UWW Interdisciplinary Studies 2024–25 Student Handbook
Table of Contents
- The University Without Walls Department of Interdisciplinary Studies
- Core Course Descriptions
- The Prior Learning Assessment Process
- Course Load and Sequencing
- Graduation
- Honors and Academic Achievement Options
- Academic Policies
- UMass Amherst Student Code of Conduct
- Tips for Student Success
- Student Resources
The University Without Walls Department of Interdisciplinary Studies
Our Philosophy of Education
At the UWW Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, we believe that learning is a basic human function that occurs throughout the life cycle. Students have an opportunity to further develop a broad range of skills that are necessary for learning in any situation: the ability to understand what they read, hear, and see; to write clearly and expressively; to think critically and objectively; and to pursue independent research. In addition, they will better understand their own background and experiential learning.
The UWW Department of Interdisciplinary Studies also believes in the importance of integrating theoretical learning with practical experience, and we try to view students within the wider context of their overall lives. Students find that studying, learning, and completing a degree have positive impacts on many aspects of their lives for years to come.
UMass Amherst and UWW Interdisciplinary Studies Requirements
To graduate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst University Without Walls Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, students must fulfill both university and UWW Interdisciplinary Studies requirements. We represent the educational mission and standards of the university by ensuring that students receive a general education spanning a variety of disciplines and build on that foundation with a more specialized and extensive understanding of a particular field, often incorporating learning gained through experience. A student's particular field is known as their area of concentration (AOC).
Graduation Requirements
| Type of Requirement | Satisfied By |
|---|---|
| Required total credits for a bachelor’s degree | 120 credits |
| Minimum residence requirement | 45 UMass Amherst credits (15 of 45 must be graded credits) |
| Minimum GPA (academic standing) | 2.0 |
| Completion of general education requirements | General education requirements should be verified by viewing the Academic Records Report (ARR) located in SPIRE |
| Completion of Core Curriculum Courses (15 credits total) |
|
| Required number of credits in AOC | 45 credits |
| Required number of graded upper-level credits in AOC (300 level or higher) | 15 credits |
General Education Requirements
To graduate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, students are required to fulfill specific general education requirements depending on the date they entered the university. Requirements can be viewed at General Education at UMass. General education requirements can be fulfilled by coursework completed with UMass Amherst, transferred in through other colleges and universities (a minimum of 3 credits is required), or taken via CLEP or exemption exam (prior approval may be required).
Unless both are already completed via transfer credits, students are required to complete at least one of the diversity requirements (Global Diversity or United States Diversity) within their first three semesters in the UWW Department of Interdisciplinary Studies.
Core Course Descriptions
Because the UWW Department of Interdisciplinary Studies views adult learners as people who have been and will be learning throughout their lives, our curriculum emphasizes the following two categories of skills that are crucial to any educational effort:
Communication skills, including competence in expository or analytical writing, oral expression and/or audio and visual forms of communication.
Critical thinking, including the ability to identify and critique the assumptions and values upon which arguments are based and conclusions premised, to gather and evaluate information, to make connections between seemingly unconnected thoughts or ideas, and to use these capabilities to address problems.
Degree Planning Course
Course Description:
Concepts in Learning Integration is the study of how experiential learning theory contributes to the process of designing an academic area of study. Utilizing research skills, self-reflection, critical analysis, and knowledge acquired through previous coursework, students will connect theory and practice by doing research that demonstrates an ability to use primary and secondary sources, solve problems and communicate effectively. Peer and instructor feedback will be integral to the learning process. Students will construct a degree plan that incorporates past coursework and experience. This course meets the interdisciplinary (I) general education requirement.
Goals: To help students:
- recognize different disciplinary approaches and limitations to addressing complex real-world problems and overarching questions;
- integrate multiple perspectives from experiential and curricular experiences (general education, area of concentration) while exploring a central theme;
- make connections between theory and practice in order to develop alternative solutions to challenges encountered in the workplace and community;
- develop collaborative approaches to learning through community by sharing similar competencies/skills in different areas of interest;
- develop transferable skills such as critical thinking, creative thinking, reflection, and research;
- create an individualized academic degree plan that integrates educational and experiential experiences, and aligns with career and academic goals.
