Home » 2022-2024 Graduate Bulletin » Policies » Academic and Degree Policies

Academic and Degree Policies

The Office of Graduate Studies policies have been designed and have evolved with the following intended goals: (1) facilitate orderly academic progress of graduate students; (2)  meet expectations of accrediting agencies, other graduate schools, and the Board of Regents; (3)  provide a common standard; and (4)  encourage the development of quality programs.

Each graduate student has the responsibility of adhering to the Graduate Studies policies described herein. Every effort will be made by the Office of Graduate Studies staff, graduate program coordinators and staff, and advisers to aid students while they pursue graduate studies.

APPEALS PROCESS

Student Complaints Against Faculty and Academic Staff

Students who wish to file complaints against faculty or academic staff have two procedures they may follow if the alleged misconduct is not judged serious enough to seek dismissal.

A student who believes that the staff member has violated University rules, professional ethics, or performed in a way warranting disciplinary procedures may start proceedings in a formal manner by submitting a written complaint to the Chancellor or his designee.
A student with a complaint about classroom treatment, grades, or other matters should follow the policies of the College or Division under which the course is being offered. These policies can be obtained from the College or Division office or found on the website of each College or Division.

Should the student be unsure as to the choice of procedure between one or two above, it is advisable to discuss the matter with the Director of Graduate Services in the Graduate Studies Office, Dempsey 345, (920) 424-1223, or staff in the Dean of Students Office (uwosh.edu/deanofstudents/), (920) 424-3100.

GRADUATE COURSE NUMBERS AND SUBJECT DESCRIPTIONS

The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh graduate course numbers are a combination alpha/numeric identifier. The alpha characters identify the department or program offering the course. The three-digit number is the catalog number and is assigned to courses according to the following key:

500 to 699 — primarily graduate courses
700 to 799 — open to graduate students only
800 to 899 — open to doctoral graduate students only

Dual-Level Courses

Dual-level courses are open to undergraduate as well as graduate students. Programs offer dual-level courses for a variety of reasons that enhance student progress and program flexibility. Each program determines the specific requirements placed on the number of dual-level courses allowed to accumulate toward the master’s degree. However, dual-level courses can only account for half or less of all credits accumulated toward a graduate degree. Because dual-level courses must meet certain academic guidelines and adhere to a graduate course rubric in order for the student to receive graduate credit, the student is encouraged to refer to each program description in this Bulletin and to contact the respective graduate program coordinator about the academic expectations of graduate students in the dual-level courses if questions arise.

Dual-level courses are distinguished from undergraduate-only and graduate-only courses with slashed numbers. For example, ART 317/517 is a dual-level course in which an undergraduate student could receive undergraduate (ex. – 317) credit OR a graduate student could receive either graduate (ex. – 517) or undergraduate (ex. – 317) credit (but not both). In all cases, a student must specifically register using the graduate course number (ex. – 517) for the graduate credit to be identified on the academic graduate transcript.

For a student to receive graduate credit, the individual programs are held to standards that require the student’s experience to be qualitatively more challenging than the undergraduate student experience and lead the graduate student to a deeper and broader intellectual contact with topics and methods in their field. To earn graduate credit, the student must perform coursework that derives from expectations unique to graduate-level work.

Success in specific graduate courses and in a graduate program is partly dependent upon an on-going dialogue between the student, the instructor, and the graduate program coordinator. Students are responsible for understanding course expectations and program requirements.

In the College of Education and Human Services, students must have prior permission of their program coordinator to include Service Courses in Education courses (SRVC CRS) in their degree plan.

The department/program labels for course numbers are assigned according to the following key:

