Grade Review
If an instructor does not give you, by the end of the second week of class, a written statement of how grades are determined, or if you feel that your instructor does not assign grades as described on that written statement, you may appeal the grade you receive in the course.

First talk with your instructor about your concerns. If, after doing so, you are not satisfied, write a statement of the problem and request that your grade be reviewed. Send this to the coordinator for grade review in the Provost/Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Office, Room 202 Old Main. You may submit this appeal up until the end of the fourth week of classes in the following semester.

After the coordinator receives your request, the following things take place:

1. You meet with the coordinator and discuss your grounds for appeal, the appeal process, and the options available to the Grade Review Subcommittee if the appeal is sustained;
2. The coordinator gives a copy of your appeal to your instructor and asks the instructor to respond to it in writing within 20 working days;
3. After 20 working days, the coordinator evaluates the allegations and determines whether your appeal is valid.
4. Then, if the coordinator concludes that a grade change may be warranted, or if the instructor has failed to respond in writing, the coordinator gives the Grade Review Subcommittee of the Academic Affairs Committee all relevant information and directs the members of the committee to investigate your allegations and determine whether they are valid.

The subcommittee usually reaches a decision by the end of the semester in which you make the appeal. If, however, one of the parties is not on campus that semester, it may take longer.

If the subcommittee or the instructor determines that special academic expertise is needed, the subcommittee solicits an independent evaluation in writing from three impartial experts appointed by the chair of the instructor's department in consultation with the instructor and the subcommittee chair. The subcommittee accepts the evaluation and recommendations of the impartial experts on matters of academic content whenever it asks for them.

After investigating your grievance, the subcommittee will inform both you and your instructor of its decision in writing. If it finds that a change of grade is warranted, it will also recommend to your instructor the appropriate grade change. If your instructor refuses to make the recommended grade change within 10 school days after being notified by the subcommittee, the subcommittee will do one or more of the following to protect your interests:

1. Attach to your permanent record and transcript a statement of the recommended change of grade and the reasons your instructor did not change the grade.
2. Exempt the challenged grade from being included in your grade point average, unless you want the grade to be included.
3. Authorize your graduation minus the credit hours represented by the challenged grade, if that grade was an F.

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Grades
For every course you take, you receive a letter grade.

Grade	Points		Grade	Points
A	4.00		C+	2.33
A-	3.67		C	2.00
B+	3.33		C-	1.67
B	3.00		D+	1.33
B-	2.67		D	1.00
			F	0.00

To determine your grade point average (GPA):

1. Multiply the number of semester hours for each course you have taken times the point value of the grade you have received in each course.
2. Add the products for all your courses.
3. Divide this sum by the number of semester hours you have taken excluding P and I grades.

We use your GPA to determine whether you are eligible for honors; for admission to certain majors, colleges, and curricula; and for determining your eligibility for membership in those campus organizations for which scholastic achievement is a criterion.

You may see and print your grades for each term by accessing the Web site: www.uwsp.edu/grades. Enter your username and password and then choose the term you wish to see.  Besides the grades listed above, you may also receive the following designations on your grade reports, none of which carry a point value.

AU	Audit
CE	Credit by exam
DR	Dropped
EP	Exchange program
EX	Experiential learning
I	Your work in a course is incomplete, and you have obtained your instructor's permission to complete the course. (See Incompletes.)
GP	Graduate progress
IP	Course in progress
MC	Credit-military experience
NC	No credit
NR	Grade not reported.
P	You passed a pass/fail course and received credit for it. If you fail, you receive an F and earn no credit for it. (See Pass/Fail Grading)
RC	Retroactive credit
S	You satisfactorily completed a non-credit course.
TO	Exemption/test out
TR	Transfer credit.
W	You withdrew from a course after the eighth day of classes. If you drop before then, the course does not appear on your record
WV	Waiver

If you voluntarily stop attending a class at any time without completing the prescribed change of program procedure, you are considered as still registered, and you receive an F in the course at the end of the semester.

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Graduation
If you are an undergraduate, apply for graduation at least one full semester prior to the term in which you will complete your degree.  Application forms are available in the Registration and Records Office, 101 SSC.  It is our responsibility to make sure your majors and miors are declared in the departments of each program prior to submitting your graduation application to Registration and Records.  For additional information on graduation, go to www.uwsp.edu/reg-rec/gradinfo.aspx.

