Faculty Senate Approved Undergraduate Academic Policies

Policy

The UW-W Faculty Senate supports an individual’s right to insist on being called by the name and referred to by the pronouns that they choose, and the UW-W Faculty Senate is committed to supporting the ongoing work and learning that is necessary to fully support all individuals in their pursuit of authentic gender identities.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on 2020-09-08

Approved by the Chancellor on 2020-10-20

Procedure

For the procedure related to this policy, please see the Registrar's Office.

Policy

At the discretion of the relevant department(s), courses completed at two year institutions may be designated as direct equivalencies of UW-Whitewater courses regardless of the level of the course.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on 2022-12-13

Approved by the Chancellor on 2022-12-20

Procedure

For the procedure related to this policy, please see the Admission's Office.

Policy

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater requires a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average (4.0 system) to transfer; however, admission requirements may be higher for students planning to enroll in particular academic programs and during periods of enrollment limitation.

Re-approved by the Faculty Senate on 2022-11-08

Re-approved by the Chancellor on 2022-11-15

Procedure

For the procedure related to this policy, please see the Admission's Office.

Policy

Based on the criteria below, a student may apply for academic forgiveness. Once implemented, the student’s permanent academic record (transcript and Academic Advising Report) will be marked with an "Academic Forgiveness" notation, and the grade point average calculation will be restarted based only on the units taken after the three year absence. 

Eligibility:

• Students must be admitted to an undergraduate degree-granting program at UW-Whitewater after having been absent from formal higher education for a minimum of three consecutive academic years.
• Students must have a pre-absence GPA below 2.5. (Students with a previous GPA above 2.5 should speak with an advisor about utilizing other policies to address academic difficulties, for example, the late withdrawal policy.)

Limitations:

• Students can only receive approval for academic forgiveness twice; however, students who have been denied in the past can re-apply for later terms.
• After academic forgiveness is implemented, students returning to UW-W must earn at least 12 units before graduating. Students entering UW-W for the first time must meet the academic residency requirement.
• Academic forgiveness cannot be applied to courses used within an awarded degree. For example, courses utilized in an earned associates degree cannot be forgiven, and those courses will continue to count in the GPA toward a bachelor’s degree.
• If a student receives academic forgiveness but an accreditation or licensure requires a minimum grade/standard in a specific course or content area, the student will still need to meet that minimum. (For example, if licensure requires a C or above in COMM 110 but the student earned a D in that course, the D would not count in the GPA but the student would still need to retake the course.)
• The academic forgiveness policy is independent of financial aid regulations. The original coursework and associated grades will continue to be used by the Financial Aid Office when evaluating financial aid eligibility under Satisfactory Academic Progress. Before applying for academic forgiveness, students should consult with the Financial Aid Office if they have been and/or will be a financial aid applicant.

This shall be the only UW-Whitewater undergraduate academic forgiveness policy.

Students who apply for academic forgiveness are not guaranteed to receive it. Academic forgiveness applications follow the deadlines for Academic Appeals for Reinstatement, found on the Academic Standards webpage. The application process, the evaluation of applications, and approvals/denials are managed by the Admissions & Academic Standards Committee. This committee’s decisions are final, and there is no appeals process.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on 2023-01-24

Approved by the Chancellor on 2023-02-21

Procedure

For the procedure related to this policy, please see the Office of Academic Standards.

Policy

The chairperson of the major or minor department may waive a required course within the major/minor if mastery of the course content can be demonstrated; however, other coursework must be completed to meet the minimum unit requirement for the major/minor.

A required course from a department other than the major or minor can be waived or substituted by (1) the dean of the college of the degree, if the course is in the college or degree requirements; (2) the Assistant Dean for Letters and Sciences, if the requirement is in General Education or U.S. Racial/Ethnic Diversity; or (3) the department chair of the course, if the requirement is in the Communication and Calculation Skills area. In selected cases, departments may waive a course in their own department based upon high school background or departmental exam.

Students may not take for credit any course for which they have received a waiver, nor may they take for credit any course in the same department that is a prerequisite for a course that has been waived (e.g., if a student has been waived from MATH 143, he may not take MATH 141 for credit).

Waiver of any course does not reduce the total number of units required for graduation.

Re-approved by the Faculty Senate on 2022-10-25

Re-approved by the Chancellor on 2022-11-04

Procedure

For the procedure related to this policy, please see the Registrar's Office.

