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Faculty and Academic Staff Handbook19th Edition, 2008Chapter VIII - Academic Standards, Procedures and Policies8.2 Academic StandardsOnly courses listed in the official schedule of classes can be offered for credit and only for the number of credits listed. Working with individual faculty members, department chairs propose classes for the coming year, usually during the previous fall. These proposals are reviewed and approved by the academic Deans. Time and room assignments are coordinated by the Registrar's Office. A schedule for the full year is posted online each spring semester, prior to the preregistration period for the following fall semester. It is arranged by the academic Deans on the basis of available faculty and available classrooms. Any changes in courses, hours, or days must be approved by the Dean of the College in order to avoid unnecessary hardship to students. Courses that are required, but that are uneconomical, will be scheduled in alternate years. For maximum use of space and maximum service to a variety of students, class scheduling needs to be offered through the entire day and occasionally evenings and Saturday mornings. One semester credit consists of approximately 750 minutes of class time plus appropriate work outside of class, not including final exams. A syllabus for each course must be filed in the office of the Dean of the College in a form prescribed by the College and University Curriculum Committees. It is recommended that all faculty and instructional staff complete a syllabus for each class, where appropriate, to be handed out to students; the syllabus may include the following items: COURSE NAME COURSE NUMBER Grading: (include how the grade will be determined and what will comprise final points) Variations from prerequisites listed in the catalog must be authorized by the chair of the department in which the course is listed. http://www.uwrf.edu/administration/special_course_fees.html Special course fees are defined as charges in addition to the regular instructional fee (tuition) and segregated fees. These fees are assessed to all students enrolled in courses which have an approved special course fee on file with the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance. Special course fees must be used solely for support of the course involved. Difficulty in securing adequate regular budget support shall not be the determining factor in the decision to charge a special course fee. Special course fees can be used only to cover cost of special fees related to a course. Special course fees cannot be used for expenditures that are unrelated to the original special course fee request (i.e., capital purchases, faculty travel to workshops, etc.). When filling out the Request for Approval of Special Course Fee form be sure to justify the reason for charging the special course fee.
Complete the following:
II. Forward the completed Request for Approval of Special Course Fee form to department chair
III. Dean’s Office receives the approved request for Approval of Special Course fee form and reviews it IV. The Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance receives the approved Request for Approval of the Special Course Fee form and reviews it
Students must register before attending classes. A student is not to remain in class unless
the Registrar has notified the instructor by class roster of his or her admittance.
Preliminary class rosters are modified during the semester. The class grade rosters are Slash courses are numbered with both undergraduate and graduate numbers (300/500, 400/600.) Freshman and sophomores are not permitted in 300/500 and 400/600 courses. Juniors and seniors are permitted in 300/500 and 400/600 courses. No undergraduate students may enroll in 700-level courses under any circumstances. A sophomore may petition the Dean of Graduate Studies for admission to a 300/500 course, but only under extraordinary circumstances, and with written support of the instructor and advisor. Students who wish to audit a course will be required to register for the course after those enrolled for credit have registered and on a space available basis with the following conditions:
8.2.7 Pass-Fail Privilege for Undergraduate Students Students often hesitate to pursue coursework outside their major field. To encourage more breadth academically, the University allows qualified students to enroll in a course on a pass-fail basis. a. The Privilege
b. Requirements for the Privilege
c. Conditions for the Privilege
d. Procedures for courses on the Pass-Fail System
Students can drop or add online without a faculty signature during the first seven calendar days of the term (as long as there is space available). To drop or add a class after the first five days of class, students must obtain a drop-add card from the Office of the Registrar and get their advisor's signature and the instructor's signature on the form. Classes may not be added after the first five days of class except with permission of the instructor and advisor. Students can drop a class during the first 15 days of the semester without any record on their transcript. Students can drop a class within 16-30 days with "W" recorded on their transcript. Only one "W" will be allowed to appear on the transcript of any student in a given class or course. Students who withdraw from the University during the academic term must initiate the withdrawal process through the Registrar’s Office, 105 North Hall. Withdrawals initiated after the 6th week of the term are indicated on the official transcript. The academic Deans can, at their discretion and in extraordinary situations, assign a grade of NG (no grade) to students withdrawing from the University effective prior to final exam week of the academic term. When a NG grade is recorded, it has no impact on grade point average.
