Approved by CALS Curriculum Committee 4/17/1998

Policy on Course Waivers and Substitutions For Course Requirements

I. Purpose

The requirements for degrees, majors and certificates represent the faculty's judgment of the minimum standards for the knowledge and skills that must be met by every graduate in that academic field. On occasion, a waiver or substitution for a requirement may be appropriate under particular conditions unique to a specific student. This policy sets forth the criteria and procedures for waivers and substitutions and applies to all students.

II. Principles

1. Wisconsin State Statute 36.09(4) designates the faculty as having responsibility for academic and educational activities. Departments and their designees (e. g., Academic Student Affairs) thus bear responsibility for what is considered acceptable for completion of their academic programs.

2. Waivers and substitutions should not fundamentally alter the nature of the academic program.

3. All students should be treated consistently and fairly.

4. Waiver and substitution requests should be evaluated on an individual basis.

5. There should be specified evaluation and appeal processes, which involve faculty or administration, to determine if the accommodation should be granted (i.e., to determine if the course that is the subject of the requested waiver or substitution is fundamental to the academic standards of the program).

III. Procedures

A. Undergraduate Programs:

1. Undergraduate students must submit requests for substitutions and waivers in writing to the Associate Dean for Academic Student Affairs. The Academic Student Affairs Associate Dean will determine if the requested waiver or substitution relates to a university, college or departmental requirement and will direct the student to the appropriate decision making body.

2. The Academic Student Affairs Associate Dean may be designated by the faculty to rule on particular substitutions and waivers, following the guidelines specified by the faculty.

3. If the course is a College requirement, the Associate Dean will make a ruling consistent with faculty guidelines or, if no guidelines exist, will refer the request to the Scholastic Policies and Actions Committee for a decision.

4. If the course is a departmental requirement, the Associate Dean will refer the matter to the department for a decision. The department will refer the request to the department's curriculum committee or another committee appointed for this purpose. The faculty of the department will make the decision and notify the Associate Dean and the student.

5. Appeal process:

a) If the course requirement is a college requirement, the student may appeal the decision of the Associate Dean by filing a written appeal with the Scholastic Policies and Actions Committee (SPAC). SPAC procedures provide the student with the opportunity to argue the appeal in person before the committee. The SPAC decision is then final.

Policy on Course Waivers and Substitutions for Course Requirements

b) If the course requirement is a departmental requirement, the student may file a written appeal with the Associate Dean for Academic Student Affairs, who will attempt to resolve the issue by informal mediation. If the attempt fails, the appeal will be referred to the Scholastic Policies and Actions Committee. SPAC procedures provide the student with the opportunity to argue the appeal in person before the committee. The SPAC decision is then final.

B. Graduate Programs

Departments will appoint a committee to review graduate student requests for waivers and substitutions. The committee will assure that (a) waivers and substitutions do not fundamentally alter the degree program, (b) all students are treated equitably, and (c) documentation is maintained on the evaluation process and resultant decisions.

IV. Special Procedures for Students with Disabilities

It is in the interest of the college, the university and the society that qualified individuals with disabilities earn a college education, and the college should make reasonable accommodations to advance this goal. A reasonable accommodation in general is any change or alteration in the environment or in the way things are customarily done that would enable a qualified individual with a disability to enjoy equal access to the program, service, or activity, and that would not fundamentally alter the program, service, or activity, or be an undue burden. What constitutes reasonable accommodation is determined on a case by case basis.

Eligible Requests: A student is eligible to submit a request for a waiver or substitution of a course requirement under this policy if the student is certified by the McBurney Center as having a learning disability.

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, qualified individuals are those who meet the essential eligibility requirements for admission or participation in a program, service, or activity of a covered entity (e.g., the university) with or without reasonable accommodation or modification, such as (1) alteration of rules, policies, and practices; (2) removal of architectural, communications, or transportation barriers; or (3) provision of auxiliary aids. The key question in considering whether a student is "qualified" is: "Can the student perform the essential requirements of the program or activity, either independently or with accommodation, without fundamentally altering the nature of the program, service, or activity?"

General Education: The campus Committee on Access and Accommodation in Instruction has noted that the general education requirements for undergraduates are campus wide (Faculty Document 1065, 1994) rather than college specific. The Committee has adopted a policy that states:

It is expected that no substitutions or waivers, beyond the array of approved courses, will be permitted for the communication and quantitative reasoning portions of the campus general education requirements. It has been determined by the Committee on Access and Accommodation in Instruction that those requirements are necessary parts of an undergraduate education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Substitutions or waivers would alter the fundamental nature of the degree. Appeals to this general campus policy are handled by the Committee on Access and Accommodation in Instruction.

Other requests: Other requests for waivers or substitutions will be handled by the College and/or the department in the manner specified in Parts II and III above. If the course for which a waiver or substitution is requested is found to be fundamental to the program, the department must provide a justification for why the alternative (i. e., the course substitution or waiver) would lower academic standards or require a substantial program alteration. The department will keep a written record of the evaluation process (e.g. meeting dates, etc.), the decision and the reasons for the decision.

Note: The proposed policy under Part IV only addresses waivers and substitutions of course requirements for students with disabilities. Accommodations within specific courses (e. g., alternative testing, special arrangements) are handled through policies set forth in Faculty Document 1071 (1994).

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