How to appeal your academic suspension

For Letters & Science undergraduates who have been academically suspended at the end of Fall 2024

For most students, academic suspension provides time needed to address issues that are interfering with academic progress. In rare cases, students may be able to demonstrate that those issues have been resolved. 

SHOULD I APPEAL?   You may apply for immediate readmission (or “appeal”) if you can: 

• • Describe the circumstances that interfered with your studies, 

• • Document that you have already taken steps to change your situation, and 

• • Show that these circumstances have been resolved. 

Some situations that might lead to a successful appeal: 

• • Sustained illness that has now been cured and/or treated; 

• • Sustained financial problems that have now been resolved; 

• • Personal trauma for which a student is now being treated and will continue treatment. 

Some situations that do not meet the criteria for a successful appeal: 

• • I didn’t like my major or my classes. 

• • I didn’t get along with my roommates. 

• • My club/sport/Greek society/campus job took up all my time. 

• • I partied a lot and slept through my morning classes. 

• • I don’t want to tell my parents/my parents won’t let me leave college. 

If you believe you can make a strong case for immediate readmission, please review the rest of this page and make a plan to complete the tasks below by the posted deadlines. Please note: Participating in the appeal process does not guarantee readmission for Spring 2025.   

The appeal is not a good option for students who need time to figure out what challenges have affected their studies, who need time to resolve those challenges, or have been granted an appeal at the end of the previous term. If you appealed last term, you must meet with an academic dean to seek permission to appeal again. The second consecutive appeal will not be scheduled without a Dean’s permission. If you do not wish to appeal, please review Readmission after Academic Suspension to identify steps to get ready for readmission after your suspension year has passed. 

As you consider whether to appeal, please note that the appeal process is the only option for seeking readmission in less than one year. There is no guarantee an appeal will be granted, and you will be unable to enroll until three consecutive terms (Fall, Spring, and Summer) have passed if you do not appeal or if your appeal is not granted.  

WHAT DOES AN APPEAL INCLUDE?  An appeal includes a written component and a meeting: 

1. Request an appeal before 11:59 pm CT on Monday, January 6, 2025. 
2. Submit written documentation, described in Step 2, no later than 11:59 CT on Sunday, January 12, 2025, that describes
   
   • • The challenges that affected your classes, learning, and grades and the changes that have already been made to address them. 
   • • A two-part plan for academic success. 
   • • More details on these requirements appear below. 
3. Meet with the appeal committee of professors and academic deans on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, OR Thursday, January 16, 2026.  In-person appointments are preferred. However, virtual options are available for those who cannot make it in person. 

HOW DO I APPEAL MY SUSPENSION?  

Step 1: Request an appeal 

BEFORE 11:59 PM CT, Monday, January 6, 2025 

Complete and submit the appeal request form by the deadline above to let us know you want to appeal for immediate readmission to UW–Madison for Spring 2025. (Please note that you may be directed to a Google webpage.  Use your @wisc.edu email address which will take you to the UW-Madison website to log in with your NetID and password in order to access the appeal request form.) 

You’ll need: 

• • Names and email addresses of your advisors (find your advisors). 

• • Your availability for either Wednesday, January 15, 2025, or Thursday, January 16, 2025 (in-person appointments are preferred). Give accurate information about your schedule, since it may be difficult to change an appointment after it’s been assigned. 

This is only for students who were academically suspended after the Fall 2024 term. If you were academically suspended after an earlier term and are ready to apply for readmission, go here. 

Step 2: Create your documents 

You must prepare and submit two documents by the deadline. 

1. Appeal statement (required; up to 750 words): This is your main opportunity to help the appeal committee understand what specific and concrete changes you have made to resolve the issues or circumstances that have affected your studies. Focus on specific examples and describe changes and plans that are already in place. Explain why you believe you have a realistic chance at academic success in the upcoming term, if immediately readmitted. 
2. Two-part Plan for Success (required; address both Plan A and Plan B): This document helps the appeal committee to understand your future plans regardless of whether you will be immediately readmitted or your suspension is upheld. We strongly recommend that you talk with your academic advisor to confirm your plan before you submit this document for appeals. 

 A.  PLAN A: Lay out your plans to complete your degree if you are readmitted immediately. 

Questions to consider for Plan A: Degree Plan 

• • Do you need to change majors? If so, why? 

• • Do you need to take different courses? If so, why? 

• • What strategies do you have to ensure your academic success? 

• • Is your new plan manageable? You can also run a “what if” DARS report to see how your completed classes fit into new majors or certificates. 

B.  PLAN B: Lay out your plans if you are not immediately readmitted to UW-Madison for Spring 2025. Your Plan B should include concrete steps for addressing the challenges that have interfered with your academic progress while you are taking one year away. 