Writing Course
Course Description:
Writing About Experience is an advanced writing course designed to help students enhance their writing skills, using their own experience and reflections as the subject matter. The students enrolled in the course develop a prior learning portfolio based on experiential learning that may later be evaluated for academic credit. Portfolios written in this course may be submitted for up to fifteen credits. Those seeking more credits may write one additional chapter after the course is completed. Not all students elect to submit their portfolio for prior learning assessment. Details about the portfolio process are included within the Prior Learning Portfolio Handbook. The academic credits awarded for the prior learning portfolio are evaluated separately from the course. This course meets the Junior Writing (JW) general education requirement.
Prerequisites:
Completion of the College Writing general education requirement, UWW 305, and one of the following Experiential Reflections courses (UWW 310, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360). It is recommended that the second required Experiential Reflections course be taken simultaneously with UWW 370.
Goals:
In addition to the creation of a prior learning portfolio, the course will also teach students to:
- Develop organized and consistent themes throughout a longer piece of writing
- Integrate descriptive, analytical, and reflective writing
- Develop a voice in one’s writing
- Respond to others’ work with helpful comments and suggestions
- Revise sections to create a coherent whole
Experiential Reflections Courses
Completion of two Experiential Reflections courses is required for UWW Interdisciplinary Studies students, and at least one must be taken before UWW 370. Students may select two from the following six topics:
Course Description:
In this course students will examine the principles and frameworks of technology as a way to better understand their professional and other life experience. This course meets the Integrative Experience (IE) general education requirement. Prerequisite: UWW 305 taken prior or concurrently.
Goals:
- to briefly outline human technological advancement from muscle-powered agricultural ways of life up to the present;
- define the meaning of modern “technologies” and seek to understand their ongoing relationship to the natural sciences;
- examine the influence of technologies on social relations, cultural forces, human connectedness and individual practice through the exploration of student experience and practice with technology;
- discuss how technologies may both “include” or “alienate” through an understanding of how humans adapt, embrace, or reject technology; and
- demonstrate the ability to critically reflect on, integrate, and apply their learning and experience derived from exposure to the various general education disciplines to their area of concentration.
Course Description:
Students will examine the principles and frameworks of leadership from both the perspective of leaders and those serving leaders within their professional and other life experience. This course meets the Integrative Experience (IE) general education requirement. Prerequisite: UWW 305 taken prior or concurrently.
Goals:
- reflect upon and write about personal experiences with leading and being led;
- explore the dynamics of leadership in various groups and organizations;
- place personal experiences with leadership in a larger context through the study of leaders and ideas about leadership; and
- demonstrate the ability to critically reflect on, integrate, and apply their learning and experience derived from exposure to the various general education disciplines to their area of concentration.
Course Description:
Students will examine the principles and frameworks of public policy and its impact on their professional and other life experience. This course meets the Integrative Experience (IE) general education requirement. Prerequisite: UWW 305 taken prior or concurrently.
Goals:
- understand the theoretical framework of public policy-making and the environment within which policy is created and implemented at the national and state levels;
- develop familiarity with the major features of several areas of public policy, such as privatization policy, housing policy, or others;
- identify an area of public policy that has impacted their own life, work, or community, and develop, through research and classroom work, an understanding of the main issues that are at play in that area of policy; and
- demonstrate the ability to critically reflect on, integrate, and apply their learning and experience derived from exposure to the various general education disciplines to their area of concentration.
Course Description:
Students will examine the principles and frameworks of organizations as key elements in their professional and other life experience. This course meets the Integrative Experience (IE) general education requirement. Prerequisite: UWW 305 taken prior or concurrently.
Goals:
- define the term organization within the context of this course;
- define what we mean by formal and informal organizations in terms of their similarities and differences;
- explain the key features of systems theory as they apply to living systems;
- describe and analyze in detail a familiar organizational system and our role within it;
- define organizational culture and describe the levels that comprise it;
- describe and engage more effectively in the processes through which organizational culture is created and re-created, and how it transmits to organizational members and impacts them;
- describe the culture of a familiar organization and discuss the implications of that culture for organizational members and the organization’s purpose;
- apply the above knowledge to a familiar organization, focusing on an analysis of past collaborative efforts, approaches to conflict management, and organizational and individual experiences with change;
- identify opportunities within that familiar organization for organizational development and cultural renewal; and
- demonstrate the ability to critically reflect on, integrate, and apply their learning and experience derived from exposure to the various general education disciplines to their area of concentration.
