Grading System
Credit/No Credit Courses
Pass/Fail
Failures
Incompletes
Audit
Availability of Academic Record Information to Parents or Guardians
Class Standing
Senior Year in Residence
Expecting to Graduate
Tuition/Fees
Residence for Tuition Purposes
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
Student Photo ID Service Cards
The Office of the Registrar is responsible for the academic records of students who attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison and for many services associated with these records. The office is located at 21 North Park Street; 608/262-3811.
UW-Madison is striving to provide more academic record services online. One service presently available is Web course enrollment through the My UW-Madison portal. Instructions for course enrollment and key deadlines are available on the Office of the Registrar Web site at www.registrar.wisc.edu.
The Timetable contains the schedule of classes. Up-to-date Timetable information is available at www.registrar.wisc.edu. Assistance with the enrollment process is available by calling 608/262-0920. To obtain information about academic departments and their course offerings, students are encouraged to visit department home pages through the Departments and Programs page at www.wisc.edu/academics/departments.php.
Students also use My UW-Madison to view many portions of their academic record as well as to update their address information. Students are responsible for the accuracy of the addresses provided in My UW and for the courses selected when they enroll.
My UW-Madison is available to eligible students who gain access by using their Net ID and password. Access to My UW-Madison is available from any computer with Internet access, including many Info Labs on campus. For further information about My UW-Madison or other services associated with the student information system, see the Office of the Registrar Web site at www.registrar.wisc.edu.
The general quality of a student's work is expressed in terms of a grade point average (GPA). It is based on the total number of credits taken for which grades of A through F are received. Semester grades are reported by letter only; plus and minus signs are not authorized. The highest possible GPA is 4.0, representing A grades in every course; the lowest possible is 0.0. The following is the official scale of grades at UW-Madison.
Grade - Grade Points Per Credit
A (Excellent) - 4
AB (Intermediate Grade) - 3.5
B (Good) - 3
BC (Intermediate Grade) - 2.5
C (Fair) - 2
D (Poor) - 1
F (Failure) - 0
Excluded from the grade point average are:
S or U (Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory) in courses taken on the pass/fail basis: S for grades A through C; U for grades D and F.
Cr or N (Credit or No Credit) in courses offered on a credit/no credit basis.
I (Incomplete), a temporary grade used when work is not completed during a term. The symbol IN will be used to indicate an incomplete in a Cr/N course.
Audited courses, denoted as AU in place of a number of credits on grade reports and transcripts, are graded either S (Satisfactory) or NR (No Report).
P (Progress), a temporary grade used for courses extending beyond one term. The final grade determines the grade for each term and replaces P grades for the course.
DR (Dropped), recorded for any course officially dropped later than two days before the last day to add courses.
NW (No Work) is used to indicate that the student never attended and no work was submitted.
In those relatively few cases in which no authorized grade is reported for a student at the close of a term, NR (No Report) will be used to signify the fact for record purposes.
In the Timetable some courses are designated as being offered on a Credit/No Credit basis. The transcript for the course will indicate either CR, meaning the student earned the credits for which the course was offered, or N, meaning that the student did not earn any credit even though enrolled for the course. Students may not take such courses on any other basis.
Any student who takes a pass/fail course must earn at least a C to receive credit for the course. Only elective work may be carried on a pass/fail basis. Final grades for these courses will be indicated as pass (S) or fail (U) without any computation of grade points for those courses into the term or cumulative grade point average.
Every course grade of F counts as 0 grade points and remains permanently on the transcript. If the course is repeated, the original F will remain on the transcript and will be included in computing the GPA.
An Incomplete may be reported for a student who has carried a subject with a passing grade until near the end of the semester. If a student is unable to take or complete the final examination because of illness or other circumstances beyond his or her control, the student may be granted an Incomplete. An Incomplete is not given to a student who stays away from a final examination except as indicated above. In the absence of such proof the grade shall be F; even with such proof, if the instructor is convinced that the student cannot pass, the grade shall be F.
Undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Letters and Science must complete the course work for which they received the Incomplete by the end of the fourth week of classes of the student's next term of enrollment at UW-Madison (exclusive of summer sessions). If not it will lapse into a grade of F, unless the time limit has been formally extended. Letters and Science students should see the L&S section on Incompletes for important details.
Undergraduates enrolled in schools or colleges other than Letters and Science must complete the course work for which they received the Incomplete by the end of the student's next term of enrollment (exclusive of summer sessions). Incompletes incurred in the last term of enrollment may not be removed after five years of absence from the university without special advance permission of the student's associate or assistant dean. Such Incompletes remain on the record but do not lapse into a grade of F.
Students may audit courses with instructor and advisor consent, and if no laboratory or performance skills are involved. Auditors may not recite or take examinations but are expected to attend classes regularly and do some assigned work. Audit courses carry no academic credit and do not count in determining full-time/ part-time load for enrollment certification in an academic term. The deadline to change a course from credit to audit is the end of the fourth week of classes. School and college policies may vary from this description. Students are advised to consult with the instructor concerning specific course requirements that must be satisfied.
A student may authorize a third party (e.g., a parent, guardian, or spouse) access to academic record information by visiting the Office of the Registrar, 21 North Park Street, and completing a form for this purpose. The form can also be found on the registrar's Web site at www.registrar.wisc.edu. Once filed, the authorization will remain in force until changed by the student. If no authorization is on file, it will be assumed that the student does not wish to give a third party access to academic record information. This policy is designed to give students specific control over the parties to whom academic record information may be released.
