Academic Regulations

• Student Responsibility for Academics
• Academic Integrity
• Definitions for Student Classifications
• Credit at the University of Wyoming
• Credit Transfer from Other Schools or Universities
• Credit by Exam  
• Credit Hour Load
• Grading System  
• Academic Probation, Suspension, and Reinstatement
• University Studies Program (USP) Requirements  
• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (PL-380)  
• Assessment of Student Learning
• WY Common Course Numbering System (CCNS)

Student Responsibility for Academics

Students are responsible for their academic progress. Students seeking assistance with academic progress or experiencing academic difficulty should consult their associate academic dean (or designee) and academic advisor. For information about Academic Advising and Support, click here.

Each undergraduate student accepted for admission will enroll in one of the university’s degree-granting colleges or areas: College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, College of Arts & Sciences, College of Business, College of Education, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, College of Law, Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, School of Energy Resources, Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing, School of Pharmacy, or School of Computing. A student’s major subject is the primary area of specialized study (e.g., English) the student is pursuing within a degree program (e.g., Bachelor of Arts). A student interested in obtaining a double major or dual degree should contact his or her associate academic dean and academic advisor for specific requirements.

All baccalaureate degrees conferred by the University of Wyoming are based on the satisfactory completion of specific authorized degree programs comprising a minimum of 120 semester hours. Requirements for undergraduate degrees are established at three different levels:

1. The university as a whole (Uniform Undergraduate Degree Requirements).
2. The college or area through which the degree is conferred (General Degree Requirements).
3. The particular degree program in which the student is working (Requirements for the Major).

Students should familiarize themselves with all three sets of requirements that must be fulfilled before the degree is granted. Students should consult their associate academic dean (or designee) and academic advisor whenever any question arises concerning academic standing or progress. 

Class Attendance

Each student shall attend the lectures, recitations, and laboratories, and participate in field work deemed necessary to adequately fulfill the academic requirements of each course. Each instructor, at the begin­ning of every semester, shall stipulate the attendance policy necessary for satisfactory completion of the course.

The Dean of Students Office may issue authorized absences for participation in university-sponsored activities and for other unusual circumstances. If students have been hospitalized, or if they have been directed by the Student Health Service or their private physician to stay at their place of residence because of illness, the Student Health Service or their private physician may issue a statement giving the dates of the student’s confinement which the student may show to the instructor without verification from the Dean of Students Office. The Student Health Service has a policy not to provide medical excuses for missed classes.

All instructors shall permit students who have official authorized absences to make up missed course work without penalty. An authorized absence, however, merely gives the individual who missed the class an opportunity to make up the work and in no way excuses him or her from the work required.

When a class has a status of “Indiv Course Withdrawal” on the “Register for Classes” page in WyoRecords, the student has officially withdrawn. Students may also confirm that a final grade of “W” is noted on the transcript, which may be viewed through WyoRecords.

Unauthorized discontinuance of enrollment or unofficial abandon­ment of classes will result in a failing grade.

Register for Courses

Eligible students can register, drop, add, and get a schedule of their courses through WyoRecords. To insure that students have seen an adviser, access numbers for each semester’s registration are distributed through the academic advisers. Directions for registration are contained in the appropriate Class Schedule. Class Schedules are available online no later than one week prior to advising week. Students are responsible for following directions and deadlines contained in the Class Schedules.

The following categories of continuing students in good standing or on academic probation are eligible to register for the semesters indicated:

1. For the fall semester:  All students who were enrolled the previous fall, spring, or summer semester.
2. For the spring semester:  All students who were enrolled the previous spring, summer, or fall semester.
3. For the summer session:  Students who were enrolled the previous summer, fall, or spring semester.

All other applicants and students should complete admission requirements by the admission deadline. (Refer to the sections on undergraduate and graduate admissions in this catalog for deadlines.)

All information requested during admission and registration is important to the student and to the university and should be kept ac­curate and complete. If a student’s address, telephone, major, adviser, or other vital information changes after enrollment, the Office of the Registrar should be informed without delay.

Change of Course Registration

Modification of a course schedule during the drop/add time period is accomplished through WyoRecords. After the end of the drop/add period, individual class withdrawals can be done by the students on WyoRecords. Changes to a student’s registration or withdrawals are not official until the process is completed as prescribed.

