Academic Policies and Start-Up Information
AUDIT POLICY
Students may audit courses with the consent of the department chair and the instructor offering the course. 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 the semester. No credit will be granted for any course that is audited. An "AS" (satisfactory) or "AU" (unsatisfactory) grading system is used for auditors. An audited course may be repeated for credit in another semester or term. Appropriate fees are to be paid for the audited course. Wisconsin residents age 60 and older may audit courses free of tuition.
CREDIT LOAD
The maximum credit load for a semester is 18 credits (15 for
graduate students). Credit loads greater than the maximum
will not be permitted unless:
1. written approval is obtained in advance
from the dean of the
school or college where you are enrolled, and
2.
at least a 3.25 GPA has been achieved, or
3.
this is the final semester before graduation.
Override forms for this purpose are available in the college
deans' offices and are required at the time of registration.
Please bring the signed form to the Office of Records
and Registration, 117 Graff Main Hall.
DISCRETIONARY DROPS BY INSTRUCTOR
Students enrolled in any course are expected to attend from the first day or to notify the instructor or the Office of Student Life, that attendance is not possible. A student 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. DROPPING A COURSE IS STILL THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT. DO NOT ASSUME THE INSTRUCTOR WILL DROP YOU FROM A CLASS YOU ARE NOT ATTENDING. Students who wish to drop a course must go through drop/add to ensure the course is removed from their schedule. An instructor who wishes to drop a student from a course should complete a drop/add form and submit it to the Office of Records and Registration during the drop/add‑change of schedule period. A decision by the instructor to drop a student from a class may not be appealed.
DROP/ADD
WINGS Student Center does not “shut off” for the semester at any particular date. You may register on-line for a course until the time a signature is required for admission into the course. Students already enrolled in a course may add courses via the WINGS Student Center system through THE FIFTH DAY OF THE SEMESTER for full semester courses, provided that course/section is open. An instructor's signature is needed to enter a class that is closed . For additions to schedules between THE SIXTH AND 10TH DAY OF THE SEMESTER an instructor's signature is needed. Drop/add forms are available at the Office of Records and Registration, 117 Graff Main Hall. Completed forms may be returned between the hours of 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. After THE TENTH DAY, additions to schedules will be made only in extreme cases and will need the approval of the instructor, department chair and dean. Students may drop courses via WINGS Student Center through THE FIFTH DAY for a full semester course. After THE FIFTH DAY students must have a drop/add form signed by the course instructor and then brought to 117 Graff Main Hall. Drop/add forms are available at the Office of Records and Registration, 117 Graff Main Hall. Completed forms may be returned between the hours of 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The last day to drop a full semester class is ONE WEEK AFTER MID SEMESTER.
GRADE REPORTS
Grade reports are not sent to each student. Students may access their grades online using their WINGS Student Center.
GRADUATING THIS SEMESTER?
You
must file the Intent to
Graduate form immediately after you register for your final
semester at UW-L.
December or Winter Intersession (formerly known as J-term) graduates should file by May 1st. May
or Summer graduates should file by December 1st.
Graduate and Undergraduate students should complete the "Apply For Graduation" found your your WINGS Student Center.
Students wishing to apply for an Associate Degree or who are in a Certificate program need to fill out a form in the Records & Registration Office, 117 Graff Main Hall.
Undergraduates are strongly
encouraged to view your an AR (Advisement Report) after you have registered
for your final term so you can verify that you have
registered for all of the courses you need to graduate. AR
reports will be available on your Student Center page. If you have any
questions about your degree completion you should contact
the Assistant to the Dean of your College.
PLEASE NOTE:
All undergraduate students with 95 credits and graduate students with 20 credits are automatically billed the one-time graduation fee of $15.00. This fee covers the cost of graduation and commencement, and is assessed whether or not a student chooses to attend the ceremony. An additional cap and gown fee is paid at the bookstore when caps and gowns are picked up the week before the ceremony.
ID CARDS
The Tower OneCard is the official UW-La Crosse form of identification (ID). New students can obtain a new Tower OneCard ID through the Tower OneCard Office, 223 Cartwright. Students’ ID pictures are taken, and official ID cards are mailed to the student's permanent mailing address, unless another address is provided. A temporary ID is provided for use until the student receives the official card. The card allows access to residence halls, meal plan and tower tender accounts, and financial aid refunds, as well as for textbook services, bookstore purchases, vending machines, and copy machines. The Tower OneCard ID can also be used as a debit card, with additional banking functions available, if the student chooses to open a HigherOne bank account. Report lost ID’s to the Tower OneCard Office, 223 Cartwright. A $20 replacement fee will be charged for all lost ID's.
