Policies and Forms

Academic Appeals Procedure for Late Drop or Withdrawal: 

The CHPS Appeals Committee holds hearings the second Monday of each month from 1:00-4:00 PM. It may be beneficial for you to schedule an appointment with your academic advisor to discuss your appeal prior to the hearing. Generally, appeals are granted only in situations in which an extenuating circumstance is present. 

Instructions for appealing academic regulations and policies (PDF)  

1. Complete an appeal form.  

2. Write a letter of appeal explaining why you are requesting a withdrawal. You must address any/all extenuating circumstances that occured after the Drop Deadline which prevented you from withdrawing on time. 

3. Gather documentation that supports the appeal. (e.g. police report, letter of eviction, loss of job, medical documentation, etc.). 

4. E-mail all items to your CHPS academic advisor. 

What constitutes extenuating? 

Here are a few examples: 

1. lengthy illness that incapacitates you for an extended period of time 

2. recently diagnosed or recurrent illness 

3. death in your immediate family. The term is meant to include “a parent, guardian, sibling, spouse, child or other member of the student’s household” (see UWM Medical Withdrawal Policy). 

4. unexpected and grave financial problem (e.g., theft of household belongings or loss of your house in a fire) 

5. unexpected surgery 

6. relapse from a diagnosed addiction or compulsive behavior (e.g., gambling, alcohol, or drugs) 

7. recently diagnosed learning disability 

8. harm that was done to you (e.g., an assault) 

9. other traumatic event 

If you have experienced academic difficulty due to any of the circumstances identified above, you are encouraged to schedule an academic appeal hearing. 

Appeals for Late Add 

1. Obtain the instructor’s signature on a Registration Change Form. 

2. Fill out an Appeal form. (PDF) 

3. Write a letter of appeal explaining why you are requesting a late add. 

4. Gather documentation that supports the appeal. 

5. E-mail all items to your CHPS academic advisor. 

6. Submit signed form to the UWM Registrar’s Office (regoff@uwm.edu) to be processed. 

Undergraduate Grievance / Appeal Procedure 

Follow these steps if you wish to file an appeal/grievance for matters such as a disputed grade received in a class or denial of admission to a program or major. For assistance with this process, please contact your CHPS academic advisor and follow these steps: 

1. File the grievance/appeal with instructor 

In cases concerning academic matters, such as a disputed grade for a course, the student must file the grievance/appeal to the course instructor within 15 business days from the date the grade is posted on the students’ transcript. The student who has a grievance/appeal which does not concern an academic matter should go immediately to Step 2, within the 30-day time limit referred to above. 

2. Appeal to the program director or coordinator 

If dissatisfied with the Step 1 decision, the student may appeal to the program director or coordinator within 10 business days from the date of the Step 1 decision. If still dissatisfied, the student proceeds to Step 3. If the director is also the chairperson of the department, the student proceeds immediately to Step 4. 

3. Meet with department chairperson 

The student meets with the department chairperson within 10 business days from the date of the Step 2 decision. If still dissatisfied with the decision, the student proceeds to Step 4. 

4. Appeal to the Scholastic Appeals Committee 

The student may then appeal to the Scholastic Appeals Committee (Health Sciences) or Undergraduate Program Committee (Nursing) within 10 working days from the date of the Step 3 decision. In the case of a grade appeal, if the Committee concludes that the student’s grade was based on arbitrary or capricious grounds, it will recommend to the appropriate Dean that the grade be changed. The Dean has the authority to implement the recommendation as per faculty Document 1243. 

5. Appeal to the Dean 

Committee recommendations are sent to the appropriate Dean. The Dean has the authority to support or overrule the committee recommendation for grade change or dismissal from the program.  The Dean’s decision is final and not appealable. 

Appeals for Late Change to Grade Option or Credit Value 

1. Fill out an Appeal form (PDF) and the Registration Change Form (PDF). 

2. Write a letter of appeal explaining why you are requesting a change after the deadline. 

3. Gather documentation that supports the appeal. 

4. E-mail all items to your CHPS academic advisor for a signature. 

5. Submit signed form to the UWM Registrar’s Office (regoff@uwm.edu) to be processed. 

Repeat Policy  

Unless a restriction is stated in the Schedule of Classes, undergraduates may repeat a course only once. However, there are exceptions.  

Exceptions to the one-repeat rule 

• If you already repeated a course prior to 1988, you may attempt one additional repeat. 

• Transfer students who repeated a course at another university can attempt one additional repeat at UWM. 

• Students can request departmental permission to attempt a second repeat. This approval will come directly from the department of the course, not the student’s major.  

Financial Aid impact when exceptions are made 

If you receive permission to enroll in a second repeat and you have already passed the class once, your eligibility for federal financial aid will change. For example, if you took a class and received an “F”, repeated it and received a “D”, and would like to repeat it again to try to earn a “C”, your financial aid may be impacted. Consult a financial aid advisor to determine how your financial aid package may have to be reduced. 

Other Important Notes: 

• If you are repeating a class that you took at UWM, only the higher of the two grades will be calculated into the student’s UWM grade point average (GPA) but both attempts will appear on the transcript. 

• If you are repeating a class that you took elsewhere and transferred into UWM, the grade you earn will be calculated into your UWM GPA regardless if it is higher or lower than the grade previously earned. And both attempts will appear on the transcript. 