To be eligible for the bachelor's degree, you must:

• Complete all the general requirements for your degree.
• Earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 in all courses attempted at UW-Stevens Point.
• Earn a minimum 2.00 GPA in all courses required for a major, except in those programs requiring a higher GPA, and complete all the requirements for the major. In some programs, you must also complete an approved minor.
• Earn a cumulative GPA of 2.00 overall (includes both UWSP and transfer credits).

If you are a graduate student, follow the instructions listed in the Graduate section of this catalog.

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Graduation, Four-Year Agreement

If your academic goal is to complete a baccalaureate degree with one major in four years, you may decide to participate in UWSP’s Four-Year Graduation Agreement. Under this agreement, you will work closely with experienced academic advisors to select the appropriate course sequences which will ensure timely completion of your degree requirements. For this agreement, the four year period begins with the start of the term or summer session in which you first enroll and ends 48 months later.

The four-year program has many advantages, including entering the work force or pursuing graduate education as quickly as possible, and avoiding unnecessary undergraduate expenses. However, the program is not for everyone. It might preclude you from obtaining a high-credit major that has strict course sequencing, changing majors, extensive extracurricular involvement, internships, or study abroad.  For more information, please check with your advisor as soon as you begin coursework at UWSP.

Honors
Graduation Honors
You may receive graduation honors on the basis of your grade point average for all the courses you have attempted, including college level work you attempted elsewhere and any courses taken at UWSP before the declaration of academic bankruptcy.   In the commencement ceremony you are recognized on the basis of all the work which you completed before your final term.  On your transcript, you are recognized on the basis of all the work you have done, including your final term.

Summa cum laude is awarded for a grade point average of 3.90 or above; magna cum laude is awarded for a grade point average of 3.75 to 3.89; and cum laude is awarded for a grade point average of 3.50 to 3.74.

If you are eligible to wear an honors cord at the commencement ceremony, it will be issued to you when caps and gowns are distributed at the University Store.  If you have earned summa cum laude honors, you will have the distinction of having your name announced at the commencement ceremony. 

Semester Honors–Dean's List
UW-Stevens Point faculty have established semester honors as part of their program to recognize undergraduate students for outstanding academic achievement. To be eligible for semester honors, complete at least 12 semester hours of work with passing grades.

Semester highest honors are awarded for a grade point average of 3.90 or above; high honors are awarded for a grade point average of 3.75 to 3.89; and honors are awarded for a grade point average of 3.50 to 3.74. Semester honors are printed on your transcript.

You will receive an honors certificate and be placed on the dean's list in the Colleges of Fine Arts and Communication, Letters and Science, and Professional Studies when you earn a semester grade point average of above 3.75. The College of Natural Resources awards dean's list certificates to undergraduate students in their college who earn a grade point average of 3.5 or above.

In addition to these honors all undergraduate students who obtain a semester grade point average of 3.9 or above receive an honors certificate from the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Department Honors Program
Some departments provide departmental honors programs which involve 9 credits of work or more. Contact individual departments for further information on their programs.

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Incompletes
If you are unable to complete your work in a course due to extenuating circumstances or if you need to extend your research or performance beyond the normal limits of a term, you may ask the instructor for an “incomplete” in the course. An “incomplete” should be reserved for the completion of a definable amount of work (for example, one term paper or one exam) which occurs near the end of the semester. An “incomplete” normally will not be used for making up in-class work, therefore do not expect to sit in the class in a subsequent semester.

If your request for an “incomplete” is approved, the instructor will inform you and the department chair of the work you need to complete and the due date. You will have until the end of the next semester (excluding summer session) to complete the work unless your instructor gives you an earlier deadline and indicates that deadline on the grade list. Failure to complete the work prior to the appropriate deadline will result in a grade of F. If, for reasons beyond your control, you are unable to make up the "incomplete" by the deadline, you may ask the instructor and department chair to extend this time limit one time. However, any further extension of time will require the approval of the dean of the college.

DO NOT register for a course in which you received an "incomplete." If you do, the "incomplete" will be changed to an F. Instead, arrange with your instructor to complete the work remaining in the course. When you have completed the work satisfactorily, your instructor will report the removal of the "incomplete" to the Registration and Records Office who will notify you that you record has been updated.  If you do not receive notification after a reasonable waiting period, you should contact your instructor. Your final grade will not change any prior academic status.