The period of time allowed for modifying a student’s schedule or withdrawing during the summer session or other special terms is established in regulations or by the registrar, subject to the approval of the vice president for academic affairs.

During the fall and/or spring semester(s):

1. Dropping a class or changing sections: A student may drop classes dur­ing the first eight (8) class days of the semester (four (4) class days for blocked courses).

2. Adding a course or changing grading option: A student may add classes, change sections, or change grading options or hours in variable-credit courses during the first four (4) class days of the semester (two (2) class days for blocked courses).

3. Withdrawal from a course: After the designated drop/add period, students may officially withdraw from individual regular term courses until fifteen (15) class days after mid-semester (five (5) days after the middle of the course for blocked courses). Withdrawing means that a non-punitive grade of “W” is assigned as the final grade for the class.

   • Students may withdraw from an individual course through their WyoRecords account. 
   • Students considering withdrawing should contact the Student Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing to fully understand how withdrawing will affect their aid and scholarships.
   • If a student has a hold on their account preventing them from withdrawing through WyoRecords, they may submit an online Class Withdrawal form available on the Office of the Registrar website. The online form is required for students who wish to withdraw from First Year Seminar classes.
   • Refunds for course withdrawal (when applicable) are based on the date the withdrawal is processed, not on submission of the online petition. 
   • When a class has a status of “Indiv Course Withdrawal” on the “Add or Drop Classes” page in WyoRecords, the student has of­ficially withdrawn. Students may also confirm that a final grade of “W” is noted on the transcript, which may be viewed through WyoRecords.Unauthorized discontinuance of enrollment or unofficial aban­donment of classes will result in a failing grade.

4. All-School-Withdrawal (termination of enrollment): Withdrawal from the university is the official termination of student status prior to the end of a fall or spring semester, but students may otherwise register for classes for the subsequent semester if they choose to do so. Students wishing to withdraw from all on-campus classes should initiate the procedure with the Dean of Students Office. Withdrawal from the university is not permitted during the last 15 days of a term. After clearing with the Dean of Students Office, the withdrawal form must be presented to the university cashier for initial processing. The Office of the Registrar will report withdrawals to instructors concerned. Students withdrawing from distance classes should send an email to the Office of the Registrar to initiate the process.

Academic Integrity

All members of the University community are responsible for upholding the values of academic integrity. The faculty considers academic integrity a matter of common concern, not merely a private issue between instructor and student. Honesty in all academic endeavors is a component of academic integrity that is vital to the educational functions of the University. Whatever form academic dishonesty may take, the faculty considers it as establishing a student’s failure to demonstrate the acquisition of knowledge and the failure to apply it to an academic endeavor. It is a student’s responsibility to learn the standards of conduct for the performance of academic endeavors; it is an instructor or faculty member’s responsibility to make reasonable effort to make known the standards of conduct for the performance of academic endeavors. Through an atmosphere of mutual respect we enhance the value of education and maintain high standards of academic excellence. Failure on the part of the student to observe and maintain standards of academic honesty, as hereafter defined or made known by an instructor responsible for a course or other academic endeavor, requires corrective action as hereafter authorized

Allegations of student academic misconduct involving federal grants and scientific misconduct or research misconduct shall be referred to the Vice President for Research and Economic Development to be handled pursuant to the University of Wyoming policy for responding to allegations of scientific or research misconduct UW Regulation 6-802. Further action under this UW Regulation is dependent on the outcome of that process. Sanctions under this UW Regulation may be imposed when an allegation of scientific misconduct has been substantiated. Only the sanction is appealable under this UW Regulation. A student may not appeal the finding of scientific misconduct. If no scientific misconduct has been substantiated, but issues of academic dishonesty remain, this UW Regulation may be utilized.

“Academic dishonesty” is an action attempted or performed that misrepresents one’s involvement in an academic endeavor in any way, or assists another student in misrepresenting his or her involvement in an academic endeavor. Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to:

1. “Cheating” includes, but is not limited to, the following:
   1. doing a class assignment for someone else or allowing someone to copy one’s assignment
   2. copying from, or assisting, another student during an examination
   3. stealing, or otherwise improperly obtaining, copies of an examination before or after its administration
2. “Plagiarism” includes, but is not limited to, the following:
   1. presenting the work (i.e., ideas, data, creations) of another, wholly or in part, as one’s own work without customary and proper acknowledgement of sources and extent of use, unless authorized by the instructor.
3. “Fraud” includes, but is not limited to, the following:
   1. altering or inventing data, research, or citations for an academic endeavor
   2. fabricating, forging or otherwise misrepresenting to an instructor or an institution one’s past or current academic or professional activities
   3. impersonating someone or allowing oneself to be impersonated for an examination or other academic endeavor
   4. using a ghost writer, commercial or otherwise, for any type of assignment.
4. ” Violation of Standards ” includes, but is not limited to, the following:
   1. violations against ethical and professional standards required by individual University programs, academic courses, and clinical programs that may result in qualification for entry into a profession that maintains standards of conduct.
5. ” Multiple Submissions “  includes, but is not limited to, the following:
   1. submitting, wholly or in part, the same academic endeavor to earn credit in two or more courses without explicit approval by all concerned instructors.
6. ” Interference or Obstruction ” includes, but is not limited to, the following:
   1. interfering with academic efforts of other students to gain unfair advantage for personal academic advancement
   2. Interference may include but is not limited to, sabotage, harassment, tampering, bribery, or intimidation of another student
7. ” Complicity ” includes, but is not limited to, the following:
   1. assisting another person in any act of academic dishonesty as defined above

Instructor Process

Whenever an instructor has reason to suspect that an act of academic dishonesty has been committed in a course, clinical or academic program for which s/he is responsible for supervision or assignment of an academic evaluation, the instructor shall investigate the matter and discuss the matter with the student and, at the instructor’s discretion, come to one of the following resolutions:

• If in the judgment of the instructor, the charge of academic dishonesty is not justified and/or there is insufficient evidence of academic dishonesty, then no further action is warranted.
• If, in the judgment of the instructor, sufficient evidence of academic dishonesty exists, then the instructor pursues the charge of academic dishonesty.

Pursuant to the charge of academic dishonesty the instructor shall consult with the Department Head and with the concurrence of the Department Head shall prepare a charge of academic dishonesty and recommended sanction for submission to the Dean of College or designee.

Upon receipt of the charge of academic dishonesty and recommended sanction, the Dean of College or designee shall:

• Check the Central Repository to determine if the charge is the student’s first or second or subsequent offense
• Notify student in writing with a brief summary of the charge of academic dishonesty and recommended sanction and provide the student with a copy of UW Regulation 6-802.

If the Dean of College determines that the charge of academic dishonesty is the student’s first offense, the Dean ofCollege or designee shall notify the student of the charge of academic dishonesty and recommended sanction.

Student Process

1. The student may, within five (5) calendar days of notification, request a meeting with the instructor and/or Dean of College or designee to discuss the charge of academic dishonesty and recommended sanctions. At this meeting, the student may:

• Accept the charge of academic dishonesty and recommended sanctions approved by the dean or designee as filed. The student will do this by signing a waiver recognizing his/her behavior as academic misconduct and waiving his/her right to a hearing, which is then forwarded to the Central Repository by the Dean of College or designee. Or,
• Disagree with the charge of academic dishonesty and recommended sanction and submit a request for a college hearing to the Dean of College or designee within fifteen(15) calendar days.

2. If the student does not request a meeting, the Dean shall implement the procedures necessary for a hearing. The Dean of College will designate an impartial hearing officer, who will hold a hearing to determine whether academic dishonesty has occurred. The student shall be notified in writing of the following:

• A description of the specific acts of alleged academic dishonesty, the date and place of occurrence, and the names of witnesses
• The recommended sanction
• The time, date, and location of the hearing
• The identity of the designated hearing officer

Authorized Sanctions

Any of the following sanctions or combination thereof may be imposed:

• Extra or alternative work
• Grade reduction
• A failing grade
• No credit
• Suspension of the benefit of the program, clinical, or endeavor
• Termination from the program
• Suspension from the University
• Dismissal from the University

NOTE: See UW Regulation 6-802 for more Academic Dishonesty information.

Definitions of Student Classifications

Credit at the University of Wyoming

“Credit” or “credit hours” are the value measures used by all academic institutions.The number of credits a UW course is assigned is according to SAPPXXXXX. Students earn credits by completing the course with a grade of Satisfactory or a D or better. Earning any degree from UW has required credit numbers and vary. UW course credits can be earned from:

• Instructed
• Distance
• Online
• By exam

Addtionally, students may be able to transfer credits they’ve earned at other schools or instititutions. Any such transfer credit is soley determined by the University of Wyoming at our discretion.

