All new student-facing course attributes require significant cost (vendor(s), implementation, assignment to courses by the departments, application to program requirements in DARS/GSTS, etc.), thus considerations for new attributes are extremely rare. They must first be vetted by the Vice Provost for Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research, the Director of Academic Planning, and the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, in consultation with the Provost where necessary, prior to proposal submission. If a proposal is deemed necessary, the academic planning team in Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research (DAPIR) will advise on the propsal process based on the scope.

Governance includes review and consideration by the University Curriculum Committee (UCC).. Additional governance bodies may require approval/sign-off depending on the nature of the course attribute.

1. Attributes are added or removed from courses individually through the course approval process (supported by the Lumen Course proposal).
2. Courses proposals must be approved by the subject, cross-listed subject(s) (if applicable), schools/colleges, attribute/designation review groups (if applicable), and the University Curriculum Committee.
3. Once approved and implemented in the Student Information System (SIS), the course attribute will show up in Guide, Course Search and Enroll, and the Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS).
   1. While separate table in SIS determines what courses are used in awarding retro-credits, a business practice that the retro-credit table will be updated concert with foreign language attributes in the course catalog have been agreed upon, and auditing to assure that the two data sources remain in sync will be done.

How it works

Recommended best practices:

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a national leader in foreign language instruction and offers instruction in more than 40 languages. Given the expansive offerings it is not always easy for students to understand what languages are offered, or which courses are at the introductory and sequentially higher levels. This attribute provides a transparent means to identify language courses where the primary focus of the course is teaching students a method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way and to differentiate them from courses that focus on the culture, literature, history and polity or other aspects of language learning.

These courses, excluding level 1, are eligible to award retroactive credits (“retro-credits”) that grant credit for previous language study when students complete an appropriate course at the University with a grade of B or higher.

• Level 1: First-semester language course. Course in a language other than English for students with no prior experience in the language. These courses are not retro-credit eligible.
• Level 2: Second-semester language course. Course in a language other than English that requires a Level 1 course a requisite. These courses are retro-credit eligible.
• Level 3: Third-semester language course. Course in a language other than English that requires a Level 2 course a requisite. These courses are retro-credit eligible.
• Level 4: Fourth-semester language course. Course in a language other than English that requires a Level 3 course a requisite. These courses are retro-credit eligible.
• Level 5+: Fifth-semester and above language course. Course in a language other than English that requires a Level 4 or Level 5 course a requisite. These courses are retro-credit eligible. Courses with a 5+ designation could be sequenced or non-sequenced language courses beyond the fourth semester, or literature or culture courses taught in the language that require a Level 4 or Level 5 course requisite. Because these are language courses, they are retro-credit eligible.

SIS Attribute Values (Course Attribute = FLNG)

• FL 1 = first semester language (1st)
• FL 2 = second semester language (2nd)
• FL 3 = third semester language (3rd)
• FL 4 = fourth semester language (4th)
• FL 5 = fifth semester language or above (5th+)

This attribute is used to provide programs and students alike a way to identify the courses eligible to meet this requirement (not only with courses in one’s unit, but with any course on campus) and to facilitate the advising of enrolled students as well as degree audits at the time of graduation.

Standards for Graduate Course Work

To develop and safeguard standards of graduate course work, below is a checklist of criteria for designation of a graduate course work attribute. The checklist is minimal and not intended to be exhaustive. The diversity of programs and courses may necessitate judgments outside of listed criteria due to the unique standards of a specific discipline. However, course proposers are encouraged to offer explanations where their courses deviate from general criteria.

Graduate Course Work Rigor

Graduate course work content should be intellectually challenging to graduate students. Course work which establishes a high standard of learning may be evidenced by:

• requiring students to demonstrate advanced methodology/application of new skills and information to significant tasks or issues in the discipline;
• requiring students to demonstrate an increased depth of knowledge beyond that normally attained by a typical bachelor degree holder in the discipline; 
• requiring students to demonstrate higher-order synthesis and analysis in the discipline; 
• a strong emphasis on the literature of the discipline and/or active engagement with the latest research and scholarly activity of the discipline.

