withdrawal date is prior to
one week after midterm of a given semester. A grade of “WP” or
“WF” will appear if the withdrawal falls after the mid-term
point. Withdrawal from the university is not allowed after the
three-quarter point of the semester or summer term.
An unofficial withdrawal will
result in the recording of failing grades in discontinued
courses and in encumbering of student records if the following
obligations to the university have not been met: release from
graduate assistantship obligations, if appropriate; returning
books to textbook service and Murphy library; returning other
university supplies and/or equipment issued during preceding
periods of regular enrollment; clearing a record through an exit
interview in the Financial Aid Office, if necessary; and
securing a final clearance in the Cashiers Office with respect
to any refund(s) which may be due or obligations unfulfilled
regarding university fees, housing or food service arrangements
or accounts, and relinquishing the student identification card.
In addition, pursuant to federal regulations that
apply to Title IV of the Federal Higher Education Act of 1965 as
amended, students who receive student financial aid and receive
all “F1-F14” grades (recorded as F’s) will be subject to the
federal Title IV Return of Funds Policy. These students may be
required to return funds to the student financial programs and
may also be liable for repayments directly to UW-La Crosse.
Emergency medical withdrawal from
the University may be initiated by the student or an authorized
agent at any time. It must be supported by a letter from a
physician, which is first processed by the
Graduate Probation and Retention Standards
Good Standing
1.
Students admitted unconditionally who maintain at least a 3.00
cumulative GPA will be in good standing.
2.
Students admitted on probation who achieve and maintain at least a
3.00 cumulative GPA upon completion of nine
graduate credits will be in good standing.
3. Students who have been on probation and subsequently achieve and maintain
at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA will be
returned to good standing.
Probation
1. Students
admitted unconditionally who have a cumulative GPA less than
3.00 upon completion of nine graduate credits,
or anytime after, will be placed on probation. Such
students must raise their cumulative GPA to at least 3.00 within
the
next nine credits or two terms (whichever comes first)
in order to continue in graduate study.
2. Students admitted on probation must have at
least a 3.00 cumulative GPA after completing nine graduate
credits in
order to continue in graduate study.
3. Students who have been on probation and
subsequently removed from probation will be returned to
probationary status
if their cumulative GPA falls below 3.00. Such students
must raise their cumulative GPA to at least 3.00 within the next
nine credits or two terms (whichever comes first) in
order to continue in graduate study.
Dismissal
1. Students
admitted unconditionally, who subsequently were placed on
probation, will be dismissed from graduate study if
their cumulative GPA is below 3.00 after completing
nine graduate credits or two terms (whichever comes first) while
on
probation.
2. Students admitted on probation will be
dismissed from graduate study if their cumulative GPA is below
3.00 after
completing nine graduate credits.
3. Students will be dismissed from graduate
study if their semester GPA is less than 3.00 at any time while
on probation
after completing the initial nine credits.
4. Students who earn a “D” or “F” in a graduate
course will be dismissed from graduate study.
Individual programs may have more restrictive
policies. Academic action, e.g. dismissal, may be appealed to
the student’s program and Graduate Council through the Office of
University Graduate Studies, if compelling evidence is presented
to warrant exception to the policy. Students should consult with
their program director and the academic assistant to the Dean in
their college to prepare an appeal. Graduate students in
non-degree study are expected to meet and maintain the same
academic standards as students in degree programs.
Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Courses
Undergraduate students with senior status (at least
90 credits) who have at least a 3.00 cumulative grade point
average may enroll in a maximum of six graduate credits. These
graduate level credits may not be used to satisfy requirements
for a bachelor’s degree. Exceptions to these requirements must
be approved by the Graduate Council. Maximum student credit load
for dual-enrollment (undergraduate/graduate) is 15 credit hours
for a semester and eight credit hours for a summer session
(standard university overload approval process applies).
Students must submit written permission from the
course instructor and their adviser along with a graduate
special non-degree application, to the admissions office prior
to registering for a graduate course. Undergraduate tuition and
fees are charged. Students in dual-degree programs must complete
the graduate program application process and pay graduate
tuition fees. Students are expected to purchase texts for
graduate courses.
Note: Undergraduate students are not allowed to
enroll in graduate level MBA courses
General Information
Accommodation of Religious Beliefs
It is the policy of the Board of Regents that
students’ sincerely held religious beliefs shall be reasonably
accommodated with respect to all examinations and other academic
requirements. The University guidelines state that the claim of
a religious conflict should be accepted at face value, and any
student with a conflict between an academic requirement and any
religious observance must be given an alternative means of
meeting the academic requirement. The student must notify the
instructor within the first two weeks of class of the specific
days/dates for which the student will request relief. It is
understood that instructors may set reasonable limits on the
total number of days claimed by any one student. Instructors are
not obliged to schedule make-up exams before the regularly
scheduled requirements. Complaints may be filed with the Office
of Affirmative Action and Diversity, 132 Graff Main Hall.
