Roughly 46% of courses that were originally held face-to-face on-campus have had their sections reassigned to an online modality. 

• Each online course will include weekly meetings for students to interact and complete class activities together. These meetings are created to build community and engagement with classmates. 
• Faculty and instructional staff are working throughout the summer to design and strengthen online courses, teaching methods and delivery to ensure a high-quality learning experience.
• Please also note that all formerly on-campus courses that are now changed to online will have the same tuition rates as an on-campus course and will operate within the plateau (allowing 12-18 credits of registration with no additional tuition). This was a student-centered decision designed to ensure that students are not negatively impacted by these changes. 

The remaining 54% of courses will be offered on-campus. 

• Class sizes will be limited to allow for proper social distancing to mitigate risk. 
• Cleaning stations will be in each classroom for sanitizing spaces.
• These courses may switch to exclusively online in the event of a surge or other danger posed by COVID-19. Should this decision be made, students will be notified immediately.
• These courses will switch to exclusively online after Thanksgiving break through the remainder of the fall semester, or if there is a surge in COVID-19 cases. 

Our switch to virtual courses in March 2020 was a fast, but a reasoned decision in response to what was happening in our country and region. We have taken many significant steps to enhance the learning experience in fall 2020 on campus and online for all students, including:  

• Superior Learning Experience Training: This summer, more than 95% of UW-Superior instructors have participated in the Superior Learning Experience, a five-week training to maximize the quality of instruction for both on-campus and online courses. We are unique among the University of Wisconsin System campuses to have had this many instructors participate in such a program.  

  • This intensive training, the largest single investment in our history, emphasized best practices, maximum quality use of Canvas (including gradebook), and was premised on a set of quality teaching and learning standards.  

  • This training put students at the heart of designing a high-quality academic experience, resulting in positive learning this fall. 

• Spring Student Survey Results: We surveyed all students after spring semester 2020, with more than 2,600 students responding to questions related to the online switch as a result of COVID-19.  

  • The vast majority of students agreed or strongly agreed that individual needs were met, instructors communicated about course changes, and the level of quality was maintained given the circumstances. Very few students (around 7%) reported being dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their instruction in spring 2020.

  • We reviewed every single comment written by students and did the best we could to ensure that those concerns were addressed in the Superior Learning Experience training that faculty completed this summer. We listened to you and acted on your feedback to strengthen our teaching and student learning experience. 

• Clean and safety measures: For classes that will be taking place face-to-face on-campus, several measures are being taken to mitigate risk to students and faculty. Please see the clean and safety measures page for more information. 

Yes, students will have access to the same services as an on-campus students, even if they are taking classes online.  

The recent ICE rule requiring international students to transfer or leave the country if their schools held classes entirely online because of the pandemic has been rescinded. 

We encourage a thorough review of international students' status. Salisa Hochstetler can assist in with all aspects of visa eligibility, international student status issues, I-20s and/or financial aid and provide more details specific to a student's situation.

All formerly on-campus courses that are now changed to online will have the same tuition rates as an on-campus course and will operate within the plateau (allowing 12-18 credits of registration with no additional tuition). 

Keeping tuition at the on-campus rate is a positive financial benefit to students whose courses may have switched to online this fall.  

Example: 

View the fee schedule on the bursar’s page for more information. Students should consult with Financial Aid or the Bursar’s Office regarding their individual situation regarding tuition/fees for fall 2020. 

As students are registering for courses, we recommend they review the schedule carefully.  

• If a class section is listed as 001 for example, even if the location of the course is now listed as “online”, the student will still be charged the on-campus tuition rate and appropriate fees and the plateau will apply. Although the course location may be changed to “online,” this change will not impact students’ institutional scholarship or non-resident tuition waivers. This course will be taught online with at least one real-time virtual class meeting per week at the date/time scheduled for the course. Full details on the course meetings will be provided by the instructor. 
• However, if a student elects to enroll in a course that historically has been taught online and is coded with a class section such as E1, then online tuition and fees will apply, and these courses will not be included in the tuition plateau.

Students and advisors should pay close attention to the course note to see how that course is being charged despite the location.  

There are no plans to adjust segregated fees for fall semester. Segregated fees are set by the Chancellor in consultation with Student Government Association and approved by the Board of Regents. These are fees for specific services that are authorized by Wisconsin State Statutes and cover expenses that exist regardless of fall semester course plans including salaries, debt service, athletics, wellness and fitness facilities, building maintenance costs, student health and counseling services and more.   

Please visit the complete list of segregated fees and individual rates for more information. 

