In any community, including that of scholars and professors, differences of opinion and misunderstandings arise, and provisions must be made for resolution of grievances.

Concerning any decision, there is, with few exceptions, a higher authority to whom appeal may be made should the individual feel that the decision is unjust. The route to follow in seeking redress of a grievance will depend upon the type of grievance and the area of the university concerned. This section will discuss a few of those authorities.

Admission and Academic Appeals Committee

Students with admission, readmission or reinstatement difficulties may appeal in writing to the Admission and Academic Appeals Committee. If the written appeal is denied, personal appeals may be made by appointment through the Registrar’s Office. Please note: if a student has been dismissed more than once, the student will only be allowed to appeal in person. No written appeal is allowed. The committee will study the case and advise the Director of Admission, Registrar or Provost as to the proper solutions.

Academic Concerns Related to Course Grades

1. Address the concern(s) with the course instructor.
2. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the meeting, or if you would be uncomfortable confronting the instructor, take the concern to the chair of the appropriate academic department. If the instructor is the department chairperson, the conference should be with the instructor and college dean.
3. If a resolution is not achieved there, you may appeal, in writing, to the Admission and Academic Appeals Committee (AAAC). The committee will hear both sides of the issue, examine the records, and advise the provost and all parties concerned as to a recommended solution. Your appeal must be received no later than six months after completing the course.
4. Grievances about course grades which are appealed to the AAAC must address specific complaints related to grading, not concerns regarding conduct of classes or other course matters. In order for the AAAC to hear a formal grade appeal, a student must have a specific example of a major paper, project, lab or exam that was graded or recorded incorrectly that has significantly affected the student’s grade.

Student Discipline and Academic Misconduct

Serving both UW-Platteville campuses, the Dean of Students Office encourages honesty, integrity, and respect among UW-Platteville students and promotes responsibility through an environment of accepting consequences of behavior. The Dean of Students Office responsibilities regarding student discipline are two-fold: to ensure that students are treated fairly, and to hold students accountable to university policies and regulations.  The Office is guided in this responsibility by Chapters 14, 17, and 18 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code and by those regulations specific to UW-Platteville. For additional information, see https://www.uwplatt.edu/department/dean-students/conduct.

Student Misconduct Hearing Committee

Instances of student misconduct may be adjudicated through the Dean of Students Office, or in instances of academic misconduct, a faculty member.  Students may appeal decisions to a Student Misconduct Hearing Committee. In some instances, these decisions may be appealed to the Chancellor.