Academic Services FAQs
As an incoming college freshman, you will be admitted directly to a college (there are nine undergraduate schools and colleges, see your Guidebook for a description of each). There is a Dean's staff member who is responsible for your academic record and advising you in each college. You will also find academic advisors in the various departments within the colleges. (For example, the academic advisor for the Sociology Department is Ellen Jacobsen, Rm 8128 Social Science Bldg. 265-3572.) You will also have an advisor from the Academic Services Office of the Athletic Department.
It is up to you to seek these individuals out and ask for assistance. They have many resources and are interested in helping you make good academic decisions during your stay at UW Madison. It is recommended that you see an advisor at least one time per semester during the registration period (November and April are when you will register for classes each semester). Remember to make your appointments EARLY in order to be served in a timely manner.
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There are a number of important deadlines with respect to adding and dropping courses, taking classes pass/fail, etc. These are all outlined in each semester's timetable located at http://registrar.wisc.edu/timetable/. Since your eligibility depends on your maintaining full-time status, the most important deadlines would be adding and dropping courses. The add deadline is the end of the 2nd week of classes. Modular courses (those that meet fewer than the full 16 weeks) have different deadlines; see your timetable or an advisor for this information. The drop deadline is the end of the 9th week of classes. Check the timetable for specific dates each semester! You must register for pass/fail privileges by the end of the 4th week of the semester.
Other important dates and deadlines concern the process of registration for classes. It is very important to watch your email for registration information and pay close attention to your day and time of registration. Once you have registered you are able to make touch-tone changes to your registration through the 2nd week of classes. After that time you will need to use a Course Change Form. This form is available on the web at: http://registrar.wisc.edu/forms/student/course_change_form.php. The deadline for withdrawl from the University is the end of the 12th week of classes.
It is always a good idea to check with an advisor prior to dropping, adding, or registering for courses. A good rule of thumb is add first, drop second! As a student-athlete you will have a "credit hold" placed on your electronic record - essentially once you have enrolled in 12 credits you will be blocked from dropping below 12 credits. This prevents anyone from competing below full time status! If you need help removing this hold, for whatever reason (i.e. dropping and adding classes), please see your athletic academic advisor.
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Major declaration is done in the appropriate departmental office, usually by the undergraduate advisor. You should bring a recent copy of your transcript when you see this advisor. (To obtain a transcript, go to 21 N. Park St., Office of the Registrar on the seventh floor, with your student ID, and they will print one for you.) The actual declaration is a short form filed by your academic department that will put the correct information into the student records database.
The bigger question may be, "How do I decide which major to choose?" To remain eligible, you need a declared major by the onset of your third year of study. Exploring your options and taking a wide variety of course work up to that point is helpful in narrowing your choices. Take time to discuss your interests and major possibilities with your Athletic Department advisor. It also may be a good idea to take an interest inventory at the Career Exploration Center (6 Ingraham Hall), speak to a Cross-College advisor (http://www.ccas.wisc.edu), or spend some time interviewing different advisors in potential major areas. Remember, the departmental undergraduate advisors often do not work in the summer months. Do not wait until the August prior to your third year to make this decision! Start thinking about major declaration early!
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A DARS report keeps you informed about which courses you need in order to complete your degree. You can obtain a copy of this via MyUW at http://my.wisc.edu/portal/ . Your DARS report will be sent to your email account if you request it using My UW.
Using My UW, you are able to receive "what-if" DARS. "What-if" DARS reports are provided so that students may explore degree programs, additional majors, and certificate programs other than those they have officially declared. "What-if" DARS reports are unofficial and intended to be used as an informational tool only. Because requirements are subject to change, students seriously considering changing colleges, degree programs, majors, or certificates are strongly encouraged to consult an academic advisor and should not rely solely upon a "what-if" DARS report for academic planning. Students are ultimately responsible for knowing the requirements for any degree, major, or certificate they choose.
If you have trouble reading your DARS, you should consult with a major or athletic department advisor.
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There are placement/planning offices within each school and college that offer career and job search assistance for students. Among other services, they offer workshops and individual appointments to assist students with identifying skills and values, developing a personal resume, preparing for interviews, organizing a job search, and identifying potential employers. Check with your school or college for information about your career services office.
The Fetzer Center staff also will be planning various career-oriented activities throughout the year, such as resume workshops and an annual career fair. Watch your email for news on these events! Freshman through seniors should get involved - it's never too early to begin your career exploration! Please Contact Kelli Richards at kjr@athletics.wisc.edu or 265-0138 for more specific information.
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If you want to attend summer school at a school in your home area, it is very important to find out if the courses you take there are transferable. Please go to the Admissions Office (3rd floor of the Red Gym) after March 1 to obtain the form necessary to find out if courses are transferable. You will need an official course description for the course(s) you wish to take. If you plan to take a course at another UW school, you can see how courses will transfer at http://www.uwsa.edu/tis/. Remember, courses you take at other schools do not count in your grade point average, and you must earn at least a C for the credits to transfer. It is a very good idea to check with your advisor when considering course work at another institution. Also, your final 30 credits must be taken in residence at UW-Madison.
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It is your responsibility to consult with instructors prior to making an athletic trip. Athletic Department advisors will work with you, when requested, to provide official verification that you are missing class due to athletic competition. However, it is always best if you meet with your instructors beforehand so that s/he is clear on any assignments that might be missed and aware of any and all deadlines for making up missed exams and/or class assignments, presentations, and projects.