Course Description:
Students will examine the principles and frameworks of health as a way to better understand their professional and other life experience. This course seeks to address and understand varying responses to the questions “What is health?” and “How do we define ‘quality of life’?” These questions will be addressed through the use of reference material housed in the disciplines of public health, sociology, philosophy, anthropology, political science, communication, history, medicine, humanities, education, and economics. This course meets the Integrative Experience (IE) general education requirement. Prerequisite: UWW 305 taken prior or concurrently.
Goals:
- illustrate how a multidisciplinary approach to understanding “health” and “quality of life” can inform an understanding of public and individual health;
- illustrate how a universal experience like “health” is experienced differently depending on culture, diagnosis, context, history, social determinants, and personal knowledge;
- prepare students for writing about individual experiences for their Prior Learning Portfolio in the University Without Walls program;
- provide a structured, credited context for students to reflect on and integrate their learning and experience from the broad exposure in their general education courses;
- provide the opportunity for students to practice general education learning objectives (collaboration, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary perspective taking) at a more advanced level; and
- offer a shared learning experience for applying prior knowledge and experience to new situations, challenging questions, and real-world problems.
Course Description:
Students will explore formal, informal/incidental, and non-formal learning across the life span, beginning with early childhood and continuing into adulthood. Learning is defined as “the way in which individuals or groups acquire, interpret, re-organize, change or assimilate a related cluster of information, skills and feelings. It is also the primary way that people construct meaning in their personal and shared organizational lives” (Marsick, 1987, p. 4). Education is the delivery system for some, though not all, of this learning; much learning is acquired directly or indirectly through experience. Readings for this course will draw on a number of disciplines including education, technology, psychology, anthropology, history and sociology. This course meets the Integrative Experience (IE) general education requirement. Prerequisite: UWW 305 taken prior or concurrently.
Goals:
- deepen our understanding of learning and education across a variety of contexts;
- deepen our understanding of the ways in which formal, informal/incidental and non-formal learning influences our experience and that of others;
- demonstrate the ability to critically reflect on, integrate, and apply our learning derived from exposure to the various approaches to learning and education to our lives;
- describe the similarities and differences among formal, informal/incidental and non-formal learning and education;
- reflect upon and write about personal experiences with learning and education;
- research, analyze and reflect on a specific issue or problem in learning or education in depth;
- work collaboratively with others in the completion of academic assignments; and
- develop an action plan for lifelong learning.
The Prior Learning Assessment Process
UWW Interdisciplinary Studies students have entered the University of Massachusetts Amherst with knowledge acquired through work and other life experiences. In the world outside the classroom, they have acquired skills for organizing and interpreting important information. Options to earn credit for prior work/life experience include the prior learning portfolio and special transcript.
Portfolio
UWW Interdisciplinary Studies students will write a portfolio as part of the UWW 370 Writing About Experience course. Developing a portfolio can help accomplish the following:
- Make intellectual contact with theories, skills, and understanding
- Clarify thinking
- Discover what is known—and not known—about fields of work
- Organize ideas, knowledge, and skills in ways that allow more effective communication to others
- Obtain university credit
- Satisfy the departmental degree requirements
In order to have your completed portfolio evaluated for Prior Learning Portfolio credit, you also need to sign up for UWW 296Y. UWW 296Y has no work associated with it, as it is not a “real” course, but a placeholder for the number of prior learning credits you receive after the evaluation of your experiential learning.
Most students complete this process during their second semester, though they may choose to enroll in a later semester. Students may submit the portfolio completed in UWW 370 for up to fifteen credits (Stage I portfolio), but have the opportunity to earn more credits by writing one additional chapter (Stage II portfolio). Once credits have been awarded for the portfolio on a student’s transcript, the portfolio process is complete and no additional credits can be earned by portfolio.
Developing a portfolio is addressed in a separate handbook, specifically about prior learning assessment: the Prior Learning Portfolio Handbook. It is distributed in the UWW 370 Writing About Experience courses, but can also be accessed from the Student Headquarters.
- October 1 – Students who enrolled in UWW 370 the previous fall semester.
- February 1 – Students who enrolled in UWW 370 the previous spring semester.
- April 1 – Students who enrolled in UWW 370 the previous summer.
When you register for UWW 296Y, two charges will appear on your bill.
- $450: UWW 296Y, 3 placeholder credits
- $900: Prior Learning Assessment Fee I – for a prior learning portfolio of up to 15 credits
- Together, these total $1,350 for a Stage I portfolio.
