University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing — Dismissal & Appeals

Written by Zachary Gaynor, attorney · The Florida Bar, admitted 2016 · court admissions. Reviewed November 2, 2026.

Who decides whether a UW nursing student is dismissed?

The School of Nursing’s Academic Affairs office, not a named faculty committee, and the trigger is usually arithmetic: a BSN student is “dropped from the program” below a 2.5 or on a second D, F or NC in nursing courses; a DNP student on a second consecutive term below 3.0. The way back is a written appeal, filed within 10 business days, to a committee the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs assembles.

Clinical safety is a separate, faster track; misconduct runs through UW–Madison under Wis. Admin. Code chs. UWS 14 and UWS 17.

The BSN rules: a C in every nursing course, a 2.5 every term, one repeat

From the Policies and Regulations in the 2026–2027 Guide (Traditional, Accelerated and Collaborative BSN):

• Minimum grade: “a grade of C (2.0) or higher in each required nursing (NURSING#) course,” and “credit (CR) in any clinical course that is offered on a Credit/No Credit basis.”
• Probation on one bad grade: “a grade of D, F or NC in any NURSING course, and/or … a nursing cumulative GPA below 2.5.”
• Dismissal on the second: a D, F or NC “twice in the same nursing course” or “in two different nursing courses during their academic program” means the student “will be dismissed from the program.” And “A student may repeat a single nursing course only once in their program.”
• The GPA ladder: “at least a 2.5 GPA in each term.” A semester of 1.75–2.49 is a warning, below 1.75 is probation, and on probation a semester “of less than 2.5 or a nursing cumulative GPA below 2.5” is “dropped from the program.” Good standing takes a 2.5 cumulative, nursing cumulative and “in the semester just completed.”

Clinical: “unsafe” is whatever faculty or a preceptor says it is

A student “who demonstrates unsafe nursing practice may be dismissed at any time from the clinical area,” and unsafe practice is “any behavior determined by faculty or a preceptor to be potentially detrimental to the patient or to the healthcare agency.” Reports go to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; the outcome “may include immediate removal from the course and subsequent implications for academic progression.” Clinical courses are Credit/No Credit, so a removal usually lands as an NC — the probation trigger. The Professional Standards and Behavior Code applies “whether on campus, in practicums, or in their personal life,” and “Inappropriate behavior may be grounds for failure to progress, dismissal, and/or denial of the degree in nursing.”

The DNP rules: a B in every course, a 3.0 every term

The DNP policies impose Academic Probation for a term GPA below 3.0 (a second consecutive term “will be dropped from the DNP program”), a cumulative below 3.0 (“two (2) semesters to raise” it), or “one grade below a B or one Unsatisfactory (U) grade,” which must be repeated — in a clinical course only by petition. The hard limit: “A student cannot repeat more than one course and a course may not be repeated more than once,” and a drop or withdrawal “counts as a course enrollment,” so the next try is the repeat.

The appeal: 10 business days, a committee, then one narrow review

Appeals “are limited to requests to continue in the curriculum after being dropped from the program and/or course grade appeals.” BSN and DNP follow the same steps:

• File the Petition for Special Consideration “within 10 business days of notification of academic status or grade posting,” with “Precise grounds,” “Circumstances,” “Arguments” and a “Description of proposed remedial actions.” Support letters are due “by the same deadline.”
• Committee: assembled by the Assistant Dean within 15 business days; it may ask the student to appear. A “support person” may attend, on three business days’ notice, and “is limited to providing advice and support.” The Assistant Dean decides within 10 business days of the committee’s report.
• Second level: within 10 business days, to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, on four grounds only — policies “incorrectly applied,” a decision “contrary to state or federal law,” procedures “not followed,” or “Unfounded, arbitrary, or irrelevant assumptions of fact.” “No new information” may be introduced, and that decision “is final.”

So the first petition is the whole case: the records, the incident report and the remedial plan go in within those 10 business days, because the second level reads only what the first had.

What the policies leave out

Not published: who sits on the appeals committee, what standard it applies, whether a lawyer may be the “support person,” and what counts as “notification of academic status” for the 10-day clock. Ask Academic Affairs each in writing, before filing. And reentry is not a right: “Permission to reenter is dependent on program capacity, previous academic standing, and length of absence.”

