How DOS Supports Students

The DOS office is here to work with students on a number of issues that might arise during their time at the university. Whether they would like assistance with a personal issue, academic concern, disciplinary matter, or some general advice, we are here to help. Listed below are common issues we work with, however, if your issue is not listed, please schedule an appointment by email, phone (715)836-5626, or in person at Schofield 240.

Students of Concern

One of the primary roles of the DOS office is working with students who may be experiencing difficulty. This could include academic struggles, mental health, medical issues, personal loss, or a variety of other factors that could impact a student's time at UWEC. Our office is here to work with students to resolve the issue, or be a key resource that gets the student to the place on or off campus that can best meet their need. We work with students as it relates to treatment, support, and accommodations. We cannot authorize absences, but we can collect documentation verifying an absence that falls under the authorized absence policy if you are not comfortable sharing it with your professors. If you need assistance with any of these issues, or do not know where to start but know you need help, schedule an appointment by phone (715) 836-5626 or email.

Report a Student of Concern

Blugold Code of Conduct

The student conduct process at UWEC is an integral part of the educational mission of the university. Our conduct system emphasizes the development of each individual's acceptance of his or her own personal and social responsibilities.

A compassionate and supportive approach to student conduct is employed whenever possible. The university student conduct process is designed to provide and help maintain an atmosphere within the university community that is conducive to academic exploration. Severe disciplinary action against a student, such as separation, is considered and invoked when other remedies fail to meet the needs of the university's mission.

UWEC recognizes its responsibilities to all members of the academic community - students, faculty, and staff, and the protection of personal and institutional rights and property is a primary focus of the student conduct process. The rules, regulations, procedures, and policies concerning student rights, responsibilities, and student conduct and discipline are found in the Blugold Code.

There is also a helpful Attorney Guide for Student Conduct Process.

Report a Blugold Code Violation

Academic Issues

Academic Misconduct

At UWEC, we value academic integrity. Students bear the responsibility for the academic integrity of their work. In an effort to help students avoid the traps of plagiarism, we have provided the following links with valuable information about plagiarism.

Plagiarism is the act of stating or implying that another person’s work is your own. The following is a list of possible ways you commit plagiarism:

• Submit a paper to be graded or reviewed that you have not written on your own.
• Copy answers or text from another classmate and submit it as your own.
• Quote or paraphrase from another paper without crediting the original author.
• Cite data without crediting the original source.
• Propose another author’s idea as if it were your own.
• Fabricating references or using incorrect references.
• Submitting someone else’s presentation, program, spreadsheet, or other file with only minor alterations.

We, as a campus community, value academic integrity, when you commit plagiarism you hurt yourself and the community in the following ways:

• You fail to learn and practice skills that may be needed in your future careers and deny yourself to opportunity to receive honest feedback on how to improve your skills and performance.
• You invite future employers and faculty to question your integrity and performance in general.
• You commit fraud on faculty who are evaluating your work.
• You deprive another author due credit for his or her work.
• You show disrespect for your peers who have done their own work.

To avoid plagiarism, please ask an instructor or contact a tutor in the Academic Skills Center for clarification on citations and source information.

What to do if you’ve been accused of academic misconduct

If you feel you have been falsely accused of academic misconduct, you have the right to a hearing within 10 days of the allegation. To request a hearing, contact the Dean of Students office via email, phone (715) 836-5626 or in-person at Schofield 240. We will take the necessary steps to convene the Student Misconduct Hearing Committee and shall schedule the hearing within 10 days of receipt of the request or written report, unless a different time period is mutually agreed upon by the student, instructor, or investigating officer, and the members of the hearing committee. The Student Misconduct Hearing Committee is made up of students and faculty members. This committee will hear from both the instructor and the student, ask follow up questions, and then deliberate in private. The results of the committee’s deliberations will be sent to the student at their address of record. If suspension or expulsion is recommended, a student has the right to appeal to the Chancellor within 10 days.

Sites Addressing Plagiarism

• Avoiding Plagiarism: A Writer's Perspective (Winthrop University Writing Center)
• Avoiding Plagiarism (University of Maryland University College)
• How to Avoid Plagiarism (Northwestern University)
• Understanding and Preventing Plagiarism (Accredited Schools Online)

Student Academic Grievance

An academic grievance is an allegation by a student of substantial and unjustified deviation, to the student’s detriment. 

A full explanation of the policy, what it covers, and options for responding can be found in the Student Academic Grievance Policy.

It is important to know that per the policy, informal resolution procedures must always be undertaken prior to a formal grievance. The informal procedures may involve the instructor, the department chair, the associate dean, or other staff of the college that can potentially resolve the matter. Please see the details of the informal resolution procedure, and email the Dean of Students office for support during both the informal and formal processes.

Attendance and Absences

For all absences, the student is responsible for contacting instructors individually or through their department. Arrangements for make-up work, make-up exams, or possible assignment adjustments are the responsibility of the student.

For more information, including an explanation of excused absences, view the Class Attendance and Authorized Absence Policies.

While it is the student's responsibility to work through absences with their instructors, in cases where the student may be unable to contact their instructors the Dean of Students office can assist with the initial notification. It is most efficient to call the office at (715) 836-5626.

Dropping a Class

Students can drop a class through the first ten days of the term. After that time, the student will need to work within deadlines and processes set by the Registrar's Office. Deadlines can be seen in CampS, and more information regarding dropping classes and changing registration can be found at the link below. The Dean of Students or the student's ARCC advisor can help a student begin this process. 

Registrar's Office - Registration Changes

Withdrawal from the University

A withdrawal from UWEC refers to dropping all courses the student is enrolled in. The need for this can arise for a variety of reasons, and the Dean of Students office or the student's ARCC advisor can help any student through their decision to do so and the process for a withdrawal, as the process is different at different points in the semester. 

Some frequently asked questions are listed here, and the general withdrawal explanation is here.