Instructed Courses

Courses are offered on campus and at distance settings around the state, including recognized academic courses under faculty general supervision such as internships, clerkships, clinical experience, co‑op programs, etc.

Distance Courses

Unlike some institutions, UW delivers courses at a distance through its mainstream academic departments, not through a separate academic unit. Academic department heads have the authority to assign instructors to distance-delivered courses, including online courses. They also have a responsibility to ensure that those courses are comparable in rigor and effectiveness to courses delivered face to face.

For this reason, when a department offers a UW course both face to face and at a distance, any UW student may satisfy any relevant university-, college-, and department-level requirements or elective credit by taking the course in either format.

Exceptions may arise when it is necessary to reserve space in a distance-delivered course for off-campus students, who can’t take the face-to-face version. In these cases, departments may reserve spaces for off-campus students. But to the extent that spaces remain available after all interested off-campus students have enrolled, these spaces must be available to interested on-campus students.

Online Courses

Courses can be delivered to students completely online or any variation of in-person and online.

Credit by Exam

While there is no maximum placed on the amount of credit earned by examination, credit so earned does not count in fulfilling the residency requirement of 30 hours of upper division University of Wyoming credit.

A student may not be allowed credit by examination in a course in which the student is currently or was previously enrolled either for credit or as a visitor or auditor, except that credit by examination may be used as a means to obtain credit for courses previously taken at institutions from which credit is nontransferable. A student may not challenge equivalent courses.

A student may not earn credit by examination in a course if the student has completed a course in the subject matter area above the level of the course for which the examination is sought. However, at the discretion of the departments involved, during the add/drop period a student may challenge a lower-level course while enrolled in a higher-level course in the same subject matter area, if the course challenged is a prerequisite for the course in which the student is currently enrolled.

If an examination exists, eligible students who pay the testing fee of $80.00 may not be denied an examination in the introductory undergraduate course in any department. “Introductory course” is interpreted as that course which is prerequisite for successive courses in the department. Additional fees for examinations offered by testing agencies other than the University of Wyoming are determined by the agency concerned.

Grades of S or U (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) are given in all examinations. Credit by examination is not included in the student’s grade point average; it is, however, included in the hours earned toward graduation. The grade of S is the equivalent of a C or better. See below for specific subject requirements. Entry on the student’s academic record for credit by examination is made only if a grade of S is obtained and is noted as a grade obtained by examination.

To qualify for undergraduate credit, the student must be currently registered at the University of Wyoming as a degree candidate. The student must also be able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the chair of the department involved that background experience has prepared him or her to attempt a challenge examination if such an examination is sought. The department chair’s decision will be based upon existing departmental constraints such as accreditation, graduation requirements, and program requirements.

Other Options Include:

• Credit by Exam Options  
• College Level Examination Prep (CLEP)   
• DANTES Standarized Subject Test (DSST)  
• International Baccalaureate (IB)  
• Portfolio Evaluation  

Students showing proficiency by passing examinations such as the College Board Advanced Placement Program (AP), for example, or examinations developed by University of Wyoming departments may earn college credit through the level of demonstrated proficiency. Credit may be allowed on the basis of any testing procedure acceptable to any department, which may include tests of the AP program and both the general and subject (specific) examinations of the College Level Examinations Program (CLEP).

Credit Transfer from Other Schools or Universities

Transfer credit includes college courses accepted from other regionally-accredited colleges or universities. Such course work must be considered equivalent or comparable to course work required by the University of Wyoming. 

Students transferring to UW must have the registrar or records office of the previous school(s) send an official transcript to the University of Wyoming Admissions Office to complete their application for admission. Once all final transcripts have been received by the Admissions Office, the degree analysts in the Office of the Registrar will create an electronic record of all courses that transfer to UW. Students may however, submit unofficial transcripts for a Pre Transfer Credit Evaluation (PreTCE) to request an unofficial evaluation prior to application or admission.

Evaluations are not accomplished for students working toward a Second Bachelor’s Degree or those admitted as non-degree seeking. Second Bachelor’s students should consult with their adviser concerning the applicability of transfer work to their UW degree program.

Nontraditional credits awarded by another institution will not normally be accepted by the University of Wyoming. They may be validated by departmental exam within the faculty regulations allowing for such examinations.