Policy (beginning fall 2022):

Good Standing: Students with a UWW term and cumulative GPA of 2.00 or above.  Some colleges and/or programs may require a combined UW – Whitewater GPA above a 2.00 in order to remain in good standing in the program.

Academic Warning: Students with a term GPA below 2.00 will be placed on Academic Warning.  Students will be limited to 15 credits in the following semester.  Students would be removed from warning if they receive a 2.00 term GPA in the subsequent semester.  However, if their UW – Whitewater cumulative GPA falls below a 2.00, the student moves to Academic Probation.

Academic Probation: Students who have a UW - Whitewater cumulative GPA below 2.00 will be placed on Academic Probation and limited to enroll in 15 credits in the following term. Students who attain a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better are removed from Academic Probation.  Student remain on Academic Probation if they maintain a term GPA of 2.00 or higher even if the UW – Whitewater GPA is below a 2.00.  Students can be on Academic Probation for multiple semesters.

Academic Dismissal: Students who are on Academic Probation and have a subsequent term GPA below 2.0 will be placed on Academic Dismissal.  Students who are academically dismissed are denied all the privileges of the institution and of all organizations in any way connected to it, including any university-recognized living group. 

Approved by the Faculty Senate on 2021-05-04

Approved by the Chancellor on 2021-06-07

Procedure

Please see the Office of Academic Standards

Policy

A student’s academic level is determined by the cumulative number of units satisfactorily completed, as follows:

Re-approved by the Faculty Senate on 2022-11-08

Re-approved by the Chancellor on 2022-11-15

Re-approved by the Faculty Senate on 2022-10-25

Re-approved by the Chancellor on 2022-11-04

Summer:

The unit restriction standard is the maximum of one unit per week for each of the three and six week sessions, with the exception that a student may enroll simultaneously in one three and in one six week course. During the summer term, students are limited to a total of 12 units. Requests for overloads made by undergraduates require approval of the dean of the student's major.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on 1994-12-13

Re-Confirmed by the Chancellor on 2022-10-18

Policy

The last day for students to add a full semester course is the sixth day of classes. The last day for students to add a short course (first half or second half semester, winterim, or summer course) is the second class period.

The last day for students to drop a full semester class without a grade implication is the 10th day of classes. The last day for students to drop a short course (first half or second half semester, winterim, or summer course) without a grade implication is Friday of the week in which 33% of the class is completed.

The last day for students to drop a full semester class with a "W" grade will be the Friday of the 8th week of classes. The last day for students to drop a short course (first half or second half semester, winterim, or summer course) with a "W" is the fifth day of classes.

Revised by the Faculty Senate on 2018-02-13

Approved by the Chancellor on 2018-04-30

Procedure

For the procedure related to this policy, please see the Registrar's Office.

Policy

A student who has encountered difficulties during a semester may submit a registration change request after the add/drop deadline.

For a late add, the approval of the course instructor, the chair of the department of the course, and the dean of the college of the course is required. 

For a late drop, the recommendation of the instructor, the recommendation of the chair of the department of the course, and the approval of the dean of the college of the student's major is required.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on 2023-02-14

Approved by the Chancellor on 2023-02-21

Procedure

For the procedure related to this policy, please see the relevant forms from the Registrar's Office.

Policy

Students with extenuating circumstances that warrant special consideration may request an exception to some academic, curricular, grade/transcript, graduation, or registration policies.

A desire to avoid negative academic or financial consequences resulting from circumstances within the student’s control are not usually considered an extenuating circumstance.

It is the student's responsibility to obtain all necessary supporting information and documentation from instructors, physicians, counselors, etc. to present to the appropriate office authorized to make a decision about the relevant matter.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on 2023-02-14

Approved by the Chancellor on 2023-02-21

Procedure

For the procedure related to this policy, please see the relevant appeal form from the Registrar's Office.

Policy

Starting in Fall 2014, the standard class schedule should provide a 10 minute break between 50 minute classes.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on 2013-05-07

Re-approved by the Chancellor on 2022-12-15

Procedure

Please see the schedule of classes by term here.

Policy

Graduate students who enroll in undergraduate level courses and undergraduate students who enroll in graduate level courses will be registered for such courses with a grade basis of "Course Non-Career".

Grades earned in this way will be part of the student's official academic record, but the student will not earn course credit toward the undergraduate or graduate level program in which they are currently enrolled.

Grades for these courses will not be computed into the student's term or cumulative grade point average. 

Re-approved by the Faculty Senate on 2022-11-08

Re-approved by the Chancellor on 2022-11-15

Procedure

For the procedure related to this policy, please see the Registrar's Office.