• If you have already graduated and would like to return to UWM to repeat a class previously taken, you are starting a new academic record. Your record prior to graduation including the grade earned and your GPA are locked and cannot be altered. Taking the same class again does not count as a repeat and will not replace the grade previously earned. 

• Repeats cannot occur in the same semester even if the class is offered again later in the semester. For example, a student cannot take a class that meets during the first part of summer term and then attempt to repeat it during the second part of summer term. 

• Variable topic courses count as repeats only when the topic is identical. For example, taking “WGS 303 Feminist Activism and Movements: Indigenous Feminisms” and then repeating ““WGS 303 Feminist Activism and Movements: Indigenous Feminisms” counts as a repeat.

Overload Policy 

In a regular semester, the maximum credit load for undergraduates is 18-credits. A student must obtain approval for an overload from their academic advisor. To be eligible for an overload, a student should have a minimum grade point average of 3.00, a GPA of 3.00 for the last semester in which s/he was enrolled full-time, and no outstanding incompletes. The maximum credit overload allowed is 21 credits.   

Incomplete Policy 

An incomplete may be given to an undergraduate who has carried a subject successfully until near the end of the semester but, because of illness or other unusual and substantiated cause beyond that student’s control, has been unable to take or complete the final examination or to complete some limited amount of term work. An incomplete is not given unless the student proves to the instructor that s/he/they were prevented from completing course requirements for just cause as indicated above. 

A course marked incomplete must be completed during the next succeeding semester, excluding summer sessions and UWinterim. If the student does not remove the incomplete during this period, the report of “I” will lapse to “F”. With approval of the instructor, additional time may be granted through a request to the instructor for an Extended Incomplete (“EI”), including cases where the “I” lapsed to “F”. The determination to assign an “EI” grade is at the sole discretion of the instructor or, if an instructor cannot be contacted, the department chair. The “EI” grade will lapse to “F” after one calendar year unless a final grade is awarded or another extension is requested by the instructor or department. 

Incomplete (“I”) or Extended Incomplete (“EI”) courses may not be used to satisfy degree requirements. Incomplete (“I”) or Extended Incomplete (“EI”) courses will be converted to Permanent Incomplete (“PI”) prior to degree posting if not required for graduation. The PI does not change the impact of the “F” grade on the student’s record. It is equivalent to earning the lapsed “F” grade in terms of how it affects the student’s GPA and GPA credits. 

Credit/No Credit Policy 

Students may enroll in a course on a credit/no credit (C/NC) basis with the following restrictions: 

• The course may not be in your major, minor or certificate program. 

• The course may not be part of the Honors College. 

• The course may not be taken to complete the English and/or mathematics requirements. 

To be granted credit for a credit/no credit course, a student must earn a grade of “C-” or better. The credits will be counted toward total degree credits earned but will not affect a student’s grade point average. Only one course per semester up to a maximum of eight courses may be taken using this option. If a student enrolls in a course that may only be taken on a C/NC basis, s/he may take an additional course on a credit/no credit basis that semester. Grading option selection must be completed by the add deadline each semester.  Requests for late changes require an appeal.  

Policy for Returning after Academic Dismissal 

Academic Drop and Probation Policy 

A dropped student may be reinstated immediately after a drop action or readmitted after the drop period. A readmitted or reinstated student is placed on final probation. 

1. Reinstatement immediately after a drop may only be granted by the dean or a designee of the school, college, or academic unit to which the student belonged when the drop action was earned. 

2. Readmission may occur after the required drop period. After the assigned drop period has elapsed, a student may re-enter the program from which they were dropped. Information on applying for reentry is available through the UWM Admission Office. 

3. A student who chooses to change their program following a drop action may only do so with the permission of the dean or a designee of the receiving program. 

CHPS Academic Appeals Procedure for Reinstatement: 

The CHPS Appeals Committee holds hearings the second Monday of each month from 1:00-4:00 PM. It may be beneficial for you to schedule an appointment with your academic advisor to discuss your appeal prior to the hearing. Generally, appeals are granted only in situations in which an extenuating circumstance is present. 

Instructions for appealing academic regulations and policies (PDF)  

1. Schedule an appeal hearing by calling (414) 229-5047 or contacting your advisor. 

2. Complete the Student Appeal Form and send it to your advisor before the hearing along with a typed statement addressing the reason for academic difficulty and plans for future success. 

3. Obtain approval of the Appeals Committee. 

School of Nursing Specific Undergraduate Appeals 

Any student enrolled in a Nursing (NURS) course can access the School of Nursing’s Policy and Procedures Canvas site through their course’s Canvas page. Look for the link titled “Policies & Procedures | School of Nursing” in the welcome module. By selecting this link, you can self-enroll in the site, which will then appear on your Canvas dashboard. Alternatively, you can enroll right now by visiting: https://uws-td.instructure.com/enroll/RJBMFT.  

For details on policies and submitting an appeal to a School of Nursing Policy, please reference the latest version of UPC 05-05-17(3)B Undergraduate Progression & Appeals Policy. 

School of Nursing Forms

• Policy/Progression Appeal Form 

• Grade Appeal Form (specifically for School of Nursing (NURS) courses only) 

• Nursing Faculty Evaluation Form