ABT: Applied Biotechnology
ACAD: Academic Skills
ACCT: Accounting
AF AM ST: African American Studies
ANTHRO: Anthropology
APC: Applied Computing
ARABIC: Arabic
ARAPAHO: Arapaho
ART: Art
ASTRONY: Astronomy
BIOLOGY: Biology
BUSINESS: Business
CHEM: Chemistry
CHINESE: Chinese
COMM: Communication
COMP SCI: Computer Science
CRIM JUS: Criminal Justice
CYB: Cybersecurity
DATA SCI: Data Science
ECON: Economics
ED FOUND: Educational Foundations
ED LDRSP: Educational Leadership
EGR: Engineering
EGRT: Engineering Technology
ELEM ED: Elementary Education
ENGLISH: English
ENGR: Engineering Technology
ENV STDS: Environmental Studies
EXT STDS: External Studies
FERM: Fire & Emergency Response Mgmt
FINANCE: Finance
FL ELECT: Foreign Language Elective
FRENCH: French
GEN ELEC: L & S General Electives
GEOG: Geography
GEOLOGY: Geology
GERMAN: German
GLBL REL: Global Religions
GLC: Global Languages & Cultures
GMBA: Global Master Business Administration
GRD STDS: Graduate Studies
HISTORY: History
HLTH EDU: Health Education
HNRS: Honors
HU ELECT: Humanities Electives
HUMAN SV: Human Services
INFO SYS: Information Systems
INTRDSCP: Interdisciplinary Studies
INTRNTL: International Studies
ITM: Info Tech Management
JAPANESE: Japanese
JOURNAL: Journalism
KINESLGY: Kinesiology
LIB SCI: Library Science
LIB STDS: Liberal Studies
LITERACY: Literacy & Language
MARKET: Marketing
MATH: Mathematics
MED TECH: Medical Technology
MHR: Management & Human Resources
MIL SCI: Military Science
MPA: Master of Public Admin
MSDS: MS in Data Science
MUSIC: Music
NS ELECT: Natural Science Electives
NURS-ACC: Accelerated Nursing Program
NURS-CNP: Nursing Collaborative Program
NURSING: Nursing
PBIS: Problem-Based Inquiry Seminar
PHIL: Philosophy
PHY ED: Physical Education
PHYS CP: Physics Co-op
PHYS SCI: Physical Science
PHYS/AST: Physics/Astronomy
POLI SCI: Political Science
PRAC ART: Practical Arts
PRF CNSL: Professional Counseling
PSYCH: Psychology
PUB ADM: Public Administration
RELSTDS: Religious Studies
RTF: Radio-TV-Film
RUSSIAN: Russian
SCM: Supply Chain Management
SEC ED: Secondary Education
SHOSHONE: Shoshone
SMGT: Sustainability Management
SOC: Sociology
SOC JUST: Social Justice
SOC WORK: Social Work
SPANISH: Spanish
SPEC ED: Special Education
SRVC CRS: Service Courses in Education
SS ELECT: Social Science Electives
SUCCESS: Success
TBIS: Theme-Based Inquiry Seminars
TCHLRN: Teaching and Learning
THEATRE: Theatre
URB PLNG: Urban Planning
USP: University Studies Program
UWCANVAS: UWO Canvas Staff Training
UWX: UW Exchange
WBIS: Writing-Based Inquiry Seminars
WG STDS: Women’s & Gender Studies
WRT: Writing

Course descriptions are found in each department’s section of the Bulletin. The course number (department/program alpha label plus catalog number) is followed by the number of course credits. If the course is offered for a variable number of credits, a range of credits (e.g., 1-3) will be displayed. The next line is the course title and the following line(s) give a course description. After the description, notes or prerequisites for the course, if any, will be printed. Should the course be dual-level, the undergraduate and graduate catalog numbers will be listed (e.g., 317/517). If the course is offered only during a specific term, i.e., spring or fall, this will be indicated after the course description.

The numbers in parentheses (when they appear) indicate the division of time between lecture and laboratory. The first number indicates the number of lecture or problem hours (discussion group) and the second number indicates the number of laboratory hours. Example: in a science course listed (3+4), the numbers in parentheses indicate 3 lecture hours and 4 laboratory hours. If there is no breakdown listed, the course is lecture only.

COURSE ATTENDANCE POLICY

Policies for attendance and punctuality are under the control of each instructor. Generally speaking:

Students are expected to attend each scheduled class.
Instructors are expected to announce their attendance policy to each class.
Students may only attend courses/sections for which they are registered.

The University Handbook describes the full class attendance policy.

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION POLICY

It is the policy of the Board of Regents and Wisconsin Administrative Code (UWS 22.03) that students’ sincerely held religious beliefs shall be reasonably accommodated with respect to all examinations and other academic requirements. The Board of Regents adopts this charter in order to ensure that all institutions of the University of Wisconsin System have in place appropriate mechanisms for ensuring the reasonable accommodation of students’ sincerely held religious beliefs and for appeals related to these matters.