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Interim Sessions
The university offers a number of short sessions at various times during the year. There is a January "winterim" between the fall and spring semesters, a three-week interim session after the spring semester, and sessions of one to eight weeks in length during the summer. You may complete no more than one credit per week. For further information on interim sessions contact the Registration and Records Office at 715-346-4301 and the UWSP Continuing Education Office at 715-346-3838 or 1-800-898-9472 for classes geared for the older student and for professional development.

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International Programs (IP)
Eric Yonke, Director
Mark Koepke, Associate Director
Room 108, Collins Classroom Center
Phone: 715-346-2717
FAX: 715-346-3591
E-mail: intlprog@uwsp.edu
Web: http://www.uwsp.edu/studyabroad

International Programs can add a cross-cultural dimension to a liberal arts education and extend the scope of certain majors, language concentrations, or area studies. Foreign language skills are not a prerequisite for participation in many programs. We keep costs down to make international travel available to most students, and you may apply financial aid money.

During your study abroad you can earn 12-17 standard UWSP credits. Each program includes an 11-15 week academic residency period and an extensive study/travel tour.

In Europe you may study in Britain, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, or Spain. In the South Pacific you may study for a semester in Australia with a stop in Fiji or in New Zealand with a stop in Tahiti. Summer, winterim and spring break programs feature varying locations and themes such as tropical ecology in Costa Rica and international resource management in Belize/Mexico or Africa, business internships in China, theater in London, music in Austria and Germany, and architecture and design in such countries as Greece, Italy, and France. Internships are available in London year-round.

We encourage you to plan ahead and apply early. Your academic advisor can help you set up a long term course schedule that will combine study abroad with efficient completion of degree requirements. Most student travelers consider their time spent abroad as the best experience of their college careers. For more information, visit the IP Office, or write, e-mail, or check out our Web site.

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Major or Minor Declaration
The academic departments decide whom they will accept as majors and minors. As soon as you decide on a major and/or minor, go to that department to declare your intent. The department will determine your "status" as a major or minor and enter it into your computer record. Do this for each major and minor you intend to study.

If you have not yet decided on a major, go to the Student Academic Advising Center (SAAC), Room 103 SSC, to be assigned an advisor.  SAAC advisors will assist you in the development of your educational plans, in the decision-making process for selecting a major, and in the clarification of the relationship between educational plans and career goals.

It is up to you to be sure that you complete all the requirements for our major and minor.  Check regularly with an advisor in each department in which you have majors and minors to make sure you are meeting all of the requirements. You must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 in your major(s)/minor(s), including prescribed collateral courses, in order to be eligible for departmental approval to graduate with the major(s)/ minor(s), unless the department requires a higher grade point average. To see the current requirements for each major and minor, check the individual entries under Majors and Minors in this catalog.

If you are seeking teacher certification, you need to earn a 2.50 cumulative grade point average before you student teach. You also need a 2.75 grade point average in your major, minor, concentration, and education courses before you student teach. To be a student teaching intern, you need a 3.00 grade point average in your major, minor, concentration, and education courses.

Your department may discontinue you as a major candidate before you complete two-thirds of the credits required for your major and before you begin your senior year. To do so, they notify you in writing. If you are in good standing as a major during your junior year but do not continue to meet your department’s standards during your senior year, your department may discontinue you then as well.

Your department may also conditionally accept or retain you as a major candidate for your senior year. To do so, at the time they accept you, they notify you in writing of the specific conditions you must meet. If you fail to satisfy these written conditions during your senior year, they may discontinue you as a candidate.

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Minimum Acceptable Standards
You are in good academic standing if you have a semester and cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 (C) or above. With a GPA at or above 2.00 you meet the minimum acceptable standards of UW-Stevens Point, and are not placed on probation.

Nontraditional Students
If you have experienced a break in your education or if you are over 24 years of age and now wish to begin your college education, you are a nontraditional student. For more information, contact Non-Traditional Student Support Services, Room Student Services Center, 715-346-3574. Scholarships for non-traditional students are also available.

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Questions or comments on the online catalog? Contact msipiors@uwsp.edu.
Copyright � 2003 UWSP News Services. All rights reserved.
Revised: May 07, 2008.