Standard Administrative Policy and Procedure (Published 6-1-23)

1. Lower-Division transfer credit is evaluated for equivalency centrally within Enrollment Management.

a. UW’s Academic Colleges/Schools with external accreditation and/or licensure requirements work closely with Enrollment Management offices to ensure transfer equivalencies comply with these external review agencies’ requirements.

b. Representatives from UW participate in a state-wide CCNS committee to evaluate and determine equivalencies for all lower-division common courses offered at all public institutions in the state of Wyoming.

c. If a lower-division course at the sending institution is determined to be equivalent to an upper-division course at UW, it must carry the course attribute “ULWR” in Banner. This attribute ensures that these lower division transfer courses will not apply to the upper-division credit requirement.

d. If a lower-division course has no equivalent to a UW course, it will transfer as an elective (ELEC 1000 or ELEC 2000, depending on the course number at the sending institution).

2. Upper-Division transfer credit is evaluated for equivalency by faculty within the applicable academic unit. Equivalencies determined by faculty will be recorded in Banner.

a. Representatives from UW who participate in a state-wide CCNS committee must confer with faculty to determine equivalencies for any common courses offered at the upper division at all public institutions in the state of Wyoming.

b. If an upper-division course at the sending institution is determined to be equivalent to a lower-division course at UW by the faculty, it must carry the course attribute “UPDV” in Banner. This attribute ensures that these upper-division courses will apply to the upper-division credit requirement but may not satisfy upper-division course requirements for a specific degree program. Applied courses may not fulfill upper division credit requirements.

c. If an upper-division course has no equivalent to a UW course, it will transfer as ELEC 3000 or ELEC 4000 (depending on the course number at the sending institution). These equivalencies should be reviewed/updated on an annual basis.

d. UW baccalaureate degrees require a minimum number of upper division credits, and a specified amount credit that must be earned “in residence” at the University of Wyoming, as defined in University Regulation 2-103.

1) Students who transfer more than 12 upper-division credits must still complete at least 30 upper-division credits in residence at UW.

2) Academic programs have the authority to require stricter upper division residency requirements than the University minimum. The number of upper-division transfer credits allowed to apply to major requirements varies by program.

3) Credit is awarded credit hour for credit hour. Quarter hours are recognized as two-thirds (2/3) of a semester hour.

e. Determination of upper-division course equivalencies will be made by faculty within three (3) business days of submitted transcripts and applicable supporting materials being available for review. If no determination is made, or faculty are unavailable for review, the course will be routed to the applicable college/school/unit leadership for determination to be rendered within two (2) business days. If no decision is made within this timeframe, a decision will be made by the Provost or their designee(s) within two (2) business days.

3. Second Bachelor’s Degrees. The bulk of credit will be transferred as a block of credit. The faculty of the academic unit where the second degree will be earned will determine if any specific courses will be transferred. Only courses necessary for completion of degree requirements will be loaded individually. See below for University Studies Program (USP) requirements for second bachelor’s degree holders.

4. Applied Degrees. Courses taken as part of an applied degree program or offered as an applied course may not be eligible for transfer into a nonapplied degree program.

5. Prior Learning Assessment including Credit-by-Examination (Advanced Placement (AP), College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Dantes), Military Course Credit, Internships, and Portfolio Analysis are evaluated in accordance with UW regulations.

a. AP, CLEP, IB, and Dantes equivalencies are published in the University Catalog, under “Credit Available to Undergraduate Students.”

b. Credit awarded via challenge exam at another institution may not transfer to UW.

6. International credit (including most study-abroad credit) for coursework completed at nationally accredited higher education institutions abroad is evaluated and awarded based on the standard evaluation process.

a. For programs holding program-level accreditation, faculty should be consulted for course equivalency.

b. International coursework transferring as equivalent to an upper-division UW course must be approved by faculty.

7. Graduate transfer credit is evaluated for equivalency by faculty within the applicable academic unit.Graduate transfer policy is published in the University Catalog under “Graduate Student Regulations and Policies.”

8. Vocational/Career training-related credit (e.g., Welding, Auto Repair/Mechanic, Fire Science, Farrier coursework, etc.) cannot be applied to an academic baccalaureate degree program. It may, however, transfer for a Bachelor of Applied Science. In Banner, these courses should be articulated to transfer as either “NA/0 - Not Applicable” or “ELEC 1100 - Bach Applied Science Electives.” Academic credits earned for an AAS degree may be transferable.

