DISCIPLINARY ACTION AND DISMISSAL
- Failure to meet the program’s academic or conduct expectations can result in disciplinary action including immediate dismissal from the program. If a student is not making satisfactory progress in regards to academic or conduct expectations, the advisor will consult with the student’s committee to determine if disciplinary action or dismissal is recommended.
- Student progress is reviewed annually by each student’s graduate committee at a Yearly Meetings. At any time if the student’s average grades in the preceding semester fall below a GPA of 3.0, or if the advisor and the student’s graduate committee conclude that a student has failed to achieve satisfactory progress (or is not meeting expectations regarding academic conduct), the student will be put on probation. Students on probation then have one semester to improve their performance to a level deemed adequate by both their graduate committee and the departmental Graduate Committee. Any student on probation is required to generate a written plan for making adequate progress and to share this plan with their advisor and committee. This plan should include specific objectives including dates and deadlines for meeting those objectives. If a student’s performance in the probationary semester is not deemed adequate, the student may be dismissed or, in rare circumstances, allowed to continue for one additional probationary semester .
- The status of a student can be one of three options:
- Good standing (progressing according to department standards; all funding guarantees remain in place).
- Probation (not progressing fully to standards but permitted to enroll; no funding guarantee).
- Unsatisfactory progress (not progressing according to standards; such students may be asked to take a leave of absence, encouraged to pursue another program, or asked to permanently leave the department).
Specific Examples:
- When a student’s semester grades fall below a GPA of 3.0, the student is placed on academic probation. They are then expected to raise their overall GPA to 3.0 or higher in the following semester of full time enrollment (or 12 credits of enrollment if enrolled part-time). If they do not achieve this, the student may be dismissed from the program. (In rare circumstances, a student may be allowed to continue for an additional semester if the advisor’s appeal to the Graduate School is approved.) A cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required to graduate. See the Graduate School Academic Policies & Procedures: Probation wisc.edu/acadpolicy/#probation and Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement grad.wisc.edu/acadpolicy/#gparequirement .
- For any required courses in which the student earns a grade below a B, the course must be repeated. Required courses may only be repeated once. Failure to receive a B or higher in the repeated course may result in dismissal from the program. Students must do all the work in the repeated course, including laboratory; attend regularly; participate in class discussions; take examinations; and write papers. Students will earn a final grade in the course. Both grades will be used in calculating the student’s overall graduate grade-point average; however, the course will count only once toward meeting degree credit requirements for the program. See the Graduate School Academic Policies & Procedures: wisc.edu/acadpolicy/#repeatingcourses
- Any graduate student who fails to meet the program’s expectations during two consecutive semesters (not including summer) will be dismissed from the program at the end of the second semester. Any student who fails to meet the program’s expectations because of failure to pass any required exams and procedures within designated time limits may also be dismissed from the program at the end of that semester.
- Students may be disciplined or dismissed from the graduate program for any type of misconduct (academic, non-academic, professional, or research) or failure to meet program expectations regardless of their academic standing in the program. Separate and apart from a violation of Professional Conduct, a student may face University disciplinary action (or legal action) with regard to the same action. Concerns about infractions of the Professional Conduct may be effectively handled informally between the student and the advisor/faculty member. However, if resolution is not achieved, the issue may be advanced for further review by the Department Chair.
Disciplinary Actions
Depending on the type and nature of the misconduct, the Division of Student Life may also have grounds to do one or more of the following:
- Reprimand
- Probation
- Suspension
- Expulsion
- Restitution
- A zero or failing grade on an assignment on an assignment/exam
- A lower grade or failure in the course
- Removal from course
- Enrollment restrictions in a course/program
- Conditions/terms of continuing as a student
Additional Information
Links for additional information regarding Academic Misconduct:
grad.wisc.edu/acadpolicy/#misconductacademic students.wisc.edu/doso/students.html students.wisc.edu/doso/misconductflowchart.html students.wisc.edu/doso/docs/uws_chapter_14.pdf
Links for additional information regarding Non-Academic Misconduct: grad.wisc.edu/acadpolicy/#misconductnonacademic students.wisc.edu/doso/nonacadmisconduct.html students.wisc.edu/doso/docs/NewUWS%2017.pdf students.wisc.edu/doso/docs/NewUWS%2018.pdf
Links for additional information regarding Research Misconduct and Responsible Conduct: grad.wisc.edu/acadpolicy/#responsibleconductofresearch kb.wisc.edu/gsadminkb/page.php?id=34486 kb.wisc.edu/gsadminkb/search.php?cat=2907