A student shall be permitted to make up an examination or other academic requirement at another time or by an alternative method, without any prejudicial effect, where:
1. There is a scheduling conflict between the student’s sincerely held religious beliefs and taking the examination or meeting the academic requirements; and
2. The student has notified the instructor, within the first three weeks of the beginning of classes (within the first week of summer session and short courses) of the specific days or dates on which they will request relief from an examination or academic requirement.
Instructors may schedule a make-up examination or other academic requirements before or after the regularly scheduled examination or other academic requirement.
Instructors shall accept, at face value, the sincerity of students’ religious beliefs. Student notification of instructors and requests for relief under sub. (1) shall be kept confidential.
Complaints of failure to provide reasonable accommodation of a student’s sincerely held religious beliefs as required by this rule may be filed under institutional complaint and grievance procedures adopted pursuant to Chs. UWS 6 and 13.
The Chancellor of each institution shall, through appropriate institutional publications (to include at a minimum the timetable and catalog), provide notification to students and instructors of the rules for accommodation of religious beliefs, and of the procedure and appropriate office for filing complaints.

The University Handbook describes the full religious accommodation policy.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Academic Integrity is critical to the mission of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. All members of the University community play a role in fostering an environment in which student learning is achieved in an equitable, inclusive, just and honest way. Instructors set the tone in their classrooms by communicating clear expectations to their students and educating them on the consequences of engaging in academic misconduct while referring them to campus resources. Students are expected to uphold the core values of academic integrity which include honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. These core values, combined with finding one’s purpose and passion and applying them in and out of classroom learning, produce students who become extraordinary citizens.

UW Oshkosh students are subject in their behavior to the Wisconsin Administrative Code, as well as specific disciplinary procedures duly adopted for the UW Oshkosh campus. Specific provisions are found in Chapters 14, 17, and 18 of the Code.

The UW Oshkosh provisions can be found following the UWS policy in each chapter. The UW System disciplinary code and UW Oshkosh provisions are available to all students in the Dean of Students Office or on their website (https://uwosh.edu/deanofstudents/student-conduct/), Polk Library, Reeve Memorial Union Office, Oshkosh Student Association (OSA) Office, Residence Life Office, and in each residence hall. Any questions may be directed to the Dean of Students Office, Dempsey 125, which administers the University’s student conduct code.

ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

The purpose of this policy (bit.ly/2EASpn3) is to establish parameters for the acceptable use of information technology resources owned or under the control of the University of Wisconsin System. This policy establishes the behaviors for acting in a responsible, ethical, and legal manner that respects the rights of community members who access or rely upon the information technology resources of the UW System, or who may have personal, confidential, private, proprietary, or copyrighted data and information stored within the UW System’s information technology resources.

REPEATED COURSES

Graduate courses may be repeated, without additional credit, if the following conditions have been met:

A grade of less than a “B” was obtained in the first and only other attempt.
Approval to repeat a course from the graduate program coordinator and the Office of Graduate Studies.
Register for the course as a “repeat.” Some courses may only be repeated one time.

Courses attempted for undergraduate credit may not be repeated by graduate students for graduate credit unless pre-approved by the graduate program coordinator within the program’s specified time-frame. Dual-level courses may not be attempted under both the undergraduate and graduate numbers.

CREDIT (COURSE) LOAD DEFINITIONS

A graduate student is considered full-time under the following conditions:

Students registered for nine (9) or more graduate credits in a spring or fall semester, or five (5) or more credits in a summer session and who are not graduate assistants;
Graduate assistants registered for six (6) or more graduate credits in a semester or three (3) or more credits in a summer session;
Thesis students who have completed all degree requirements except for their thesis may be considered active in those thesis credits for one more semester beyond thesis registration without registering for other credits. However, their adviser should be prepared to verify the student is working on his or her thesis. This policy may not satisfy certain Financial Aid or loan deferment requirements, and students may not be eligible for certain student services, e.g. use of the Student Health Center, Recreation and Wellness Center.