Class Attendance
Students are responsible to their respective
instructors for all absences. If a student is absent an extended
period of time (over one week), due to illness, family
emergency, etc., the student must contact the Student Life
Office, 149 Graff Main Hall. That office will inform the
instructors involved of the absence. This serves as notification
only, not necessarily a formal excuse. It is the student’s
responsibility to contact each instructor for make-up work, etc.
University regulations prohibit excusing students and the
dismissal of classes immediately preceding or immediately
following scheduled vacation or recess periods except in cases
of commonly recognized and extreme emergencies.
Cross-listed Course
A course offered by more than one department that
has the same course description, credits, and title but a
different prefix is a cross-listed course. Students may earn
credit only once for taking a cross-listed course.
Final Examinations
A final examination will be given in
each course within a special examination period except for
one-credit courses, which will have exams scheduled at the last
regular meeting of the class. The examination periods, dates,
and times are included in each semester’s Timetable. Final exams
for online courses will be administered by the published end
date of the course. The relative importance assigned to the
final examination is determined by the instructor in charge of
each course.
Study Day
No final examination shall be given to any student
on Study Day. Study Day is a day to prepare for the final
examination period. No student activities of any sort with the
exception of optional review sessions for final examinations
shall be scheduled on Study Day. This includes make-up classes
or tests, committee meetings involving students and athletic
practices or events.
Name and Address Changes
It is the student’s responsibility to keep
appropriate offices advised of changes. Campus (local) or
permanent (legal) home addresses may be changed on WINGS.
Official name changes may be done in the Records and
Registration Office, 117 Graff Main Hall.
The Graduate Council
Duties and responsibilities of the committee shall include:
1.
Establishing, in consultation with departments and/or colleges,
academic standards pertaining to graduate study,
including policies for graduate student
admission, honors recognition, retention, probation, dismissal
and readmission.
2. Determining the procedures and
criteria for selecting members of the graduate faculty and
annually approving an
updated roster of members of the graduate
faculty.
3. Formulating procedures for
hearing graduate student appeals and petitions on academic
policy matters not resolved by
administrative offices of the university.
4. Studying long-range issues
related to any aspect of graduate studies and recommending how
and by whom these
issues should be addressed.
Membership of the committee shall consist of nine
graduate faculty. The faculty membership shall include at
least one representative from each of the College of Science and
Health, the College of Business Administration, and the College
of Liberal Studies. At least one representative from each
college shall be either a graduate program director (having no
additional administrative responsibilities) or a member of a
department participating in a graduate program. In addition, the
director of university graduate studies, the chair of the
graduate curriculum committee and two graduate students shall
serve as members. The academic deans or their designated
appointees, and the registrar shall serve as administrative
consultants to the committee. The committee shall elect its
chairperson. The associate vice chancellor for academic affairs
shall serve as convener.
The Graduate Curriculum Committee
Duties and responsibilities of the committee shall
include:
1.
Receiving, reviewing and acting on proposals for curricular changes from
the various academic departments and
graduate programs.
2.
Initiating, developing and recommending changes in the design of
curricula for experimental and research purposes.
3.
Informing department chairpersons/program directors, in writing, of
proposals being considered that relate to
experimental curricula or their programs, thus providing adequate
opportunity for departments/programs to be heard
prior to
committee and senate action on such proposals.
4.
Evaluating various curricular proposals by an established set of
criteria, taking into consideration the needs of students
and of society, the mission of the university, the necessity for
quality programs, and the ability of the department and
college
to meet the resource needs of the proposal.
5.
Coordinating the various curricula through formal consultation with the
academic departments, graduate programs, and
the Academic Program Review Committee.
6.
Publishing the agenda of regularly scheduled meetings in the university
newsletter.
Membership of the committee shall consist of nine
members of the graduate faculty and three graduate students. The
faculty membership shall include at least the following numbers
of representatives from each of the following academic units:
two from the College of Liberal Studies, four from the College
of Science and Health, and one from the College of Business
Administration. Each student member shall represent one of
these academic units. The provost/vice chancellor, registrar,
associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, director of the
library and academic deans shall serve as administrative
consultants to the committee. The committee shall elect its
chair.