Policy

If an undergraduate student has been doing satisfactory work until near the end of a term but is unable to complete the remaining work for the course before the term ends for reasons beyond the student’s control, the instructor may assign the student an incomplete “I” grade. 

Since an “I” grade results in a previous term’s workload following the student into the next term, students and instructors should utilize the “I” grade only in rare circumstances, and the instructor reserves the right to decline a request for an “I” grade.

Assigning an “I” Grade

• When an instructor elects to utilize the “I” grade, they must enter into WINS the “I” grade and a terminal reversion grade. The reversion grade should reflect the grade earned by the student if no other work is submitted. Instructors should communicate with the student about what reversion grade they have entered. The instructor may also elect to enter a reason for the “I”, but this is optional.
• Once the “I” grade is entered in WINS, the instructor and student should work together to identify the list of remaining required class activities and the date by which materials are due to be submitted. The materials submission deadline is at the discretion of the instructor; however, the maximum deadline for completing the “I” grade in WINS is the Tuesday of the 14th week of the next full term.

Completing an “I” Grade

• The instructor may enter the terminal grade at any point between the agreed upon materials submission deadline and the Tuesday of the 14th week of the next full term. If a terminal grade has not been manually entered by the instructor before the Tuesday of the 14th week of the next full term, the “I” grade will revert to the entered reversion grade. 
• If a grade needs to be changed after this reversion, that would follow the grade change policy.
• In the event that the instructor who assigned the “I” grade leaves UW-W or is otherwise unavailable, the Department Chair will be responsible for completing the “I” grade process.

Graduation Status with an “I” Grade

If a student has an incomplete in the term in which they wish to graduate, they will need to complete the work before their degree can be awarded. Therefore:

• In alignment with the 30 day extension for graduate policy, on the 29th day after the end of their last term, the “I” grade will revert to the indicated reversion grade. If the reversion grade then prevents the student from graduating, they will be contacted.
• Completing an incomplete after the 30th day after the end of the last term will result in the student being awarded their degree at the next official graduation date. 

A terminal grade is one of the following: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F, NC, or S.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on 2023-02-14

Approved by the Chancellor on 2023-02-21

Procedure

The procedure for this policy is described above, utilizing WINS.

Policy

Instructors can submit a grade change at any time between a grade being submitted and when the student’s degree posts to their record. The timeline and approval requirements for grade changes is as follows:

• Before grades are processed by the Registrar’s Office for that term: instructor can change grade independently
  
• From when grades are processed by the Registrar’s Office for that term until the end of the fifth week of the next term: requires approval by the department chair
  
• From beginning of sixth week of the next term until one year after the end of the term: requires approval by department chair and dean
• From one year after the end of the term until the degree is posted to the student’s academic record: requires the student to submit a “Record Changes After One Year Appeal"
  
• After the degree is posted to the student’s record: prohibited
  

Limitations

• In the case that an "I" has reverted to an "F" due to passing the deadline, the grade cannot be changed back to an "I" grade. The “F” can be changed to another terminal grade.
• If a terminal grade is recorded at grade processing time, it cannot be changed to an "I" or “W” grade. A terminal grade is one of the following: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F, NC, or S.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on 2023-02-14

Approved by the Chancellor on 2023-02-21

Procedure

For the procedure related to this policy, please see the Registrar's Office.

Policy

Second Attempt At A Course: A course in which a grade of C- or below (C-, D+, D, D- , F, or NC) was originally earned may be repeated once for grade and earned credit replacement. The grade and credits earned for the repeated course (even if it is an F) will replace those earned in the initial attempt when calculating grade point average and credits toward degree. Students may not repeat for credit or grade replacement any course in which they earned a grade of C or higher, or S (see "Repeat for No Credit" explanation below).

The following conditions apply to repeats for grade and earned credit replacement:

• 1. Unless the repeat courses are offered as S/NC only, all repeats must be taken for conventional grades, not satisfactory/no credit. If a student is repeating a course in which a grade of NC was earned, the repeat must be on a conventional grade basis.
• 2. Courses taken initially at UW-Whitewater may be repeated only at UW-Whitewater; they may not be taken at another institution to replace the UW-Whitewater grade and credit.
• 3. Students may repeat a C- grade or below that was earned at a transfer institution if the course has a direct UW-Whitewater equivalent and the course was attempted only once prior to transfer to UW-Whitewater. Students who repeat a transfer course will receive UW-Whitewater course credits regardless of the number of credits the course carried at the transfer institution; for example, a student repeating a 4-credit transfer course with a 3-credit UW-Whitewater course will receive only the 3 UW-Whitewater credits. All other repeat regulations apply.
• 4. A student may not repeat a course if the student has received credit for a higher level course in the same department for which the course to be repeated is a prerequisite or corequisite; for example, a student who has received credit for English 102 may not repeat English 101.
• 5. In courses in which there has been a change in the number of credits awarded, a repeat for grade replacement will replace the credits and grade from the first attempt with the credits and grade from the repeat. For example, in a course that had been changed from 5 credits to 4 credits, a 5-credit D would be replaced by a 4-credit B.
• 6. If a student officially drops or withdraws from a repeat course, the original enrollment attempt’s grade and earned credits will be reinstated or remain in the student’s term and cumulative calculations.

All attempts of repeated courses, including the grades, remain on academic records and transcripts even though they may not be included in the GPA calculation or earned credits. 

After earning a degree at UW-Whitewater, beginning a second degree restarts the attempted/earned credits and cumulative GPA. Courses taken as part of the first degree and taken again as part of the second degree will not be considered repeats.

Third Attempt At A Course: Students who wish to register for a third (or more) attempt of a course must submit an appeal and gain approval before enrolling in that course. All attempts of a course, including the grades, appear on the student’s official academic record and transcript. The following examples may help to explain how third attempt grade and credits are factored into the official academic record and transcript GPA and earned credit totals:

Example 1: A student enrolls in a third attempt of a course in which a grade of D was earned in the first attempt. The student receives a grade of C- in the second attempt and a B in the third attempt. Only the C- and the credits earned in the second attempt will be included in the GPA and earned credits. After a student earns a passing grade (i.e., a grade of D- or higher) in a repeat attempt, all subsequent attempts will not count for grade replacement or earned credit. Such noncredit attempts will be identified on the academic transcript as “No Credit”.

Example 2: A student enrolls in a third attempt of a course in which a grade of D was earned in the first attempt. The student receives a grade of F in the second attempt and a C in the third attempt. The second attempt’s F grade and the third attempt’s C grade will both be calculated into the GPA and the student will receive earned credit only for the third attempt (the first attempt’s grade and credits are replaced). Unsuccessful repeat attempts (i.e., those with grades of F) are included in the GPA as long as they are prior to the student’s first successful (i.e., grade of D- or higher) repeat of the course.

Example 3: A student enrolls in a third attempt of a course in which a grade of D was earned in the first attempt. The student receives a grade of F in the second attempt and an F in the third attempt. The second attempt’s F grade and the third attempt’s

Repeat for No Credit: Under certain circumstances, students may need to repeat courses in which a C grade or above was earned. For example, a student may need to repeat a course if a grade of B is required for the student to proceed to a higher level course or to remain in a major. In such cases, repeat grades will be considered only as qualifying students to continue, and the repeats will not be counted for grade replacement or earned credit. All enrollment attempts will be recorded on academic records and transcripts, with the non-credit attempts identified as No Credit.

Revised by the Faculty Senate on 2009-01-23

Approved by the Chancellor on 2009-01-20

Procedure

For the procedure related to third or more repeats, please see the Registrar's Office.

Policy

Undergraduate students having earned a 3.400 or above term grade point average in a spring or fall semester, with no grade below C (e.g., C-, D+, D, D-, F, I, NN, or NC), will be granted Term Honors for that term. To be considered for Term Honors, students must have successfully completed a minimum of 12 unit hours of work for the term, and at least 9 of those must have been taken on a regular/conventional letter grade basis.

Re-approved by the Faculty Senate on 2022-10-25

Re-approved by the Chancellor on 2022-11-04

Policy

Effective Fall 2007, students at UW Whitewater may pursue two undergraduate degrees concurrently - provided that the degree programs reside in two different colleges (e.g., BA - Letters and Sciences and a BBA - Business and Economics). Students must complete all requirements for both programs, including degree, major and unique requirements; the major from either degree may be used in place of any minor required in the other degree (e.g., the business major from the BBA degree may replace the minor requirement in the BA - Letters and Sciences degree). If all the requirements are completed concurrently, both degrees will be conferred for the same term. Students who wish to pursue programs leading to two degrees to be conferred in the same term should declare their intent with the Graduation Examiner in the Registrar's Office no later than the term in which they will have earned 90 credits.

• The writing requirement fulfilled for one college is also fulfilled for the other - two not required.
• Degree requirements may share, meaning one course can fulfill degree requirements from two colleges.

