Overview

A track is a type of subplan for a non-degree plan code in the special student career. Tracks define a specific student profile and indicate their purpose for enrolling as a special student at UW-Madison. In limited situations, new tracks can be created and utilized in course requisites to allow these students to enroll for a course where they do not otherwise meet stated course requisites because their course work from other institutions is not transferred and/or transcripted.   Tracks in the special student career are approved through the Division of Continuing Studies but must also have support from a school/college if the program represented by the track is related to a program or unit in that school/college.

Tracks are allowable for use in course requisites because they identify students that have a specific academic background/preparation appropriate for the specific program.

Applicable Plan Codes

Pre-Selected Special (UNPS999; Lumen key: 990)

Includes programs such as Badger Ready, Odyssey, Odyssey Beyond Bars, and Summer Language programs. These programs have a review-based admission process within the school/college/department before applying and being admitted as a special student (the pre-selected indication). The administrative work associated with applications is not managed by DCS. DCS must approve admissions and enrollment every term.

International Exchange Special (UNIS999; Lumen key: 988)

A formal exchange program where students from other institutions may come to UW-Madison. These are established exchange programs separate from the Visiting International audience.

Note: It is important to keep in mind whether the students are undergraduates or graduate students at their home institution; it may be necessary to create more than one track depending on whether the students are undergraduates or graduate/professional students, in compliance with the policy on Course Numbers.

International Visiting Special (Visiting International Student Program; VISP)

For international students who wish to study at UW–Madison for one or more semesters and are not part of a formal exchange program through a school, college, or department, and is separate from the core VISP program. Students admitted into this program must be declared into the appropriate plan code related to their current academic status, as an undergraduate, graduate or dissertator for immigration/visa as well as academic purposes.

VISP programs may used for programs interested in creating an on-ramp for a Masters (3 + 1 + 1). It is allowable for departments to create separate VISP tracks for different audiences.

Note: keep in mind that you may need to create more than one track depending on your audience, in compliance with the policy on Course Numbers.

Plan Codes

• • Undergraduate (UIUL999; International Undergraduate Visitor Special; Lumen key: 1200)
    • For any student who does not yet have a bachelor’s degree from their home institution.
  • Graduate (UIGL999; International Graduate Visitor Special; Lumen key: 1199)
    • For any student who has a bachelor’s degree.
  • Dissertator (UIDL999; International Dissertator Visitor Special; Lumen key: 1198)
    • For any student working on a PhD and has dissertator status from their home institution or has completed a PhD.

Procedures

Proposing/Revising/Discontinuing Tracks

You will need to coordinate with the Division of Continuing Studies (DCS) and your school/college Dean's office.

1. Connect with the Division of Continuing Studies Assistant Dean for Admissions & Student Services. You must complete this form, which will be entered into Lumen Programs by DCS.
2. The proposal approval will be documented by inclusion of the For the Record list on the last University Academic Planning Council agenda of the academic year. Tracks are approved by Data, Academic Planning and Institutional Research and may require additional approvals, depending on the circumstance.

VISP SIS codes

• All codes are approved for immediate use, but in order to minimize the administrative management of codes these will be treated similar to the GCRT/LCRT/MCRT/PCRT/VCRT codes and will be created when required for use. When an additional code is required, DCS must submit a Lumen Structures proposal indicating the code that needs to be activated in SIS.
• If course proposals include VISP in the course requisites, the requisite will be built using the specified audience. If including all three, all three must be created in SIS (opposed to waiting for a structures proposal).

Revising Course Requisites

1. Submit course proposals to revise the requisites for any applicable course this audience may enroll.

• You will need to submit individual course proposals; no bulk process is available for adding/removing special student tracks from catalog requisites.
• Courses adding tracks to catalog requisites will not be reviewed by the University Curriculum Committee until the proposals for the track and parent plan are submitted to workflow.
• The correct language to use in the requisite is "Declared in [name of track/program]."