The Fine Print

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES   

Students with diagnosed physical or learning disabilities are urged to visit the staff in the Disabilities Resource Center, 165 Murphy Library.  You may be eligible for services such as: taped textbooks, tutors, classroom note takers, elevator keys, equipment loan, test accommodations, peer support groups and advising. Each student is expected to make timely requests (at least 8 weeks in advance of a course, workshop, program or other activity for which an accommodation is requested). Students are also expected to engage in responsible levels of self-help in obtaining and arranging for accommodations or auxiliary aids. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY 

The University of Wisconsin‑La Crosse is committed to providing equal educational and employment opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, national origin, disability, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status and parental status. Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. Title VI of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of physical or mental handicap. Equal educational opportunity includes admission, recruitment, extracurricular programs and activities, housing facilities, access to course offerings, counseling and testing, financial assistance, employment, health and insurance services, and athletics. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that is unlawful and contrary to the fundamental standards of a university community.  Any questions or complaints should be directed to the Affirmative Action and Diversity Office, 235 Graff Main Hall. 

FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT 

Annually, the University of Wisconsin‑La Crosse informs Students of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (FERPA).  This Act, with which this university intends to comply fully, was designed to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their education records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. Students also have the right to file complaints with the FERPA Office concerning alleged failures by the university to comply with the Act. Local policy follows the National guidelines for compliance with the provisions of the Act.  See the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act in the current university catalog, if you are concerned about non-disclosure of directory information. You must notify Records and Registration by the 10th day of classes, if you do not want directory information disclosed. More information can be found at www.uwlax.edu/records/. 

RESIDENCY REGULATIONS 

If you have been a bona fide resident of Wisconsin for one full year prior to the beginning of the term of your enrollment you may qualify for resident fee status.  Also, if you have been continuously employed full‑time by a business located in this state, and you were relocated to Wisconsin for business purposes and accepted your current employment before applying for admission to UW‑La Crosse, you, your spouse and your dependents may be exempt from the payment of nonresident fees provided the member of your family making application demonstrates an intent to establish and maintain a permanent home in Wisconsin.  

Intent to become a bona fide resident may be demonstrated or disproved by factors including, but not limited to: filing of Wisconsin income tax returns, eligibility to vote in Wisconsin, motor vehicle registration in Wisconsin, possession of a Wisconsin operator's license, employment in the state and self‑support.  A person who enters and remains in the state principally to obtain an education is considered to reside outside the state for tuition purposes. 

If you think you may qualify for resident status, complete a non‑resident tuition appeals form, available in the Records and Registration Office, 117 Graff Main Hall. Minnesota residents must be approved for reciprocity in order to pay Minnesota fees. It is the student's responsibility to ensure approval has been granted.

SAFETY AND HEALTH POLICY 

The University of Wisconsin System will provide and maintain adequate facilities for a safe and healthy learning environment.  It is the University's responsibility to work with faculty and staff so that they are equipped to educate their students on practices and procedures that ensure safety for all members of the university.  Employees with instructional responsibilities are expected to comply with state and federal safety laws and regulations in their institutional areas. Certain courses and research projects require that the student work with hazardous materials while engaging in academic studies. Instructors of these courses and research projects shall inform and train students on procedures that will maintain the students' personal health and safety and provide them with information on the hazards of specific chemicals that will be used during their course of study. Furthermore, instructors will enforce and follow safety policies.  Prior to use of hazardous materials and equipment, the student shall review the procedures and information, and discuss any associated concerns with the instructor. 

UW SYSTEM UNDERGRADUATE TRANSFER POLICY 

ACIS 6.0 Revised: This UW System policy was last revised in June of 1998 to insure that courses defined as “breadth” courses taken at one institution will transfer to the receiving institution as fulfilling the same General Education requirement. Breadth courses at UW-L include international and multicultural studies, science, self and society, humanistic studies and fine arts courses. This policy also guarantees that courses designated as “ethnic studies” at one institution will meet the same requirement at the receiving institution. A student may have to request that the receiving institution maintain the course designation determined by the sending institution to insure that these courses are transferring appropriately. 

ACIS 6.0 requires that each institution shall develop an appeal process that allows students to appeal credit evaluation decisions. If a student disagrees with a decision made in transferring a particular course, the student should contact the office that provided that evaluation to initiate an appeal. In most cases this will be the admission office, but some campuses may have designated another office to handle incoming transfer students. 

TRANSFER INFORMATION SYSTEM (TIS)

The Transfer Information System is an on-line resource that provides information regarding transfer. The site allows students to enter course information for one institution and review equivalent courses and course designations at receiving institutions. The site also provides information on admission requirements and majors offered at other institutions. Not all courses are listed on TIS. The site concentrates on freshmen and sophomore level courses, with fewer upper division courses listed. The site will prompt the student to contact the receiving institution regarding courses for which there is no equivalent listed. 

If you are currently enrolled at UW-L, and have a need to take course work elsewhere either in a summer session or during an academic year, you must secure approval in advance of enrollment at other institutions for course work to be taken for transfer to this university. See your academic adviser in the dean's office of the school/college in which you are enrolled and fill out an "Off-Campus Permit” form, which is used to secure approval to transfer credits from other institutions.

INCLEMENT WEATHER PLAN 

UW-L’s inclement weather plan is invoked in the most serious times when conditions make travel to and from campus dangerously imprudent or other events cause serious safety concerns.   

When inclement weather (dangerous temperatures, snow, ice, wind or rain) or other events (electrical failure, chemical spill, etc) strike, Protective Services will confer with the Chancellor or designee prior to 5:45am for day classes and 1:45 p.m. for evening classes and events to determine if classes and events are cancelled. Based on changing conditions, the plan can be implemented at any time. 

A determination of closure means all university classes and events are cancelled. It is state policy to keep state offices open even when severe weather exists. 

Protective Services notifies University Relations, which, in turn, will notify news media and update the events line         (608) 785-8900. 

When the governor closes state government offices, this DOES NOT mean the UW System or UW-L.