The dates that a withdrawal is processed will determine if there is a refund of tuition. The University of Wisconsin-River Falls, in concert with University of Wisconsin System Policy, promotes a commitment to the individual needs of students by reducing attendance conflicts between education requirements and the exercise of religious beliefs. University of Wisconsin-River Falls specific guidelines are as follows:
8.2.11 University Sponsored Off-campus Activities and Field Trips Criticism arises due to the interruption of student programs by off-campus activities, especially during the spring term. Staff members can lessen criticism by careful scheduling. Scheduling field trips on Saturday is recommended or, if a weekday is essential, varying the hours and the days. Such activities should not be scheduled during the final exam period or one week prior to final examinations. Students will not be penalized for missing class in order to participate in Universitysanctioned events. If class attendance is a requirement, missing a class in order to participate in a University-sanctioned event will not be counted as an absence. Such absences do not relieve the students of any of their class responsibilities (e.g., homework, exams, lecture notes, etc.). Students are responsible for completing course requirements that are due on the dates of University-sanctioned events per prior agreement with the instructor. A University-sanctioned event is defined to be any extracurricular event (e.g., educational field trips or conferences, theatrical performances, intercollegiate athletic contests, musical performance or tours, etc.) as approved by the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Departments sponsoring such events are responsible for obtaining the Provost and Vice Chancellor's approval prior to an event for it to be determined as sanctioned. Prior written notice of the student's absence due to a University-sanctioned event will be provided to the instructor by the sponsoring department. 8.2.12 Special Events and Convocations Faculty members may require student attendance at special events in lieu of their own classes, but only if this attendance does not conflict with other classes. All faculty members are required to give final examinations and, unless excused by their Dean, at the published hours. Any faculty member has the option of not giving a final examination if, in the opinion of the Dean, a final examination would serve little purpose. Reasons for such permission would include:
As a general policy graduating seniors and special students are required to take final examinations. Faculty may excuse individual graduating students or special students from final examinations only when individual considerations warrant. UWRF requires the scheduling of a study day between the last day of regular classes and the first day of final exams every semester. Any day of the week except Sunday may be designated as the study day. The class rosters with final grades recorded on them are due in the Registrar’s Office on or before the fifth working day following the last scheduled examination. The instructor is responsible for checking the accuracy of the information on each grade roster. [FS 04/05 #19] 8.2.15 Grades and Honor Points The official UWRF grading scale used by the Registrar’s Office and SIS is as follows: [FS 04/05 #17]: Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated by dividing total honor points by the total number of graded credits attempted: Honor Points ÷ Graded Units Attempted = GPA 8.2.16 Unofficial Withdrawal Policy for Title IV Aid Purposes Students are defined as unofficially withdrawn for Title IV purposes when they do not have any grades for the semester other than “XF“, a failing grade due to non-attendance.
8.2.17 Interim grades: Incomplete, Satisfactory Progress
8.2.18 Student Appeal of Grades or Other Academic Matters The presumption is that grades are correct as assigned, unless there is clear and convincing evidence supporting an allegation of inequity in grading practices. The student bringing the complaint bears the burden of proof when initiating an informal or formal appeal process. Grading practices based on classroom standards as outlined in the class syllabus and applied to all students equally are not subject to complaints. Appeal of a grade must be made within one semester (not counting summer) of receiving the grade. If a student wishes to make a complaint concerning a grade or other academic matters, the student should first discuss the matter with the instructor of the course involved. If the matter is not satisfactorily settled, the student should then discuss the matter with the chair of the department in which the course was offered. If the matter is not satisfactorily resolved by the chair, the student should then make a written complaint to the Dean of the College in which the course was offered, including a clear statement of the problem and arguments or evidence to support the student's complaint. The Dean will discuss the matter with the student, faculty member and chair, and will attempt to resolve the matter and render a decision. A final complaint in written form may be made to the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. The student may be accompanied by another member of the University community to any stage of the complaint process. Questions or complaints involving sexual or racial discrimination or harassment should be brought to the attention of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and/or the Assistant to the Chancellor for Equity, Compliance, and Affirmative Action. Problems arising from clerical error or other problems not related to equity in grades are to be handled through the College Dean's office. Information and other particulars concerning the grading system can be found in the current University Catalog. The faculty member may not change a student's grade after it has been recorded in the Registrar's Office except in the event of an error, which must be reported on a form supplied by the Registrar's Office. The form must contain a written explanation of the error and must be signed by the Dean. 8.2.19 Suspension and Probation Policy [FS 07/08 #21]