EXCESS CREDIT POLICY
Starting in the fall of 2004, Wisconsin resident
undergraduate students who have earned 165 credits (or 30
credits more than required for their degree programs,
whichever is greater) will be charged a surcharge, equal to
100 percent of the regular resident tuition, on credits
beyond that level.
This policy, created by the
Board of Regents, views a college degree from the
perspective of a taxpayer. There are many legitimate reasons
why students might accumulate “excessive” credits. This new
policy will not prevent students from pursuing their goals,
but it will be at a cost that is less subsidized by
Wisconsin taxpayers. This is not a policy that UW-L can
decide whether or not to implement. This is a mandate.
The policy covers all Wisconsin resident undergraduate
students pursuing their first bachelors degree, including
students pursuing a double major.
Minnesota residents and non-residents, graduate,
post-baccalaureate, and non-degree students are not
affected.
The policy applies to all credits earned at UW System
campuses and WTCS (Wisconsin Technical College System)
transfer credits accepted toward a degree. Retroactive, AP,
military, and other college transfer credits do not count
toward the total.
The surcharge will be applied to students in the
semester following the one in which they reach the earned
credit limit. The limit is 165 credits or 30 credits more
than required for a degree program, whichever is greater.
The policy becomes effective
in the fall 2004 and it applies to all Wisconsin resident
students enrolled who meet the above criteria. It is not
phased in.
The surcharge will add 100 percent to the Wisconsin resident
tuition routinely charged, and it will be charged for all
credits over the credit limit.
Each semester the assistants to the
deans will notify students who have reached a predetermined
number of earned credits, that they are accumulating credits
at a rate that might result in them being charged the
surcharge. Students will have the opportunity to discuss the
issue with the assistants to the deans. Each semester,
Winter Intersession and summer session, students
who have earned 165 credits or 30 credits more than required
for their programs will be billed the surcharge.
In reality, the additional tuition will be charged to very few
students.
Each student has the right to appeal the surcharge to
the assistant controller, once it has been levied.
ID NUMBERS
State law prohibits universities from using Social Security numbers as ID numbers. All students are assigned a nine-digit number. It is very important to remember this number because it will be used for all features of WINGS All students who were assigned an ID number were notified in writing as part of the admission/acceptance communication. This is a confidential number, which means it cannot be given out via phone or e-mail if a student forgets his/her number.
INCOMPLETES
DO NOT REGISTER FOR A CLASS TO REMOVE AN INCOMPLETE GRADE. Contact your instructor or the department chair to determine how to remove the incomplete.
LIBRARY CARDS
In order to check materials out of the library, a student must have an ID card. Students must present their ID card at the circulation desk. Validation has been automated with fee payment.
OVERRIDES
The WINGS system will not allow you to register for courses that are full or require special permission from the instructor, department chair, and/or dean. Permission is obtained on override forms that are available in department offices. All override forms must be brought to the Office of Records and Registration, 117E Graff Main Hall.
PARKING PERMITS
The Campus Parking Utility now provides most services on-line. Resident hall and commuter students who wish to obtain parking (if available), pay a citation, or learn about parking services should go to the parking web site. Most questions regarding process can be answered on-line. For personal service customers can call 608-785-8061 M-F 8:00am until 4:30pm.
REPEATING COURSES
Undergraduate students may retake a course for which they have earned a grade of "D" or "F". Courses for which a grade of "C" or better have been recorded may not be repeated. Students may not go to another university to repeat a course in which a grade has been earned at UW-L. If you are currently enrolled in a course, but have not completed it, the WINGS Student Center will allow re‑enrollment in the course, but will indicate a warning to the student. If you pass the current semester course with a grade of "C" or better, you are responsible for dropping the course from your schedule. Do not register for a course in which you have an "incomplete" grade. Graduate courses may not be repeated.