Grade reports will not be sent by the university to parents or guardians. Students are urged to keep their parents informed of their academic progress.
Students are classified by year according to the number of credits and grade points they have earned:
Freshman: less than 24 credits
Sophomore: at least 24 credits
Junior: at least 54 credits
Senior: at least 86 credits
As a minimum, the final 30 credits for the bachelor's degree must be earned in residence. For more information about residence credits, students should refer to the specific school or college section of this catalog or consult with an advisor.
Students who expect to graduate and/or attend a commencement ceremony must indicate their intent via My UW. They will then be notified about the graduation ceremony. Students also should notify their advisors, and report any change in graduation plans.
Tuition and fees are set annually by the UW System Board of Regents. All registered students are sent student account invoices with a due date and instructions for payment. Students can view up-to-date information regarding their tuition account balance, including tuition due date, via My UW, my.wisc.edu.
UW-Madison does not offer an installment plan for payment of student accounts. Students should be aware that the tuition and fee schedule is subject to change without notice.
Students who enroll after the close of the first official week of classes in a term will be subject to the late initial enrollment fee—except for Special and Guest students, who have until the close of the second week of classes. Students whose payments are received after the due date will be subject to a late payment fee, and to having enrollment and records withheld.
Questions about tuition rates should be directed to the Office of the Registrar, Tuition Assessment Section, 21 North Park Street; 608/262-4031; tuition@em.wisc.edu; www.registrar.wisc.edu/students.
Questions about tuition payment should be directed to the Bursar's Office, 21 North Park Street; tuition@bussvc.wisc.edu; www.bussvc.wisc.edu/bursar.
Wisconsin Statutes, Section 36.27(2), governs resident status for tuition purposes at all University of Wisconsin System institutions. Students who do not qualify under one of the exceptions in the statute will be assessed nonresident tuition. In determining resident status for tuition purposes, standards are different from those used for voting, paying taxes, applying for various licenses, and the like. In general, a student must be a bona fide resident of Wisconsin for at least 12 months before enrollment for any term in order to be eligible for in-state tuition. However, a student who comes to Wisconsin primarily for educational reasons does not automatically qualify as a Wisconsin resident even after living in Wisconsin for a year or more.
For more information and the full text of Wisconsin Statutes, Section 36.27(2), see the Office of the Registrar Web site at www.registrar.wisc.edu/students, or contact a residence counselor at 608/262-1355; res4tuition@em.wisc.edu.
Minnesota Residents who are certified by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education for the appropriate term to attend UW-Madison under the Minnesota-Wisconsin Tuition Reciprocity Agreement will be assessed the approved reciprocity tuition rate, plus the segregated fees assessed all UW-Madison students. Students under this program will be classified as nonresidents of Wisconsin.
It is the student's responsibility to inquire about the situation of reapplying, application procedures, and deadline dates. Students may apply online at www.ohe.state.mn.us. Questions may be directed to the UW-Madison Office of the Registrar, Tuition Assessment Section, 21 North Park Street, Madison, WI 53706; tuition@em.wisc.edu; telephone 608/262-4031. They may also be directed to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, 1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350, St. Paul, MN 55108-5227; www.ohe.state.mn.us; telephone 651/642-0567 or 1-800-657-3866.
Students have the right to inspect and review most education records maintained about them by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and, in many cases, decide if a third person can obtain information from them. Students may challenge information in their records which they believe to be inaccurate, misleading, or inappropriate.
The university has adopted a policy statement implementing all provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. A copy of this statement may be obtained at the Office of the Registrar, 21 North Park Street, or from the registrar's Web site: www.registrar.wisc.edu. The university, in accord with the act, has designated the following as "directory information," which is available to anyone unless a student asks to have any or all of it withheld: name; address (mailing, home, and electronic address); telephone numbers; date of birth; major field of study (including a current program/major, year, credit load, and number of academic credits toward degree); dates of attendance (matriculation and withdrawal); degrees and awards received (type of degree and date granted); most recent previous educational institution attended; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; and weight and height of members of athletic teams.
Students wishing to keep confidential some or all of the "directory information" must complete a form at the Office of the Registrar, 21 North Park Street. A form may also be printed from the registrar's Web site at www.registrar.wisc.edu. After the form has been filed, the registrar will notify university offices and begin to comply with the request as soon as possible. Students with questions about the provisions of the act or who believe the university is not complying with the act may obtain assistance from the Office of the Registrar, 21 North Park Street.
Students have the right to file complaints alleging university noncompliance with the act with the federal agency that enforces the act. The address is: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office, Department of Education, 330 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201.
The UW-Madison requires that all enrolled students obtain a student photo ID card. The card provides official identification for students at the university and is necessary for access to libraries, recreation facilities, and other services. The ID also serves as a debit card (Wiscard), allowing students to add value to an account and use the ID to make purchases at more than 40 campus area locations.
To obtain a card, students must present a form of photo identification (valid driver's license/passport/state ID). Newly admitted students may obtain their initial card at no cost. Lost, stolen, or misplaced cards may be replaced for a nonrefundable fee of $15. Each time a new ID card is made, the issue code is updated, canceling all previous ID cards. Invalid cards that are presented for any purpose are subject to being collected since they are considered property of the university.
The Photo ID Office is located in Union South, Room B109, 227 North Randall Avenue. Hours are Monday-Friday 8 a.m.- 4:15 p.m. For more information, see www.union.wisc.edu/photoid.