Information on Appealing your “Dropped for One Year Status” (Faculty Appeals)
The College of Letters & Science undergraduate students have the opportunity to appeal the “dropped for one year status” from the University of Wisconsin-Madison by participating in the Appeals Process (also known as Faculty Appeals). It is important to note that appealing one’s drop status does not guarantee a student will be readmitted to the University. For feedback from a student who took a year off after being dropped, please see One Student’s Story.
The upcoming Faculty Appeals is only for students who have been dropped (placed on academic suspension) at the conclusion of the most recent term. Please see below for details on the appeals process. The deadline to request an appeal for students dropped at the end of Summer 2022 is 11:59 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2022.
If you are an L&S undergraduate student who has been dropped and have been away from your formal studies at UW-Madison for at least one year, please see information on Readmission.
To determine your status, please refer to:
The Appeals Process has three parts.
- Complete and submit appeals request form by 11:59 pm, Thursday, August 18, 2022. This form lets us know you want to appeal for immediate readmission to UW-Madison. When we receive this form, we will send you a link where you can submit your appeals materials.
- Upload your appeal materials by 11:59 pm, Sunday, August 21, 2022.
- Attend an appeal hearing on either Thursday, August 25th or Friday, August 26th, 2022. You will receive your assigned date and time for your individual appeal by noon on Tuesday, August 23. You can only attend one (1) appeal hearing.
Appeals statement – Required
This statement is your chance to explain your circumstances, and, most importantly, what changes you have made so that you can be academically successful in summer/fall 2022.
Supporting material – Optional
- Documentation of the factors contributing to your dropped status
- Documentation proving that you have addressed/resolved the factors or circumstances that have contributed to your dropped status
- Documentation of why you believe you have a realistic chance of being successful if immediately readmitted to continue your studies (for instance, letter from a professor stating that work has been completed, detailed doctor’s note about your health progress to date, etc.)
- Other relevant documents
Appeals materials must be submitted by the deadline using the process outlined here. Be sure to keep a copy of all appeals materials for your records.
Students can appeal only once during the appeals period. Decisions rendered by the faculty appeals committee are final. Students cannot appeal a sustained decision made during faculty appeals.
Additional Student Information
Please note that a student is only permitted to appeal one (1) time for readmission consideration immediately after being dropped for one full year.
If your drop status is sustained, you will be eligible for readmission consideration one year after the date of your drop. Please refer to information on the L&S Undergraduate Academic Deans’ Services website on readmission for further information.
Appeals material submitted after the August 21, 2022 official deadline WILL NOT be considered and students will need to take off at least one full year from their formal studies at UW-Madison.
If you experience problems submitting your information via the online form (e.g., receive an error message when trying to submit the form), please copy the questions on to a WORD document, answer all of the questions, and then send the document to LSDEANS@SAA.LS.WISC.EDU.
***Make sure that you print a copy of your appeal information for your records for future reference after filling out the form completely and pressing the “submit” button below.
If you do not plan to appeal and are registered for spring classes, please drop your courses using the Student Center as soon as possible. (See dropping a class for further details.) Students enrolled in the fall term who have been dropped for one year and not approved for immediate readmission will be administratively withdrawn immediately after faculty appeals.
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Summer/Fall Courses and Dropped Status
Students are not eligible to take courses at UW-Madison while they are in dropped status. All students in dropped status who remain enrolled in summer/fall term classes will be administratively withdrawn from the upcoming term at the end of the appeals period. Students who are administratively withdrawn will not be charged tuition for these classes.
If you have any questions, please call our office at (608) 262-0617 for further assistance.
Extenuating circumstances that have resulted in successful appeals
- 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
If one of these reasons matches your extenuating circumstance, there is still no guarantee that your appeal will be a successful one. The Faculty Appeals committee takes many factors into consideration when hearing and review a student’s appeal.
Circumstances, which, in general, are not considered extenuating for a successful appeal
- I didn’t like my major and now I’ve finally decided what to do
- I was partying a lot during the week and sleeping through my morning classes
- There was a sudden death in my family and now I’m ready to work. (Please note that if it is a long-standing illness that took a student’s focus away, the student must be prepared to document this when speaking with the Faculty Appeals committee.)
- I didn’t get along with my roommates
- I didn’t like my classes
- I’m only a science major (pre-med, pre-business, history, etc.) because my parents want me to be
- My parents will be upset with me if I don’t get readmitted and/or my parents are forcing me to appeal my drop status so I can continue my studies in the upcoming term
Criteria for considering readmission
- Whether there were extraordinary circumstances that were out of your control
- Whether you will be able (and have already shown evidence to this effect) to correct your academic course and be successful
- Whether these circumstances are likely to reappear and lead to another “Strict Probation” or Drop Status before you reach graduation
I have been readmitted?
Your course enrollment will not be discontinued for the upcoming semester(s) and you will be placed on Strict Probation. (See what is the L&S academic probation system for the rules regarding probation and maintaining good academic standing in the College of Letters & Science.)
My drop status has been sustained
If your drop status has been sustained, you will automatically be withdrawn from the upcoming semester or summer term. You will also need to work with housing (landlords or UW University Housing) to determine your status and move out, if applicable.
I do not want to appeal my drop. What do I do?
If you decide not to appeal your drop status and take the mandatory one-year time off from your formal studies at UW–Madison (or if your appeal was not successful), it is entirely up to you to determine what steps you will take next.
- Some students take courses elsewhere and have the credits transferred by to UW-Madison through the Office of Admissions and Recruitment.
- Some students take time off from studies to work full-time in order to pay off bills, save up funds for tuition, etc.
- Some students do some soul-searching to determine whether or not to return to school, etc.
Can I appeal my drop before the mandatory one year time off from my formal studies?
You cannot appeal before the mandatory one-year time period. If you do not appeal for readmission immediately after being dropped from the University, you are required to take off one full year from your studies at UW-Madison. If you do appeal and your drop status is sustained, you cannot appeal at a later date to return before the mandatory one-year time period.