Graduate course work content should generally build on knowledge or experience previously gained and is mindful of program admission prerequisites. The higher standards set for graduate students are generally reflective of the advanced level of instruction in a graduate course.

Graduate Course Work Requirements and Assessment

Graduate course work numbered 300-699:

• must show evidence of meeting the above criteria by assessing graduate students through examinations, assignments, and the use of grading rubrics and the like which clearly establish a higher standard of performance for graduate students versus undergraduates for the same grade. The additional graduate student work will generally occur outside the common class time. These courses must also have at least one graduate learning outcome that is linked to this higher standard.
• grading graduate students using a narrower scale and/or requiring graduate students to produce lengthier assignments without requiring advanced synthesis or demonstration of knowledge, would not be considered adequate for assignment of the graduate attribute.

A course that has the graduate attribute must have requisites that would allow a graduate student to enroll without special permission. For example, the requisite can not require undergraduate courses without adding a provision such as "or graduate/professional standing" as a graduate student's undergraduate work is not part of their UW-Madison student record.

Workplace experience can be a valuable way to help undergraduate students take the theories and concepts learned in the classroom and apply them in professional settings. The “Workplace Experience” attribute for undergraduate courses makes it easier for students to identify courses that structure meaningful workplace experiences to enhance their education. It provides a consistent messaging by faculty, advisors, deans’ offices, and other academic administrators about the value of and expectations for workplace experiences. It also allows the University to better meet demands for evaluating, tracking, and reporting on these kinds of experiences. 

The National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) definition of internships (or, more broadly, workplace experiences) was used in the development of this proposal:

• A form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional [workplace] setting. Internships [and other immersive workplace experiences] give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent. http://www.naceweb.org/internships/

Evidence of the criteria listed above must be included and explained in any proposal for a course requesting or having this attribute. 

Impact and Benefits

• The attribute is used in the Guide and other systems that may be used for the purpose of searching for and identifying specific courses. 
• A common identifier for workplace experience courses aids in the efficient and consistent reporting of workplace experiences.
• While addressing the criteria above does not necessarily mean that a proposed workplace experience meets all of the conditions required to be an approved course, it does provide a framework that can be used to design a quality workplace experience course that will be useful when designing and proposing courses.
• By creating an easy, defined way of identifying workplace experience courses, a course attribute specifically designed for workplace experience will replace the use of directed/independent study courses for this type of activity.

The purpose of this document is to explain the creation and implementation of the Practical Experience Course Attribute. The intended audience is Academic Planning and Institutional Research. The Practical Experience (PRAC) administrative course attribute allows for comprehensive labeling of courses that represent for-credit activity in a workplace including practica and clinical placements. This attribute is not public facing and is used exclusively for reporting needs, including the Wisconsin Experience report, the legislated Act 32 accountability reporting, and mandated national State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) reporting, all of which require information about a similar type of course.

Course Attribute Details

Course Attribute (4 characters): PRAC

Description (30 char): Practical experience

Attribute Value (10 char): OPTIONAL

Description (30 char): Practical work

Definition: Any course where a student earns credit by completing practical work. This generally includes (but is not limited to) internships, practicums, clinicals, and other placements within a work environment. This is a general attribute assigned to any course that could include a practicum-like element. This will not be added to courses that meet a specific defined program requirement, which would be flagged with the REQUIRED value. 

Attribute Value (10 char): REQUIRED

Description (30 char): Req Curricular Placement

Definition: Any course that meets the “OPTIONAL” criteria and requires an additional flag for reporting purposes and is part of a defined required element within the curriculum. In part, the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) requires UW-Madison to identify non-duplicated headcounts “where a student completes a defined program requirement, in which the student opts to participate at a place outside of the state of Wisconsin but within the boundaries of the United States of America, and which state or province the placement took place.” This value will be used in a limited fashion to indicate only courses that are specifically required, excluding courses that could be used to fulfill a requirement (covered under OPTIONAL). Any course assigned the REQUIRED value, is required in one or more programs.