Meeting UW USP Requirements

1. USP Certification: Transfer students matriculating with a qualifying degree earned from a regionally accredited postsecondary institution will be considered “USP Certified” and will satisfy the lower-division general education categories as outlined below (credit will only be awarded for academic courses completed successfully at the sending institution). Note that a waiver of a USP category does not satisfy course prerequisites or specific degree requirements (e.g., if a program requires Calculus, but a student has taken Trigonometry for the associate degree, they must still complete Calculus successfully).

a. Interstate Passport: UW participates in the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) Interstate Passport program. Students who submit a transcript that indicates that they have completed the Passport at a sending institution will have the majority of the lower-division USP requirements waived. Excluded from this waiver are:

1) US & Wyoming Constitutions (1 course/>3 credits)

2) Upper-division Writing (COM3) (1 course/>3 credits)

b. Qualifying Earned Associate Degree: Academic associate degrees (including, but not limited to: AA (Associate of Arts), AS (Associate of Science), AB (Associate of Business), ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing), AFA (Associate of Fine Arts), AGS (Associate of General Studies)) earned from regionally accredited postsecondary institutions satisfy the majority of the lower-division USP requirements. Students who believe that their degree should be included in this waiver may submit a Transfer Petition to request a review. Determinations will be made within three (3) business days. Excluded from this waiver are:

1) US & Wyoming Constitutions (1 course/>3 credits)

2) Upper-division Writing (COM3) (1 course/>3 credits)

2. Applied Degrees: Applied degrees (including, but not necessarily limited to an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) and Associate of Applied Arts (AAA) or Bachelor of Applied Sciences (BAS)) earned from regionally accredited postsecondary institutions may satisfy the following USP requirements including: First Year Seminar, Communication 1, and Quantitative Reasoning. Students who believe that their degree should be included in this waiver may submit a Transfer Petition to request a review. Excluded from this waiver are:

a. Communication 2 (1 course/>3 credits)

b. Upper-division Writing (COM3) (1 course/>3 credits) 5

c. Physical & Natural World (2 courses/>6 credits)

d. Human Cultures (2 courses/>6 credits)

e. US & Wyoming Constitutions (1 course/>3 credits)

3. USP Course Equivalencies: The guiding principles of the University Studies Program as outlined by the Board of Trustees are that the requirements should be simple, flexible, and transparent. They should also easily transfer between college-level institutions. UW will follow AACRAO best practices to determine satisfaction of USP.Due to the nature of transfer coursework, UW may not offer a course that is directly equivalent to the sending institution’s course. In the event that a course is not a direct equivalent, a USP attribute may still be established with a 70% match of learning outcomes to determine equivalency. This should not delay a student’s path to degree completion/attainment.

a. The Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education or their designee will act as the University Studies Program Coordinator and is responsible to the Provost for administering the USP.

b. Student expense and time to degree completion should be minimized.

c. If a transfer course satisfied a specific General Education requirement at the sending institution, it should satisfy the analogous USP category at UW.

d. If there is no direct course equivalent for the transfer course at UW, a student may submit a transfer course petition to satisfy the USP requirement.

4. USP for Second Bachelor’s Degrees: Students with a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution will be considered to have met the USP program requirements apart from the US & Wyoming Constitution requirement, unless that requirement was previously completed. International students who have met the language requirements for admission to the University of Wyoming will have demonstrated a proficiency of the English language equivalent to the completion of Communication 1 (COM1) and Communication 2 (COM2) courses.

Transfer Credit for Study Abroad

Study abroad coursework is evaluated based off the documentation provided by the student and what is available to the Office of the Registrar. It is the students’ responsibility to review the transfer work and to provide any course documentation (syllabi, descriptions, sample course work) to the Office of the Registrar. Once the transcripts received from the study abroad experience have been evaluated, students will have one year from that date to make any appeals or changes to what was initially awarded. Requests for changes to transfer credit awarded through study abroad following one year of the initial review will not be processed.

Transfer Credit from Regionally-Accredited U.S. Colleges and Universities

The Wyoming Transfer Catalog allows students to look up courses that the University of Wyoming has previously accepted from regionally-accredited U.S. institutions. When a direct match to a Wyoming course cannot be determined, general elective and/or University Studies credit is awarded. If a particular course is not found, that may simply mean that no one has previously attempted to transfer it in. All new classes will be evaluated on an individual basis. All new upper-division courses will initially be given upper-division general elective credit. The university faculty will then determine whether or not an upper-division course has a direct UW equivalency once the original course syllabus has been provided by the student.