Then, if you submit a Stage II Prior Learning Portfolio (16–30 credits), the Prior Learning Assessment Fee II of $600 will be added to your bill.
- $1,350: UWW 296Y + Prior Learning Assessment Fee I
- $600: Prior Learning Assessment Fee II
- Together, these total $1,950 for a Stage II portfolio
The cost of the portfolio counts as part of the cost of attendance when you are packaged for financial aid. However, it is likely that if you submit a Stage II portfolio, the Prior Learning Assessment Fee II will be assessed well after financial aid packaging. Given this, if you are planning to submit a Stage II portfolio, we suggest you plan on saving money so that you are prepared to pay this fee when it hits your bill. In certain circumstances, it may be useful to contact Financial Aid Services to increase your cost of attendance for the Prior Learning Assessment Fee II. If you would like to pursue exactly 16 credits for your portfolio (1 credit as part of Stage II), your Prior Learning Assessment Fee II will be reduced to $450.
Special Transcript
The special transcript process provides the opportunity for college credit to be awarded for work conducted outside of an accredited environment. The work must have been completed prior to entering the UWW Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, and it must reflect an integrated and sustained curriculum that directly relates to students’ area of concentrations. This work can include trainings, certifications, licensures, and workshops (internship and practicum work is excluded). The work done to earn special transcript credit cannot be a topic included in the portfolio.
The work is evaluated by UMass Amherst faculty, and possibly outside professionals in the field. A $450 fee is charged for each special transcript approved and any credits awarded are considered transfer credits.
During the degree planning process, students will need to submit the Special Transcript Request form, along with official documentation of their previously completed work that includes: identification of the training sponsor, official verification of topic, training dates, and contact hours). College-level trainings are generally awarded one credit for every sixteen verified contact hours, although there are exceptions to this formula depending on the type of training.
If a training/certificate title is repeated, the student will only be allowed to include it once. For example, if a student completes a 4-hour training in 2020 and again in 2021, the student would add the contact hours to the Special Transcript Request form once (a total of 4 hours).
However, if a student has completed a 4-hour training in 2020 and another in 2021 that has the same title, but differing content, both could be added (a total of 8 hours) only if documentation is provided proving the content was not duplicated. Without proper documentation, contact hours for one training would be entered on the form.
Credit for Language Proficiency
A student may be able to receive UMass Amherst credits for demonstrating that they are proficient or fluent in a language other than English.
If you grew up speaking Spanish or German, or if you are proficient or fluent in any language other than English, Spanish, or German, you should complete the Request for Foreign Language Proficiency Test form and contact Kara Eich-Richardson, Assistant Dean and Director of Advising. Please check your email regularly, as you have to schedule the testing appointment once your request has been processed. If you attempted this process, but are proficient or fluent in a language that UMass Amherst cannot test for, please speak with your academic advisor to discuss your options.
If you did not grow speaking Spanish or German, but became proficient or fluent later, the first step is placing into the intermediate level or higher. Next, you should schedule a meeting with Sheila Brennan, Associate Director of Student Success Programs & Services:
- Log into Navigate.
- What type of appointment would you like to schedule? Select: Success & Wellness.
- In the next dropdown menu, select the following appointment reason: Foreign Language Exemption Test Info Meeting.
- Leave the date as-is.
- Click Find Available Times.
- You will see a list of all upcoming appointment dates/times. Click the date/time that works best for you.
- On the next page, review the appointment details, add questions/comments you’d like to discuss and click Schedule.
- You will receive an email confirmation that the appointment was scheduled.
Course Load and Sequencing
UWW Interdisciplinary Studies students typically take two courses per semester, but can take more credits if they think their schedule allows (a minimum of 6 credits is required to utilize financial aid). Students can expect to spend 6 to 9 hours per course per week (this number increases for intensive courses).
Core Course Sequencing
- While the program of study is individualized, all students take four core courses.
- All students take UWW 305 Concepts in Learning Integration in the first semester, and most students take one Experiential Reflections course simultaneously.
- Most students take UWW 370 Writing About Experience in the second semester, and it is recommended that you take your second Experiential Reflections course simultaneously.
- If a different sequence of coursework is more suitable to your circumstances, consult with your faculty or academic advisor.
Degree Plan Substitutions
On occasion, students are unable, for scheduling or other reasons, to take one or more of the specific courses listed on their degree plan. Students should contact their academic advisor to discuss and receive approval for a substitution. In selecting substitutions, it is important that all key components of the concentration continue to be well-represented and departmental requirements are being met.