Questions to consider for Plan B: Alternate Plan: 

• • Do you need to find consistent medical resources? 

• • Do you need to work on academic strategies at Madison College or another institution? 

• • Do you want to get a job to gain some work experience? 

• • Do you need to stabilize your financial situation? 

• • Supporting documents (optional). — Depending on your situation, you can include other materials with your appeal statement, to illustrate what factors contributed to your earlier probation status and how you have resolved these factors. 

A note on AI: Like other information content and sources, generative AI can be used to support original ideas but not used to write your essays and not presented as your own original work. If you choose to use AI to assist you in generating these documents, you are expected to adhere to UW-Madison conduct standards of honesty and integrity. Falsification is a violation of UWS Chapter 17.09(9). As such, you must properly credit any sources used in your written submission. 

Step 3: Upload your documents to Box 

BEFORE 11:59 PM CT, Sunday, January 12, 2025 

When you submit the appeal request form, you will receive an email with a link to an online Box folder created specifically for your appeal documents. 

• • Save your required documents in Microsoft Word or PDF formats before submitting them and label them as follows: “1. Appeal Statement” and “2. Two-Part Plan for Success”.  Any optional supporting documents (PDFs, scans, etc.) can be submitted to the Box folder. 

Both documents need to be uploaded by the deadline for your appeal to continue to the next step. Students who do not send in these documents will not be considered for appeal and will not be able to take classes at UW–Madison until a successful readmission for Spring 2026 or later. 

The appeal committee will read the material you provide, meet with you, and then make a decision about whether you may be immediately readmitted to continue your studies at UW–Madison in Spring 2025. Making this decision, the committee primarily considers: 

• • your awareness and insight into the factors that have affected your studies 

• • concrete evidence that these circumstances have been addressed or resolved 

• • the likelihood that you will be academically successful in the immediately upcoming term. 

Step 4: Check your email for your appeal appointment date and time 

BEFORE 12:00 PM CT, Tuesday, January 14, 2025 

Appointments will be assigned based on the information you provided in the original form. Take a moment to confirm that you will be available for this time. The email will explain where to go, what time to arrive for check-in, the time of your actual appointment, and other details. 

If your appointment is virtual/online, double-check that you have access to a computer or other device with Zoom installed, that you have a working camera and microphone, and that you will have access to a quiet, private space with reliable internet for your appointment. 

Need to change your time? — Contact L&S Undergraduate Academic Deans’ Services immediately: lsdeans@saa.ls.wisc.edu or (608) 262-0617. We will do our best to accommodate emergencies, but have limited flexibility to change appointment times once they are assigned. 

Step 5: Attend your appeal appointment 

Wednesday, January 15, 2025, OR Thursday, January 16, 2025 (either in person or virtual; In-person appointments are preferred) 

Check in at your assigned time. If, for any reason, you will be late or will miss your appointment, call us at (608) 262-0617 (this telephone number will also be in your appointment confirmation email). 

You will meet with a small group of professors and academic deans, who will have read your uploaded materials along with other parts of your UW–Madison student record. 

The appeal hearing is your opportunity to tell your story in person. You will talk with the appeals committee for 20 to 25 minutes. We know this isn’t easy, especially for students who have had significant illness, personal loss, financial burdens, or other stresses. The appeal committee isn’t judging your life experiences: they will look at the facts to understand whether your setbacks have been resolved, or whether you will benefit from the full year’s break from studies (as do many students in your situation). They will ask you to wait in a private space while they confer, then the dean will join you to tell you whether your appeal was successful. 

Read more about what to expect in your appeal:​​ https://uwmadison.box.com/s/2deq8zklnxducl1925y9xhgejccnlpfrn 

Step 6: After the appeal, move forward 

Committee decisions are final. Students who have been academically suspended can appeal only once during the appeal period: there is no way to appeal a second time. 

Were you approved for immediate readmission? 

If your appeal is successful, you will be readmitted on Strict Probation for the next academic term. If you were previously enrolled, you will be permitted to remain in any classes that commence after the appeals date. You will be expected to implement your plan for academic success and follow the committee’s recommendations. That may include revising your course enrollment plan, changing your major, and utilizing additional campus resources (tutoring, health, counseling, and financial aid services), among other things. You must earn at least 2.000 Term GPA in your next term of enrollment in order to be permitted to continue your studies.  Otherwise, you will be academically suspended again. 

Was your appeal denied?  

If your appeal is denied and the suspension is sustained, you will be automatically withdrawn from the upcoming term and access to some UW services will end.  You will also need to work with housing (landlords or UW University Housing) to determine your eligibility to remain in your current placement.  Use your time away from UW-Madison to reflect on your experience.  Students may apply for readmission at least three full terms following their suspension.   

Appeal Request Form