Part-time status applies to a graduate student, who is not employed as a graduate assistant, enrolled in less than nine (9) credits in a spring or fall semester and less than five (5) credits in a summer session. A graduate student is considered half time with a semester registration of four and a half (4.5) or more credits totaling less than 9 total credits or three (3) or more credits totaling less than 5 during a summer session.

Some programs offer courses in week increments and with beginning/ending dates that differ from the University’s standard academic calendar. In these cases, the specific program may define the credit load for part-, half-, or full-time attendance status differently than above in 1, 2, or 3. This program-specific credit load definition is for attendance and progress purposes only within that program. Credit load requirements for University financial aid, graduate assistantships, campus employment, access to student services, semester enrollment, and other areas are separate and different.

The following are the maximum credits in which a graduate student (not a graduate assistant) admitted to an academic program may enroll for in a specified term:

14-week term: 15 maximum credits
8-week term: 8 maximum credits

4-week term: 4 maximum credits
3-week term: 3 maximum credits

Anything that exceeds these limits requires approval from the graduate program coordinator and the Director of Graduate Services, Office of Graduate Studies.

Special students, students on academic probation, and students with incomplete (I) grades should not expect to carry maximum loads.

TRANSFER / WAIVER OF COURSES

Transfer credit is course credit earned at another institution that is accepted in lieu of master’s course requirements at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Credit earned prior to admission to the UW Oshkosh graduate program will be evaluated at the time of admission.

Students who have been admitted to a graduate program at UW Oshkosh and wish to take coursework at another institution should enroll as a special student at that institution and secure prior approval from the UW Oshkosh graduate program coordinator for courses to be substituted in their UW Oshkosh graduate degree program.

The following are criteria for evaluating credits taken outside of the UW Oshkosh.

The academic program and/or institution is appropriately accredited.
No letter grade of below B will be accepted in transfer.
Course is acceptable in a graduate degree program at the transfer institution.
Course syllabus is available with objectives and evaluation methods.
A seven-year time limit is applicable for all courses to be part of the master’s degree (shorter time limits are required by certain programs).
Independent study, seminars, and workshops do not generally transfer.

Exceptions to the above criteria may be made based on the appropriate coordinator’s recommendation and the approval of the Director of Graduate Services, Office of Graduate Studies.

No more than nine semester hours will be accepted in transfer, except in established collaborative/cooperative programs.

Credits accepted in transfer will be posted to the student’s transcript. No grades will be recorded, and grades will not be included in the computation of the UW Oshkosh term or cumulative graduate grade point averages.

CREDIT FOR PRIOR LEARNING

Credit for prior learning through portfolio assessment is an available option at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. A learning portfolio is a formal written document that identifies the knowledge and skill acquired through non-formal learning and provides evidence to support a request for credit. Credit for prior learning is not granted for the experience itself, but for the verifiable learning outcomes which grew out of the experience. This credit can be granted for demonstrated learning that results from life experiences (e.g., employment, volunteer work, community service, travel, military service). The student’s learning must relate to the learning outcomes in a particular course or courses in an academic program at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. The learning which occurred as a result of these experiences must be validated in accordance with this policy to ensure it is equivalent to that acquired at the graduate level in terms of quality and outcomes.

To qualify for graduate credit for prior learning:

The student must be enrolled as a graduate student in good standing at UW Oshkosh
Experiences to be counted as credit for prior learning cannot be more than seven-years-old
No more than six credits can be awarded for prior learning
No more than nine credits overall via credit for prior learning or transfer may be applied to a graduate degree

Evaluation of credit for prior learning through portfolio assessment will be done at the college or department level. Colleges or departments will notify students of a date by which the portfolio assessment will be completed.

The portfolio is a formal written document that identifies the knowledge and skills acquired as a result of non-university experiences and that provides evidence to support these claims.
Portfolios should be submitted to the department during the first semester of a graduate program or at program discretion.
Upon receiving a portfolio for review, faculty in the relevant discipline must assess prior learning in accordance with college guidelines to determine if the learning which occurred as a result of the identified life experiences is equal to graduate-level learning, and sufficient to meet expectations in a particular course presently offered as part of the graduate program plan of study. The faculty conducting the review will determine the number of credits to be awarded.
Upon assessment of the learning and determination of credits to be awarded, the department will submit the credits to the appropriate college for validation.
Once the college validates credits earned, it will forward the number of credits to be awarded to the Office of Graduate Studies. If the college does not validate the award of credits for prior learning, it will notify both the department and the student in writing.
Credit for prior learning may not be applied to courses in which a student has already earned a grade. No grade will be attached to the credit received for prior learning.