Developmental coursework is not considered transferable as it is intended to prepare the student for college level coursework.

Credit is awarded credit hour for credit hour. Quarter hours are recognized as two-thirds (2/3) of a semester hour.

Should a course be transferred as an elective, it may be substituted for a major requirement with adviser approval. Elective courses may also be considered for University Studies requirements via the University Studies Petition process.

Students intending to transfer to UW are encouraged to meet with their advisors and review both the Wyoming Transfer Catalog and the UW Catalog when planning their program of study to ensure courses taken elsewhere will transfer to UW in their desired major. Final determination of transfer credit acceptance is made by members of Enrollment Management and UW faculty.

Students must submit official transcripts of all completed coursework before a final official determination can be made on credit transfer. These equivalencies are subject to change without notice.

Credit for Military-Based Training

 The degree analysts in the Office of the Registrar determine whether the course work is transferable to UW. Evaluations for the granting of credit for military-based training are based on recommendations in the American Council of Education (ACE) guidelines. Individual colleges will deter­mine whether such course work is applicable to their degree programs.

Credit Hour Load

Undergraduates: An average of 15 hours of coursework each se­mester is considered a normal load. Maximum credit loads are 20 hours in all colleges. Normally, not more than 12 hours of undergraduate credit may be taken during the summer session. An approved Overload Petition form must be filed to exceed these maximums. Overload Petition forms are available online or from the Office of the Registrar.

Graduate students: 14 hours of credit is the average and 16 hours the maximum amount of credit allowed per semester for full-time graduate students. A student who has been assigned an assistantship for the academic year is usually restricted to a load of 13 semester hours. Normally, not more than 8 hours of credit may be earned in course work during an eight-week summer session. An approved Overload Petition form must be filed to exceed these maximums. Overload Petition forms are available online or from the Office of the Registrar.

Academic Probation, Suspension, and Reinstatement

Undergraduate Students

Academic Status

• In order to graduate, every student is expected to maintain satis­factory academic progress, which is based on scholastic performance. Current academic status will be indicated on internal documents and grade reports as:
• good standing
• academic probation
• academic suspension: normally not eligible to petition for reinstatement until one full semester, exclusive of summer term, has elapsed. The dean of the college in which a suspended person wishes to continue may waive the four-month delay if the dean is assured that the person has made suitable progress toward resolving the academic deficiencies.

Undergraduate Academic Probation

1. Academic probation shall constitute notice that a student is not pro­gressing satisfactorily toward the bachelor’s degree or Pharm.D.
2. A student enrolled at the University shall be placed on academic probation at the end of the semester or summer term when his/ her cumulative GPA at UW falls below a 2.000.
3. A student placed on academic probation will be so notified by email. This information is also available on WyoRecords.
4. A student shall be removed from academic probation at the end of the semester or summer term in which his/her cumulative GPA is 2.000 or above.
5. Students who fail to remove themselves from probation or earn a semester grade point average below 2.000 in the next semester or summer term attempted at the University of Wyoming will be placed on academic suspension for not maintaining the criteria for satisfactory academic progress. For probation purposes, complet­ing a semester or summer term shall mean that the student has earned a grade in at least one course.

Undergraduate Academic Suspension

1. Academic suspension is the dismissal of a student from the Univer­sity due to the student not making satisfactory academic progress toward the bachelor’s degree.
2. A student who is suspended for unsatisfactory academic perfor­mance should not be permitted to petition for reinstatement until one full semester, exclusive of summer term, has elapsed. Students may petition once per semester for reinstatement, and, if denied by any college or the Center for Advising and Career Services, cannot petition for reinstatement until the next fall or spring se­mester, unless there are documented extenuating circumstances justifying immediate reinstatement.
3. A suspended student may not enroll for any University of Wyoming credit classes (including on-campus, online, and distance).
4. Credit earned at another accredited college or university while a student is suspended from the University may be accepted under the usual regulations governing the transfer of credit after the student has been reinstated.

