How to appeal your academic suspension

For College of Letters & Science undergraduate students who have been notified that, after Spring 2023 grades, the next step in their probation process is an academic suspension from Summer 2023 through Spring 2024.

You may apply for immediate readmission if you have already taken steps to change your situation, and can explain the circumstances that affected your studies and show that these circumstances have been resolved.

The appeal is not a good option for students who need more time to figure out what challenges have affected their studies, or who need time to resolve those challenges.

The main part of the appeal process is meeting with the appeal committee of professors and academic deans on either Thursday, June 8th (in-person) or Friday, June 9th, 2023 (online). You must be available on one of these days.

You will create documents to explain to the committee what challenges affected your classes, learning, and grades—and explain what changes have been made.

Readmission for Fall 2023 is not guaranteed.

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: we 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).

Step 1: Request an appeal

BEFORE 11:59 PM, MONDAY, MAY 29, 2023

Complete and submit the appeal request form to let us know you want to appeal for immediate readmission to UW–Madison. Do this by the deadline if you want to appeal for Fall 2023 readmission. (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 Thursday,  June 8 and Friday, June 9. Give accurate information about your schedule, since once your appointment time is assigned there might not be options for changing it.

This is only for students who were academically suspended after the Spring 2023 term. If you were academically suspended after an earlier term and are ready to apply for readmission, go here.

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.

Step 2: Create your documents

The appeal committee will eventually 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 Summer/Fall 2023. 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.

Please create Word documents and keep your own record of all your materials. All documents related to academic suspension are confidential and shared only with those immediately involved in your appeal.

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 on changes and plans that are already in place. Explain why you believe you have a realistic chance at academic success in the fall, if immediately readmitted.

Degree plan (required). — What are your specific plans for completing your degree, if you are readmitted? Changing majors, or taking different courses? Please talk with your academic advisor to confirm your plan makes sense for you, and it is something you can accomplish.

Run a “what if” DARS report to see how your completed classes fit into new majors or certificates

Also include what your plans will be if you are not readmitted to UW–Madison for Fall 2023. The committee uses this alternate plan to help understand how you are thinking about your circumstances. Also, having an alternate plan helps the committee see that you are working to understand what has contributed to your situation and plan to manage or resolve this in realistic ways. We know that time may be short to set up time to talk with your advisor, but do that if you can.

You may also want to step back and think for a bit about what you think would best help you change what is currently not working for you. Does that mean that you need to find consistent medical resources? Work on academic strategies at Madison College or another school? Take some time to better understand the larger goals you have?

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.

Step 3: Upload your documents to Box

BEFORE 11:59 PM, SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 2023

Within a few days of submitting the appeal request form, you will receive an email with a link to a special Box folder. This folder is specifically for your appeal documents.

Upload your required appeal statement and degree plan (Word document format is best), and any optional supporting documents (PDFs, scans, etc.).

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 2024 or later.

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

BEFORE 12:00 PM, TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 2023

This 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 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 for your appointment.

Need to change your time? — Contact the L&S Undergraduate Academic Deans’ Office 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

THURSDAY, JUNE 8 OR FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 2023

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 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.

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/2deq8zklnducl1925y9xhgejccnlpfrn

Step 6: After the appeal, move forward

Committee appeal 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.

Approved for immediate readmission?

You may continue your studies in Summer/Fall 2023, with a status of Strict Probation. Perhaps you will choose to enroll in different fall classes or even change your major. Keep in touch with your advisors, rely on campus tutoring, health, counseling, and financial aid services—and keep sticking to your plan to have a solid semester of good learning.

With the status of Strict Probation, your Summer/Fall 2023 term GPA will need to be at least 2.000 to avoid being academically suspended at the end of that semester.

How to clear probation

Continuing with academic suspension?

If your appeal for readmission is not approved, let the break away from your studies be your chance to reset, prepare yourself for academic access, and apply for readmission in a year.

There’s a whole page of information about your academic suspension year and readmission; please read it.

Stay in touch! Our goal is to help you graduate from UW–Madison. You may meet with your advisor, with an academic dean, with UW Career Services, or with SuccessWorks during your year away. All of us want to work with you to find what you need to succeed.

Appeal Dropped Status Form