A student may repeat a course in which a grade of ‘C-‘, ‘D+’, 'D', 'F', ‘XF’, 'U', or 'W' was earned. Students may request to repeat courses in which other grades were received only if there are extenuating circumstances. To request this exception, a Course Repeat Exception form must be completed and approved by the student’s advisor, the chair of the department offering the course, and the student’s Dean BEFORE registration for the course. The original grade will remain on the student's transcript. The new grade will replace the previous grade when computing the grade point average (GPA). If a student repeats a course and earns a lower new grade, the lower new grade will be used in the computation of the GPA. The University does not guarantee the right to repeat any course. Courses may be deactivated, discontinued, or offered on a different schedule. Students may not retake courses at another institution in order to raise their UWRF GPA. Note: If a student withdraws from a course taken as a “Repeat,” the original grade earned will be reinstated in the overall GPA calculation. Athletes should check with their coaches before repeating courses in which a grade of D was earned, as it may affect their athletic eligibility. Students receiving veterans’ benefits may not count in benefit level determination those credits for which grades of D were previously earned. [FS 06/07 #25] Students with especially strong backgrounds have the opportunity to test out of up to 12 semester hours of credit through departmental testing, except in the Modern Language department, which allows up to 14 semester hours of credit. Students may not test out of courses for credit if they have taken the course, if they are currently enrolled in the course, or if they have taken higher-level courses than those they are attempting to test out of. Students are not allowed to attempt to test out of a course more than once. Transfer students may have to take additional coursework at UWRF in the event that the institution from which they transferred did not grant test-out credits. Students must be enrolled full time in order to test out and receive credit without paying additional fees. Students enrolled less than full time may attempt to test out. However, if successful, they must pay fees for the credits received. A student may not receive test-out credit for more than two courses in any one department except in the departments of Modern Language and Health and Human Performance. The Department of Health and Human Performance allows up to 3 hours of test-out credit. The Modern Language department allows up to 14 semester hours of test-out credit. However, the student must take the next higher course in that language and pass with a grade of B or better. The Modern Language test-out is for incoming freshmen who learned French, German or Spanish as a second language. Native speakers and transfer students will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. High School special students may also receive test-out credit in French, German or Spanish by passing the test-out exam, by paying additional fees, and by meeting all departmental criteria. High school special students taking the Modern Language test-out and planning to enroll at UWRF may defer the application of their test-out credit until their enrollment as a matriculated student and their meeting of all department criteria. 8.2.22 College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Examinations A passing grade on any/all of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) General Exams taken before July 1, 2002 will be a raw score at or above the 55th percentile. A passing grade on any/all of the general exams taken on or after July 1, 2002 will be a raw score at or above the 50th percentile. The University of Wisconsin–River Falls will follow the American Council on Education (ACE) guidelines and recommendations for awarding credit for CLEP Subject Exams. The University of Wisconsin-River Falls academic departments will determine if credit is granted for specific courses or as elective credit on a case-by-case basis. Students may be considered for CLEP credit only if they have not already taken a college-level course in the same area as the CLEP exam. [FS 05/06 #22] 8.2.23 Commencement Participation Policy Commencement programs are held at the completion of fall and spring semesters.
Information regarding graduation and applications are available from the Registrar's
Office. Graduating seniors have the option to participate in Commencement the term they
are completing all degree requirements. Students who are completing their final
requirements during the summer session have the option of participating in the Spring Students who are requesting to participate in an early Commencement must follow the published Commencement participation deadline date for the term they are appealing. Appeals to participate in an early commencement will be approved only if all of the following conditions have been met:
The Registrar will review the appeal and approve or deny the request based on the above criteria, and written notification will be sent to the student. Although students may be allowed to participate in an early Commencement program, the degree and diploma will be awarded only after all degree requirements have been fulfilled. Academic Merit before graduation is recognized by placement on the Dean’s List. Superior scholarship is recognized at the completion of fall and spring terms by publication of the Dean's List. Undergraduate (Freshman-Senior) degree-seeking students are eligible to receive this honor. Students must complete a minimum of 12 credits, receive a minimum of a 3.500 term grade point average, and have no grades of F, outstanding incompletes or repeat grades during the academic term. Outstanding SP designations will not preclude students from receiving this honor. At graduation three types of merit awards can be received—Senior Merit, cum laude
merit, and completion of the Honors Program. These awards will be given at the College
award ceremonies in the spring pending completion of all credits. Persons who qualify
only after all credits have been counted will also receive honors at that point.
· Senior Merit: Graduating seniors who have maintained a 3.5 GPA for their last 60
8.2.25 Academic Honors Regalia
8.2.26 Conversion of Incompletes Prior to 1990 and 2002 For courses in which incompletes were received prior to the semester changeover (1990- 91), a designation of 'N', which will be treated as a 'W', will replace the 'I'. A student may petition the Dean of the appropriate College to change the 'N' back to an 'I' in the semester that the student is readmitted. For courses in which incompletes were received prior to 2002-2003, a designation of ‘N’ will replace the ‘I’. ‘N’ designations do not impact GPA calculations, nor do they grant credit for the course. A student may petition the Dean of the appropriate College to change the ‘N’ back to an ‘I’ in the semester that the student is readmitted. [FS 07/08 #19] 8.2.27 Student Academic Disciplinary Procedures Student academic disciplinary procedures are covered by the Wisconsin administrative code. Please see http://www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/code/uws/uws014.pdf for the relevant procedures.
8.2.29 Granting Honors Program Credit in Specific Cases The contracting component for the National Student Exchange Program with regards to
the Honors Program should be accepted when the course is appropriately contracted for
following Honors Contract Policies and Procedures.
Students receiving AP credit in a course may enroll in a one-credit honors course for AP
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