Instructors determine how your work will be made up for their class. If the instructor will not allow a make-up exam, you may be required to remain on campus to complete the required activity. The professor has the final word. Not all professors view a University sponsored event (i.e. athletic competition) as an excused absence. If neither the student nor the advisor is able to resolve a problem with the professor, the student may bring the matter to the chair of the department or the college dean.
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Summer school aid may be provided according to the following guidelines:
- Aid will be provided first for those students who need to attend summer school in order to meet eligibility requirements or who need additional credit hours in order to meet graduation requirements.
- Aid will be provided only to those students who have completed a minimum of 12 academic credit hours throughout each of the previous two semesters.
- If provided, aid will be in proportion to the amount of athletically related financial aid received by the student-athlete during the previous academic year.
- Aid will be provided only to those students who have made a conscientious effort to pursue degree requirements and have given full cooperation to college, departmental, and Division of Intercollegiate Athletics personnel in all matters of an academic nature.
Please see your Academic Advisor in the Academic Services Office, in mid-March, to sign up for summer school aid.
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Yes! Get involved with the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and/or Student-Athletes Equally Supporting Others (SAESO). SAAC and SAESO are student run and meet once a month. They provide an outlet for discussion of various issues specific to dealing with the rigors of student-athlete life. You'll serve as the "voice" for your athletic team and have the opportunity to be the student-athlete "voice" before the Athletic Board.
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There are a number of ways to get around camps. The first and obvious one is by foot. Bikes and mopeds are very popular around campus. Cars are an option, but as you can imagine, parking can be tricky and somewhat expensive. There are also buses that run throughout campus all day that are available for students to use. The 85 is free to all students but you must get a bus pass so you can swipe your ID once you get on the bus.
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Jill Hadfield, advisor in the Office of Academic Services, for Student-Athlete has vouchers and a form you can fill out for transportation accommodations. Typically these transportation vouchers are for those injuries that would enable/make it difficult to walk from class to class. We can arrange for a cab to pick you up from one place and take you to another. If you have an injury that enables you from walking for a few months, you can apply for temporary handicapped parking.
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Go to the myUW webpage and enter your student id and password. Once you have entered that information click on "student center." Once you have clicked on student center, on the left hand side of the page there are a number of actions you may do with your schedule. One of the options is "drop class". Click on the "drop class" command; this allows you to place on "x" on whichever course you wish to drop. Once you placed an "x" by the course click "drop course" at the bottom of the page. The next page will say "continue to drop course". Click "continue to drop course" and the course will be taken off your schedule. The schedule of classes (located under academic tab), which is located on the front page of the UW webpage informs you of the last day to drop a course. If it is past this date, you must get a deans permission to drop a course.
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Leslie Fields handles all athletic scholarships. If you have questions regarding your athletic scholarship (the amount or how it is disbursed....etc) Leslie is the person to see. Any scholarship or grant you receive must be approved as acceptable by Leslie. If you are thinking of applying for a scholarship or grant feel free to run it by Leslie to confirm it is something you can actually accept. Your recruited status and if you do or don't have an athletic scholarship all play a factor in your ability to accept other aid. Leslie is the Athletic Department's liaison with UW Housing and is willing to help answer any questions you may have in regards to that. If you are on athletic scholarship, she can explain how the money is getting applied to housing. Leslie is also the person you will see if you plan on using a car or scooter on campus. She has the auto registration forms that you need to fill out. In addition, if you are planning on getting a job (paid or unpaid) you need to be registered with Leslie.
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In order to get your books, you must go see Leslie Fields. You will fill out a book form, indicating the books you need for the classes in which you are enrolled in. Leslie goes through and checks to make sure you have the correct books for the classes that you are taking. Once she signs your book form, take the form with you to the book store, pick out your books and hand the cashier your book sheet.
If you are a freshman, the majority of your money will be sent to housing for room and board along with tuition fees. The remainder of the money will be used for a meal plan. You can use your WISC card for meals (just swipe card at the dining halls). If you live off campus, you will get a monthly scholarship check from Leslie that can be used as you see fit (hopefully on rent, bills, etc).
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The majority of first year students live in dorms. You can rank the order of dorms you choose to live in, but you are not guaranteed your top choice. After your first year, most students will move off campus and move into an apartment or house. You can stay in the dorms longer than the first year, but the majority of students move off campus.
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An enrollment hold makes it so that you cannot register. Typically you receive an enrollment hold if you have not paid something. Some examples of enrollment holds include unpaid fines, has a delinquent loan account, has refused to return books or property of the University, has refused to replace or repair University property which the student has damaged, or is otherwise indebted to the University. There will be contact information on your account indicating where the hold is coming from. Get in touch with the contact to clear things up.
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Yes! You may drop classes up to the 9th week of the semester. You must make sure that you are enrolled in at least 12 hours.
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Get in contact, via email, phone call or in person, with David Mattison. He is the tutor coordinator for student-athletes. He assigns group study sessions and individual tutor sessions. The tutor sessions, whether they are in a group or individual, take place at the Fetzer Center in the McClain and at the Fetzer Center in the Kohl Center.
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Each athletic team is assigned an advisor. For example, if you are on the wrestling team, your academic advisor will be Chris Butler. If you are on the Men's Soccer team your academic advisor will be David Mattison. In addition to your athletic academic advisor, you will also have an advisor on campus that will also assist you with matters pertaining to graduation, course selection etc.
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