Cheating and conduct: School standards, University process

Nursing students “may also face University disciplinary action … with regard to the same action” — UWS 14 (academic) and UWS 17 (nonacademic), on the UW–Madison page. As published, UWS 14 gives 10 days to request a hearing — “‘Days’ means calendar days” (UWS 14.02(4)) — allows “a representative of his or her choice” (UWS 14.08(3)(a)), and requires “clear and convincing” proof for suspension or expulsion (UWS 14.08(3)(e)). In a nonacademic case seeking suspension or expulsion, the advisor “may be a lawyer” (UWS 17.12(4)(b)). One event can run on both tracks: a UWS 14 finding and an NC in the course.

The license: what the School certifies to the Board

Wisconsin licenses RNs under Wis. Stat. ch. 441, Subch. I, through the Department of Safety and Professional Services, which requires a diploma “from accredited school of nursing approved by board,” a Statement of Graduation (Form 259) the school completes, NCLEX registration, and a “Convictions and Pending Charges” form. A dismissal stops the first; a misconduct record can surface on the last.

Why the written petition carries the weight

UW–Madison is public, but academic dismissals call for “far less stringent procedural requirements” (Board of Curators v. Horowitz, 435 U.S. 78, 86 (1978)), and courts defer unless a decision is “such a substantial departure from accepted academic norms” that no professional judgment was exercised (Regents of the University of Michigan v. Ewing, 474 U.S. 214, 225 (1985)). The petition — the circumstances, the documentation, and the remedial plan the policy demands — is where the case is made.

Where the governing documents are

Verified as loading on 2 November 2026:

• School of Nursing Policies and Regulations, Guide 2026–2027 — guide.wisc.edu
• Nursing Practice DNP policies, Guide 2026–2027 — guide.wisc.edu
• BSN Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (APC approved 26 January 2024) — students.nursing.wisc.edu
• Handbooks, Program Plans & Forms index — students.nursing.wisc.edu
• Wisconsin DSPS, Registered Nurse licensing requirements — dsps.wi.gov
• Wis. Admin. Code chs. UWS 14 and UWS 17 — UWS 14, UWS 17

Not public: the Undergraduate and Graduate Student Handbooks, the Professional Standards and Behavior Code and the Progression document are Box files that did not open without a UW login; the Essential Functional Abilities Standards; the appeals committee’s membership and standard; and whether the School reports academic actions or conduct findings to the Board of Nursing. All are worth requesting in writing.

Related reading

• Nursing school dismissal
• Removal from a clinical rotation
• Professionalism and fitness-to-practice findings
• Due process at public institutions
• Wisconsin student defense

Other Wisconsin schools

Every school writes its own dismissal, appeal and conduct rules, and the deadlines are rarely the same. These pages set out the procedure elsewhere in Wisconsin:

• UW School of Medicine and Public Health — Dismissal & Appeals
• University of Wisconsin Law School — Dismissal & Appeals
• Medical College of Wisconsin
• Marquette University School of Dentistry — Dismissal & Appeals
• Marquette University Law School — Dismissal & Appeals

Common questions

How many nursing courses can I fail before UW dismisses me?

Two. One D, F or NC in a nursing course is probation; the same grade twice in one course, or in two courses, is dismissal. A DNP student may repeat one course, once.

Can I be removed from clinical without failing anything?

Yes. A student “who demonstrates unsafe nursing practice may be dismissed at any time from the clinical area,” on a faculty or preceptor determination; the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs decides the outcome.

How long do I have to appeal a dismissal?

Ten business days from “notification of academic status.” A second-level appeal is due 10 business days after the first decision and takes no new information.

Can a lawyer come with me to the appeals committee?

The policy allows one “support person,” limited to “advice and support,” on three business days’ notice. It does not say whether that person may be a lawyer, so ask the Assistant Dean in writing.

Can a lawyer help me prepare the petition?

Yes. A lawyer can help prepare the petition or appeal, and the work is handled case by case; a flat-fee Full Read + Game Plan is described on the fees and scope of services page.

This page is informational and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the institution named on it.