If you are going to be completing a dual degree, please fill out and submit the form for the college of your secondary major.

Re-approved by the Faculty Senate on 2022-10-25

Re-approved by the Chancellor on 2022-11-04

Procedure

Students should work with their advisor when considering a dual degree. If a dual degree is determined to be the best route for the student, the advisor can request appropriate forms from the Registrar's Office.

Policy

Students who have received their first degree at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater may earn a second degree provided that it is not the same as the first degree (e.g., a student whose first degree is a Letters & Sciences BA could not receive a second Letters & Sciences BA degree but would be eligible for a Letters & Sciences BS or Arts & Communication BA). The first degree will be considered to have satisfied all Communication and Calculation Skills, University (General Education), U.S, Racial/Ethnic Diversity, and minor (if any) requirements. Students must complete all other degree and major requirements; credits used to satisfy major requirements in the first degree may not be used to satisfy major requirements in the second degree (credits used in a minor or minors may be applied to the new major). Students must complete a minimum of 30 credits at UW-Whitewater after the date of conferral of the first degree, and a minimum of 25% of the major course credits must be completed at UW-Whitewater.

Students who have received their first degree at another institution may earn a second degree at UW-Whitewater following these same regulations, except that the second degree may be the same as their first degree (e.g., a student who has received a Letters & Sciences BS degree at another institution may earn a second Letters & Sciences BS degree at UW-Whitewater).

Re-approved by the Faculty Senate on 2022-10-25

Re-approved by the Chancellor on 2022-11-04

Procedure

For the procedure related to this policy, please see the Admissions Office's definitions of student types.

Policy

UW-Whitewater undergraduate students with senior status may be allowed to complete up to 9 graduate units at UW-Whitewater, provided they have completed at least 90 units with at least a 2.75 overall grade point average (or 2.90 over the last half of their course work), have the written recommendation of the department chairperson of their undergraduate major, and have a graduate application on file in the Graduate Studies Office. Students may download this form at School of Graduate Studies.

Eligibility for this privilege must be established with the Graduate Studies Office and is not available to seniors at other institutions or to students who already possess a bachelor’s degree. Seniors may not use graduate-level units to satisfy requirements for the bachelor’s degree, and undergraduate fees will be charged for their graduate-level work.

Re-approved by the Faculty Senate on 2022-10-25

Re-approved by the Chancellor on 2022-11-04

Procedure

For the procedure related to this policy, please see the School of Graduate Studies.

Policy

If students have not completed their degree requirements within eight years, they may be required by the dean of the college in which they are enrolled to satisfy newer requirements as deemed appropriate. Under special conditions, substitutions are allowed that are in their best interest and considered educationally sound by the dean.

Re-approved by the Faculty Senate on 2022-11-08

Re-approved by the Chancellor on 2022-11-15

Policy

Candidates for baccalaureate degrees are graduated with honors if they have earned at least 48 credits in UW Whitewater courses and meet the cumulative UW Whitewater grade-point average as specified in the chart below. No credits earned through bypassed courses, credit by examination, or experiential learning may be counted among these 48 credits.

Students may earn graduation honors in a second degree if one of the following two requirements is satisfied:

• Completing a minimum of 48 units at UW-Whitewater with a UW-Whitewater cumulative grade point average that meets the requirements as defined for graduation honors above; or
• Earning a second degree by completing less than 48 units at UW-Whitewater, but having earned the first degree at UW-Whitewater. Students may qualify for graduation honors if both the grade point average of the second degree itself and the grade point average of the first and second UW-Whitewater degrees combined meet the graduation honors requirement.

Candidates for associate degrees are graduated with Associate Degree Honors if they have earned at least 24 credits in UW Whitewater courses and meet the cumulative UW Whitewater grade-point average of 3.4 or higher. No credits earned through bypassed courses, credit by examination, or experiential learning may be counted among the 24 credits.

Note: Final Graduation with honors is determined at the point in time when the degree is posted to the student's academic record based upon the student's grade point average at that time. The commencement ceremony uses the cumulative UW Whitewater GPA earned the previous semester and looks for minimum UW Whitewater credit limit.

Re-approved by the Faculty Senate on 2022-10-25

Re-approved by the Chancellor on 2022-11-04

Policy

In order to facilitate the process of awarding honorary degrees, the decision makers will be the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, the Chancellor, and the President of the UW-System.

Approved by the Faculty Senate on 1995-2-14

Re-Confirmed by the Chancellor on 2022-10-18