A fee to defray the costs of review may be charged to the student and is determined by the college or department.

INDEPENDENT STUDY

All departments offering graduate degree programs have course listings for independent study. This form of study provides an opportunity for degree-seeking and post-master’s students to study, under faculty supervision, an area of interest that is not available in the curriculum. The following guidelines apply:

Registration for graduate independent study is open to students who are admitted to and in full-standing in a degree, certificate or Graduate Achievement Program or who have earned a master’s degree. Graduate Special or Non-degree students without a master’s degree are not eligible to enroll in an independent study.
Each credit earned for independent study should represent the equivalent of at least 50 clock hours of work. The written proposal for independent study should be detailed and include well-developed study objectives, specific references, and learning outcomes of academic work.
Registration for independent study requires there to be both an independent study contract form and a student-drafted proposal. The contract form requires the signature of the instructor, the graduate program coordinator, College Dean (except Letters and Science) or designee (as appropriate), and the Director of Graduate Services.
Only one independent study (three (3) credit maximum) contract during any term per semester is permitted within a spring/fall semester (spring/fall interims included) or an 8-week summer semester. This includes any 7-week, 14-week, 10-week, or 4-week term session.
No more than six (6) credits of independent study and/or other “atypical” credits may apply to a degree.
Registration for independent study is subject to the same semester drop/add policies as all other courses.

CULMINATING EXPERIENCE CONTINUATION POLICY

The Culminating Experience Continuation Policy is for students who have completed all required course work but have not finished their final culminating experience (i.e. dissertation, thesis, clinical paper, field project). For further information see the details about this policy in the Graduate Degree Requirements section of this Bulletin.

GRADE DESIGNATIONS FOR COURSES

Grade-point averages are determined by dividing the number of grade points earned in courses by the number of credits attempted in those courses. The point values for the various letter grades are as follows:

Letter Grade	Grade-points per Credit
A	4.00
A-	3.67
B+	3.33
B	3.00
B-	2.67
C+	2.33
C	2.00
F	0.00

Before Fall 2009

Letter Grade	Grade-points per Credit
A	4.00
AB	3.50
B	3.00
BC	2.50
C	2.00
F	0.00

Grades of C-, CD, D+, D, and D- are not used with graduate courses. Several other types of grade designations may be assigned to courses in special circumstances or as approved for certain courses. These may be:

Pass (P)/Fail (F) Grades

Certain University of Wisconsin Oshkosh courses are offered on a Pass/Fail basis (a pass at the graduate level is comparable to a B or better letter grade). Pass credits are recorded as credits earned. However, these credits are not considered as credits attempted in computing the semester and cumulative graduate grade-point averages. Grades of Failure (F) in a Pass/Fail course are considered as credits attempted and are computed in the semester and cumulative grade-point averages.

Incomplete (I) Grade Designation

The designation of “Incomplete” is assigned when a student is unable to complete the coursework because of illness, injury, or other extenuating circumstances. “I” designations also may be assigned to students in project-centered courses in which instruction is highly individualized, or individually paced courses in which the material is extensively organized and students can progress at individual rates determined by their abilities. In the latter case, an “I” may be assigned only if at least two-thirds of the course objectives have been accomplished within the grading period and the student has maintained a consistent rate of progress in the course. Arrangements between the student and instructor will be made in writing on how the course work will be completed and by what criteria the “I” can be removed within the next 17-week semester. Courses for which an “I” has been assigned are included as part of the semester credit load. Incomplete designations are not included in any credit or grade-point computations.

Incomplete designations, when the instructor has not assigned an appropriate course letter grade by the last day of the following 17-week semester, will automatically lapse to an F. The Registrar’s Office will alert both the student and the department chair of these impending grade lapses before they are made. Extensions of time may be arranged by submitting written requests first to the course instructor and graduate program coordinator, and, then, to the Office of Graduate Studies. The request for extension should state the reason why work is still incomplete, the expected date of completion, and include the instructor’s recommendation regarding the extension.