Implementation Identification

The identification of courses to assign the PRAC attribute was a multiple step process:

1. 1. Courses utilizing the existing for-credit workplace experiences course attribute (attribute: WORK; value: EXPR) provided a foundational selection of courses that already met the qualifying description for the PRAC attribute. All courses with the WORK attribute were included in the initial PRAC list.
   2.  Identified academic programs (plans or subplans), which required an element of hands-on specialized training outside the classroom for completion of the program. This could include (but is not limited to) clinicals, internships, externships, practicum, rotations, outpatient or clerkship appointments, apprenticeships and preceptorships. If unclear, APIR consulted with the departments to determine whether a specific course was a required placement.
   3. Identified courses that would be excluded (independent study courses; There is no description on what is happening in the course so we cannot determine whether it would fall into this bucket).
   4. Reviewed the course catalog for courses that, either through the course title or course description, indicated a significant hands-on experience outside of the classroom supervised by a professional in the field.

Once APIR identified the list of courses that would be assigned the PRAC attribute, they determined the value based on how the courses were utilized in the program curriculum (see below for the guidelines). They produced a list of courses and their corresponding PRAC attributes and submitted to the Office of the Registrar for implementation in SIS. APIR submitted changes to the vendor to allow for the new attribute to display on the Lumen Course proposal form to allow for seamless assignment in the future.

Post-Implementation Identification

1. Course proposals through the Lumen Course Proposal system.
   1. Is the experience of the course providing a student supervised practical knowledge of a specialized field of study? If so, the course should be assigned the PRAC attribute.
   2. Is there a substantial amount of time spent in the classroom? If so, the course should not be assigned the PRAC attribute.
   3. Laboratories that are primarily a class-room styled course (structured curriculum) are not candidates for the PRAC attribute.
1. a. Most courses assigned with the PRAC attribute will be identified through the course proposal process. As courses progress through workflow, APIR will review the course title, description, component, course rationale, and sample syllabus to determine whether the course is a candidate for the PRAC. If a course clearly indicates an out-of-class learning experience, it will be flagged as a PRAC course.
2. Academic program curriculum (specifically required courses that are placements) through the Lumen Program Proposal system.
1. As programs are being reviewed, APIR will review to see if PRAC courses are used within the curriculum. If the curriculum utilizes courses that qualify for the PRAC attribute, the required-ability of the course determines the value of the attribute. If a program has a required placement, it will be flagged as such on the NC-SARA field in the administrative section of Lumen Programs as being a SARA program. These programs are reviewed annually to ensure that the curriculum has not changed.

Determining the Attribute Value associate with the PRAC Attribute

To determine the assigned attribute value (OPTIONAL or REQUIRED) of an identified practical experience course requires review of academic program curriculum. When courses and programs being created simultaneously, it can be difficult to determine the value of the practical experience course. If there is uncertainty which value should be assigned, APIR will consult with the department to determine whether a course is a required element of the curriculum or if it is a course that is one of a variety of course options that will fulfill requirements.

General Guidelines:

1. A course being listed as an option within curriculum (“Select one of the following courses…”) but is not a required element of completing the program will be flagged as an OPTIONAL value.
2. Courses that are listed as electives will be flagged as an OPTIONAL value.
3. Curriculum indicating that a placement must be completed at least once will be flagged as REQUIRED.
4. Many of the REQUIRED courses are determined by the context of how the curriculum has been entered in Guide. Typically, these are easy to identify.
5. For many of the professional programs, their curriculum is not listed in Guide. This requires APIR to review the curriculum listed on departmental websites and consulting with the program to determine which value to assign a course.

Resource Documents

• Practical Experience Course Attribute, Implementation Memo (Milner) (2 May 2019)
• Rules for Assigning the PRAC Attribute

The University Curriculum Committee approved a discontinuation proposal from the Office of Sustainability for the public, academic attribute and policy related to Sustainability at the 23 September 2022 meeting. An administrative attribute replaced the academic course attribute for sustainability, to be managed by the Office of Sustainability for STARS tracking.