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Here is a list of commonly asked questions students have for us. You should always feel free to “get in touch”: with us if you have any questions.
CALS students can change majors within the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences by completing a Change of Major form in 116 Agricultural Hall. Students are encouraged to talk to an adviser in the department of the new major to review requirements. Students should request a DARS report, from My UW or Academic Student Affairs, showing the “what if” requirements of their new major.
The short answer is come to 116 Ag Hall to pick up the appropriate form. Your plan needs to be approved by your advisor and all of the departments involved in your double major. There are various combinations of double degrees and majors you can set up. Majors can be all within CALS or within other schools and colleges.
Students with unsatisfactory performance will have an academic action notation on their grade report and transcript. The type of action taken depends on the GPA and the number of semesters of poor academic performance. A detailed explanation of the academic actions for CALS is available in the Undergraduate Catalog.
First, talk to your advisor. Discuss your situation and a plan of action. Students with unusual or substantial circumstances may appeal to the Scholastic Policies and Actions Committee (SPAC). If you wish to request a substition or have your case heard by SPAC, you should speak to the staff in the Office of Academic Student Affairs to learn of the committee meeting times, deadlines to file an appeal and to make an appointment. Appeals may be written or in person. Students will need to submit a letter to the committee prior to their appearance before the committee explaining their request and the reason for the request. Students should also ask their advisor to provide a letter indicating his or her assessment of the situation.
Dean's permission to drop a class after the deadline is granted only under highly unusual circumstances beyond the student's control. Examples would be serious illness or injury resulting in substantial class time missed, death of a close relative, and serious family emergencies.
If you will not be able to make a decision on dropping a course by the end of the 9th week you should see your advisor, prior to that date. Discuss your situation with your advisor. If your advisor agrees with your need to defer the decision on dropping a class until after the end of the 9th week you should visit the Office of Academic Student Affairs and discuss your situation with a Dean. The Dean's decision on how to proceed will be made on a case by case basis for each student. Any decision to allow a deferral for a drop must be made prior to the drop deadline. Otherwise we will assume that you have had ample time to make a decision and we will not extend the deadline except under the most unusual cases and only for circumstances over which you have no control.
Continuing students with at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA, new freshmen, and new transfer students may elect one pass/fail course each semester, with a maximum of eight such courses prior to graduation. Courses graded with the pass/fail system cannot be used to satisfy any of the university, college, degree program, or major requirements. With the exception of Physical Education activity and dance courses, students must receive permission from their advisor. For all courses students must come to 116 Ag Hall and receive permission from the Office of Academic Student Affairs. Students must fill out the application to take a course on a pass/fail basis. After approval, the student cannot change the grading back to the conventional (A, AB, etc.) basis. The grade is excluded from the GPA. Students are warned that although a grade of D carries credit under the conventional system, it carries no degree credit when it is converted to a grade of U under the pass/fail privilege. Students in pre-professional programs for veterinary medicine, medicine, and graduate studies are cautioned not to take work that is required or recommended on a pass/fail basis.
CALS students may request a change of advisor at anytime. If staying in the same major, go to the Department office and tell them that you want to change advisors and they will help you. If it is in a different major, first visit that program and then come to 116 Agriculture Hall to complete a Change of Major/Adviser Form.
CALS students need permission from their advisor and the Office of Academic Student Affairs. For each credit over 18, you will be assessed a per credit charge. See the Office of the Registrar's Tuition & Fees webpage for more information on fee assessment.
Students wishing to take independent study classes will need to get permission from the faculty member they are working with. The faculty member will give the student the name of the person in his or her department who is responsible for entering the authorization for students for independent study classes into the registration system. Once this has been done, that person will give the student the 5 digit registration number and the student will need to add the class on My UW.
CALS students with the following program codes: ABM (Ag Business Management), ADI (Dietetics) and ASB (Ag Sciences, Business option) are required to complete business courses. The School of Business and CALS have traditionally required a form for pre-authorization approval. New in the fall of 2008 students with these codes will no longer need to complete a form for preferred enrollment into these courses. Students with these academic majors will now have the opportunity to enroll after the School of Business, but before the general campus based only on their academic code. As in the past, enrollment is not guaranteed. CALS Connections will have more details closer to the enrollment period.
Simply fill out an application; filling out one application allows you to apply for all the scholarships that CALS awards.
First, meet with an advisor in the department you wish to transfer into for guidance on course requirements, career options and departmental policies. If you don't know an advisor in your intended major, call the department's general office number and ask whom you should see for advising.
Next, attend a transfer workshop where we will discuss the advantages and opportunities associated with becoming a member of the CALS Community.
Transfer workshops are held every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 3:30 pm, during the academic year, in the Undergraduate Programs & Services Office, 116 Agricultural Hall. The workshop will last no more than one hour and you should come with a DARS report for the major you plan to declare. Sign up in advance by calling 608-262-3003 or emailing undergrads@cals.wisc.edu; please include your student id number, intended major and degree program, and the name of the advisor with whom you spoke.
If you are a B.S. degree student who has taken Short Course classes, or a Short Course student now pursuing a four-year degree from CALS, you may apply a maximum of 15 Short Course credits toward your degree. To do this, request a transcript from the Short Course office (116 Ag Hall, 608-263-3918) and ask to have your credits transferred.
The Letters & Science Advising Center offers pre-health, pre-law, and other pre-professional advising for all undergraduates at UW-Madison and maintains a detailed and informative website (click on “Academic Advising” and scroll through the options listed there). Consult your CALS faculty advisor about academic questions as well. And be sure to check out the pre-health, pre-vet, pre-law, and other pre-professional and professional student organizations.