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
Student Support Services is a federally funded program that provides academic assistance to 375 qualified students per year. Services available include individualized academic advising, tutoring in mathematics and language arts, and course instruction in pre-statistics. To be eligible for services, students must meet one or more of the following criteria: first generation college student (neither parent or legal guardian graduated from a four-year college); receive a substantial amount of financial aid; have a diagnosed physical and/or learning disability. For more information, call 785-8535 or stop in 109 Wilder Hall.
TEXTBOOK DISTRIBUTION
Textbooks are issued in the Textbook Rental Service located in the basement of Cartwright Center-Gunning Addition. Students must have an ID to pick up their textbooks. See Textbook Rentals for more information policies and on dates and times to pick up books.
TRANSCRIPT SERVICE
To receive an official copy of a transcript, a request must be made in person, on-line or in writing. The fee for a transcript is $8.00. Second party requests will not be accepted.
To request a transcript in person, students must present a photo ID and make payment by cash or check.
Transcripts can be ordered via the Internet 24/7
through the National Student Clearinghouse. You can place as
many orders as you like in one session using any major
credit card. Your card will only be charged after your order
has been completed. Order updates will be emailed to you.
You can also track your order online using your email
address and order number. Your signed consent will be
required to fulfill your transcript order. For your
convenience, a consent form will be generated for your order
that you can return to the Clearinghouse via fax, mail
or as a scanned email attachment.
Orders placed after 9:30am Central Time will be processed
the following business day by the University Registrar's
Office. To place your order on line, please follow this
link:
Clearinghouse secure site.
To request a transcript in writing, you may use the transcript request form on the Records and Registration web site. You may also send a note including your name (and any previous names used while attending UW-L), Social Security or student ID number, last date of attendance at UW-L, the name and address of where the transcript is to be sent, and the $8.00 per transcript fee.
Please note: a transcript issued in person or sent to the requesting person’s home will be stamped “issued to student.” A transcript will not be sent for any person with outstanding balances due to the university. Transcripts cannot be faxed, nor can faxed requests be accepted. The $8.00 fee may be paid in cash (do not send cash through the mail) or check (payable to UW-La Crosse). Only transcripts ordered on-line can be paid by credit or debit cards. UW-L's Transcript Office does not accept credit cards and cannot put transcript fees on student accounts (bills or Tower Tender).
WITHDRAWAL FROM CLASS
Students may add and/or drop courses any time after their registration date until the end of the "drop/add ‑ change of schedule period." The first five days in any semester (three days of instruction during summer session) are considered to be the "drop/add ‑ change of schedule" period. During this time, you may drop classes without affecting your permanent academic record. Between the fifth and tenth days of instruction, you must obtain the signature of the instructor to drop/add a course.
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 or short-term courses will have withdrawal time limits established on a basis prorated to withdrawal dates for full‑term courses. You must obtain either your adviser's or instructor's signature during this time period.
NO STUDENT IS PERMITTED TO WITHDRAW FROM A CLASS LATER THAN ONE WEEK BEYOND MID-TERM OF A SEMESTER OR A 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. Exceptions
- see Withdrawal from the University.
A student who withdraws from all of his/her classes is
considered to have withdrawn from the university
(see Withdrawal from the University).
WITHDRAWAL FROM THE UNIVERSITY
Any registered student choosing to withdraw from school prior to the first day of classes may do so on the WINGS Student Center.
A student may also withdraw prior to the first day of class in person at the Records and Registration Office, 117 Graff Main Hall. This means a forfeit of the $100 deposit made before registration. Students withdrawing from the university after classes have begun should obtain forms from the Office of Student Life, 149 Graff Main Hall. During the first week of classes, a withdrawal from the University will be indicated by placing the word "withdrawn" and the date on the permanent academic record. After the first week and up to midterm a "W" and the date of withdrawal will be indicated for all courses. The instructor's signature and a grade will be required after the first half of the course. A "WP" will be recorded if a passing grade ("D" or better) has been earned at the time of withdrawal. A "WF" will be recorded if a failing grade has been earned at the time of withdrawal. A GRADE OF "WF" WILL COUNT AS CREDITS ATTEMPTED IN THE GRADE POINT AVERAGE. Withdrawal from the university is not permitted after the 3/4 point in the semester. THOSE LEAVING AND NOT COMPLETING THE OFFICIAL WITHDRAWAL PROCESS WILL RECEIVE FAILING GRADES.
Students who have been called to active duty in the military should consult with the Office of Student Life Room 149 Graff Main Hall about the options and procedures available. Click here for more information.