Here are some considerations as you make your decision: 

• Delayed internships, experiential learning, graduation and career start: Switching from a full-time load of 15-17 credits down to 9-12 credits can delay your graduation a semester or more, depending on the schedule of classes are offered in the future. In addition, taking a part-time load can delay the onset of things like internships, experiential learning, and starting your career.  

• Financial aid implications: Please be sure to consult with Financial Aid before taking a part-time load. A reduction in courses may impact your costs of attendance as well as the financial aid that is provided to you (FAFSA, scholarships, etc.).   

• Visa requirements: If you are an international student and will be taking classes in the U.S., you are required to take a minimum of 12 credits to maintain your F-1 status. You are eligible to take classes part-time under certain conditions. You must have an approval from the office of Intercultural Success to take less than 12 credits. 

Students should consult with their academic advisor for sound advice on the pros and cons of going part-time in their major or other program areas. 

Here are some considerations as you make your decision:  

• Consider the complexity of reentry later: Students should make sure they are aware of the re-entry process if they decide to take the fall semester off from the university (new students can push back their entry date with admissions, however returning students will need to complete a reentry application).  

• Life plans delayed: Taking a semester off may delay future graduate-level education plans or entry into a student's desired employment field, which is a loss of future income. COVID-19 will be with us for the foreseeable future, so we encourage students to continue with their academic plan as much as possible.   

• Visa status terminated: International students will have to request a leave of absence and their SEVIS record (F-1 status) will be terminated.

  • If international students are in the U.S., they will be allowed a 15-day period for departure.

  • If international students return to the U.S. within five months to continue their education, their SEVIS record can be petitioned to get reinstated. Petition approval is not guaranteed.

  • If international students are away from classes more than five months, they will need to obtain a new SEVIS ID and repay the $350 SEVIS fee. Students' ability to do practical trainings will also be delayed. 

• Delayed graduation or risk of not graduating at all: Student's path to graduation could be delayed if they decide to take fall semester off from school. Experience tells us that the longer the time between taking classes, the harder it is to come back. 

Very few universities across the country are going to be in a completely in-person format for the fall.  Most universities are implementing a model like UW-Superior’s. 

In addition, transferring to another institution sometimes means courses that students have taken do not get counted at another university, meaning they may need to retake courses at a higher cost that can further increase time to graduation. 

Nearly half of the courses that would normally be face-to-face on-campus classes will continue to be in this format. Students should consult with their advisor to find the courses best suited for them.  

UW-Superior will be teaching all classes online beginning Thanksgiving Break to the end of the semester. Other universities are also doing this to attempt to minimize the risk of COVID-19 to students, faculty and staff during the window of time between holiday and break.

Here are the things students should have accessible for fall courses:

• A working computer
• Connectivity to the internet (you may need to locate local wifi areas or places to work if working from home)
• Web camera capacity to have access to video conferencing tools (many laptops and monitors have web cameras built in)
• A microphone (many laptops have one built in) 
• Ability to have sufficient computer memory to download any special software required in your major. 

In addition, we recommend that you plan to create a space with some privacy within your home so you can participate in classes without exposing your home or other family members to the class. This requires some planning to create a good space to learn and study within for classes and for studying.

The Dean’s Leadership Team, with involvement of the Provost’s Office and under the leadership of the Dean of Academic Affairs & Graduate Studies, designed a process to re-examine the fall semester schedule with COVID-19 safety parameters in mind. 

1. First the team analyzed all results from students, faculty and staff in a survey done in late spring semester to identify themes and patterns about online and on-campus modalities. 
2. The team then researched many published articles from higher education journals about fall semester planning options and considered many different options with safety in mind. 
3. Based on this information, the design team chose two scenarios for fall 2020. Most universities in the region and around the nation were moving toward similar options at roughly the same time.   
   1. A hybrid course model with a percentage mix of on-campus and online courses, and
   2. A complete online model for all courses.  
4. A new survey was sent to all fall 2020 instructors to identify their preferences for teaching online or on-campus. These results were analyzed. 
5. All department chairs for every academic department were asked to gather more information about each specific course being offered in fall 2020 and to propose which modality specific courses should be taught within and any special parameters that instructors needed to teach their courses. 
6. In addition, the team gathered the specifics from Facilities Management about physical distancing and classroom capacities under COVID-19 guidelines. Based on the information provided by Facilities Management, we learned that many UW-Superior classrooms do not have sufficient space to ensure larger class sizes while protecting the physical distancing rules of 78 square feet per student. The team always chose on the side of safety on these matter. 

All of these puzzle pieces of information were then examined to finalize the fall 2020 course schedule. The team did the best they could to offer enough on-campus courses to serve the needs of residential students while also maximizing safety for all students, faculty, instructors and staff on campus.