Incomplete grades affect a student’s academic standing as well as eligibility for graduate assistantships, Advanced Opportunity Program grants and some financial assistance. Contact the Office of Graduate Studies for more information about eligibility affected by incomplete grades.

Auditing (AU ) Courses

A course being audited carries no degree credit and is not counted in the grade-point average. It is considered part of a student’s semester credit load but NOT included in the calculation of progress credits for determining academic load status of full-time, half-time, or part-time when reporting enrollment status to the National Student Clearinghouse. Students who audit courses are expected to attend class regularly but need not take examinations or do coursework which would require evaluation by the instructor. The signature of the instructor is required in order to register for an audit course. The student will receive a grade of “AU” on their grade report and transcript. The instructor may withdraw a student for non-attendance. Audit-only fees are assessed when a student’s enrollment for the semester is only in audit courses. Full-credit fees are assessed when audit credits are taken in conjunction with for-credit courses. Full Special Course Fees will be assessed, if applicable. Students may change from audit to credit during the first five class days of a 14-week, 8-week, or 7-week session, or during the first two class days of a 3-week or 4-week session. Students may change from credit to audit after these times during the official drop period of a session, provided they have obtained the instructor’s signature on the add/drop card.

Audit courses may not satisfy credit requirements for “full-time” or “half-time” status for financial aid purposes, or for eligibility for certain student services.

Students changing from credit to audit after the first week of a term will be charged the full per credit fee for the course for the term. Reduced audit tuition/fees are applicable ONLY if a student is NOT enrolled in any credit-bearing courses in the semester for which they’re enrolled in an audit course(s).

In Progress (IP)

The IP designation is noted for dissertations, theses, field reports, field projects, clinical papers, and other culminating experience courses not completed in the term of registration. The IP designation is replaced by the P (Pass) designation by the Graduate Studies Office upon completion and when the thesis or other culminating written work is submitted and approved. The IP designation is not used in any cumulative grade point average computation.

ACADEMIC STANDING

Each student is regarded as having one of three academic standings: full, probationary, or suspended. Periods of probation and suspension are indicated on the student’s unofficial transcript. Similarly, full academic standing when reached is noted on the unofficial transcript. Some programs have more restrictive requirements and policies as they pertain to determining academic standing. Please consult the program for its requirements.

Full Standing

A student is in full standing when:

The student was admitted in full standing and maintains a cumulative graduate grade-point average of 3.00 or above.
The student was admitted on probation but, then, achieves a 3.00 cumulative graduate grade-point average after completing nine (9) graded graduate credits since the term of admission.

Probation

A student is on probation when:

The student has been admitted on probation, has completed less than one full term or has completed less than nine graded graduate credits.
A continuing or newly admitted student who was in full standing at the beginning of a term and has a cumulative overall graduate grade-point average of less than 3.00 at the end of the term regardless of the number of credits attempted/earned.

There is no probation for Special, Guest, and Non-degree students.

Suspension

A student is on suspension when:

The student was on probation at the beginning of a term and has a cumulative overall graduate grade-point average of less than 3.00 at the end of the nine-credit probationary period.
The student has been denied admission to candidacy and has completed approximately 18 graduate credits normally acceptable in the degree program.
The student is classified as Special, Guest or Non-degree and the cumulative graduate grade-point average is below 3.0. These students do not have the benefit of being on academic probation.

Suspension Appeal

The Office of Graduate Studies will place an enrollment service indicator (hold) on a student’s record when on suspension. Students on suspension may have their suspension reviewed by the program to which they’re admitted and the Office of Graduate Studies after one full semester of suspension (not including summer session), and upon receiving a written request from the student to appeal the suspension. Students should initiate the written appeal and direct it to the appropriate graduate program coordinator. The program coordinator along with the program faculty or others will make a written recommendation to the Office of Graduate Studies regarding the request to appeal the suspension. If the program recommends approving the appeal (lifting the suspension), a written recommendation should contain a rationale for allowing the student to return to classes and any conditions a student must meet in future enrollment periods. The Director of Graduate Services will review the recommendation of the program and its faculty and make the final decision about granting the appeal. The Director will communicate the decision to the student and the program.

Special, Guest, or Non-degree students appeal in writing directly to the Director of Graduate Services, Office of Graduate Studies, following the semester of suspension.