5. A student placed on academic suspension will be so notified by letter.

Undergraduate Academic Reinstatement

1. A college may have an academic reinstatement policy that is more restrictive than the general university policy.
2. Academic reinstatement is the readmission of a suspended student to the University. The student is eligible to be considered for re­admission. The reinstated student will be on academic probation during his/her first semester or summer term of reinstatement after which he/she may be removed from this probation.
3. A petition for reinstatement must be submitted no later than 15 days before the beginning of the semester or summer term in which the student wishes to register. A petition received after this deadline may not be processed until after the regular registration period.
4. The decision on a petition for reinstatement will be made by the dean (or designee) of the college in which the student wishes to enroll. Undeclared students should contact the Director of the Center for Advising and Career Services. A student who has been reinstated must remain in the college in which he/she has been reinstated for that semester.
5. Students placed on academic suspension are eligible for a maximum of three reinstatements. Any student placed on academic suspen­sion for the fourth time is not eligible for reinstatement for a minimum of five years from the end of the last term of attendance.
6. Students who are suspended as a result of spring semester grades will have the suspension invoked at the beginning of the sum­mer term.

Exceptions

Upon the request of a person placed on academic suspension or denied reinstatement, the vice president for academic affairs may review the circumstances and reverse the decision of the dean if the vice presi­dent for academic affairs deems it necessary to prevent a gross injustice.

Academic Renewal

An undergraduate student who returns to the University and who has not completed or withdrawn from a college course at UW during the previous five years will have the option of continuing his or her earlier UW cumulative GPA or commencing a new cumulative GPA under the Academic Renewal policy. The student must submit the Academic Renewal Application Form (which may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar) to the registrar no later than ten class days before the last day of classes of the semester in which the student returns to UW.

The entire UW transcript will remain intact. A note indicating the policy will precede the new part of the UW transcript if the student opts for academic renewal. At the discretion of the academic department in which the student is enrolled, credit hours for which the student earned the grade of C or better may be applied toward the completion of the degree requirements. The list of any departmentally-approved courses must be indicated on the Academic Renewal Application Form when initially submitted to the registrar. No further changes may be requested.

A student’s GPA and completed courses that were applied to a bac­calaureate degree are not eligible for academic renewal.

Graduate students are not eligible for academic renewal.

Graduate Students

A graduate student enrolled at the university will be placed on aca­demic probation at the end of a semester or summer session when his or her graduate cumulative UW grade point average in 4000-level or higher courses is below 3.000. Students who fail to bring their graduate GPA to 3.000 and remove themselves from probation after one semester or summer session will be suspended from the university. A suspended student may petition his/her academic program for reinstatement to the same degree program. A reinstated student will be on probation and may be subject to other performance criteria as specified by the dean of the affected department.

The above GPA requirement is considered to be a minimum re­quirement. Individual departments or programs may require higher standards than these minimum performance standards and establish department- or program-specific criteria for satisfactory academic progress. A graduate student may be dismissed from a degree program for lack of satisfactory academic progress, as determined by the depart­ment or program offering the degree.

The above regulations governing academic probation, suspension, and reinstatement do not apply to students enrolled in the College of Law.

Assessment of Student Learning at the University of Wyoming

The University of Wyoming is committed to providing students with high quality academic programs and services. As a result, UW is actively engaged in several processes to assess student learning with the ultimate goal of continuous improvement. A university wide assessment plan and individual department plans are in various stages of implementation. The purpose of these plans is to identify and articulate student learning outcomes - the skills, abilities, and knowledge that students are expected to acquire by the completion of their programs - and the means by which these outcomes would be measured. Learning is assessed at the university, college and departmental levels. Current assessment activities include, but are not limited to, surveys, interviews, portfolios, exams and senior capstone projects. In order for UW’s assessment efforts to be successful, students must become engaged in the process. As such, students are expected and/or required to complete various assessments as determined by the university or department prior to the awarding of degrees.

For more information regarding the student learning outcomes for a particular program of study, see the section on College and Division Programs. For further information about the University of Wyoming’s assessment of student learning efforts, see the Assessment of Student Learning webpage at www.uwyo.edu/assessment.

WY Common Course Numbering System (CCNS)

he Wyoming Common Course Numbering System (CCNS) was developed in cooperation with the community colleges and the University of Wyoming to develop and maintain a common transfer process system that uses common course numbering for all undergraduate courses provided at the community colleges and the University of Wyoming. 

The development and ongoing maintenance of the statewide course numbering system, including determining course equivalencies, shall be accomplished with the assistance of appropriate committees that shall include faculty members and staff of the community colleges and the University of Wyoming.