Graduation
As graduation approaches, you should make a final review of your degree progress by reviewing your degree plan, unofficial transcript, and Academic Records Report (ARR) to be certain all requirements have been met. Your academic advisor will help you with this task and will clear you for graduation. February, May, and September graduates within the current year celebrate with UWW Interdisciplinary Studies faculty and staff at the annual UMass Amherst Commencement in May, and all graduates of that year are eligible to attend the UWW Senior Recognition Ceremony, also in May. Review the Graduation Checklist and Ceremony Details for more information.
Diploma and Certificate
The University Without Walls Department of Interdisciplinary Studies is an official academic department at UMass Amherst. Students who graduate will receive a diploma that identifies a bachelor’s degree earned in Interdisciplinary Studies. Students will also receive a certificate indicating they have successfully completed an area of concentration. The diploma and the certificate will be mailed separately to the address indicated in SPIRE, so it is important to keep information up-to-date.
To Do
Make sure your Expected Graduation Term (EGT) is accurate in SPIRE: Academics > Graduation > Expected Graduation Term.
Honors and Academic Achievement Options
Graduating with Latin Honors
All graduating seniors are eligible for Latin Honors designations on diplomas and transcripts if they have completed at least 45 graded residence credits (courses taken Pass/Fail are not considered graded) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In addition, students must meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Summa Cum Laude: GPA places them among the top 5% of the graduating class of their school or college
- Magna Cum Laude: GPA places them among the top 10% of the graduating class of their school or college, but not among the top 5%
- Cum Laude: GPA places them among the top 25% percent of the graduating class of their school or college, but not among the top 10%
At the start of the fall semester, the University Registrar will post the GPA needed to secure a place in the top 5, 10, and 25 percent in each school or college based on the average of the previous three years’ graduating classes.
Graduating with UWW Academic Achievement
Because the Latin Honors requirement of 45 graded residence credits may not be within reach for many UWW Interdisciplinary Studies students, including those with large numbers of transfer credits or portfolio credits, our department offers its own award to recognize students with outstanding GPAs. All UWW Interdisciplinary Studies students graduating with a UMass Amherst GPA of at least 3.750 will be recognized for UWW Academic Achievement, consisting of a letter of recognition and a cord that can be worn at commencement ceremonies.
Academic Policies
Minimum Residence Credit Requirement/Transfer Credit Policy
A maximum of 75 credits can be transferred into UMass Amherst from outside accredited institutions, by special transcript, or by exam credits; 45 credits must be completed at UMass Amherst (considered residence credits). Residence credit includes credits earned through the prior learning portfolio, as well as all other coursework or independent studies completed through the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Courses with a grade of C- or higher are eligible for transfer. Credit is not awarded for developmental courses.
Fresh Start
Students who return to the university after an absence of at least three years may have their prior work not included in their cumulative grade point average subject to the following conditions:
- Readmission to the university must follow normal procedures
- A minimum of 45 credits must be taken in residence after readmission and before graduation
- Courses taken and grades achieved in the first admission will appear on the transcript along with a notation that they are not included in the cumulative average
- General education and free elective credits passed with a grade of C- or better in the first admission will be counted toward graduation credit upon readmission, but will not be included in the cumulative average.
Pass/Fail
Students wishing to enroll pass/fail in any course must do so by the withdrawal deadline and are strongly encouraged to discuss this option with their academic advisor. Students can only enroll pass/fail in one course per semester.
Students may not enroll pass/fail in the courses they count toward their General Education requirements, or the courses they count toward their upper-level Area of Concentration requirements. Courses taken on a pass/fail basis will not satisfy either requirement, regardless of whether a P (pass) grade is earned.
Students may petition to select pass/fail grading for one required UWW Interdisciplinary Studies course by completing the UWW Interdisciplinary Studies Pass/Fail Petition.
Repeat Policy
No course for which a grade of C or higher was earned may be repeated. A course for which a grade of C-, D+, D or F (or CD before 2004) was earned may be repeated one time without permission. A course may be repeated a second time, for a total of three times, only with prior permission of the undergraduate dean of the school or college in which the student is enrolled. Under no circumstances may a student take a course more than three times. Successful registration for a course does not constitute permission.
All enrollments and all grades will appear on the transcript; only the most recent grade will be calculated in the GPA.
Credit Limit
- Fall/Spring: 18 credits
- Summer: 16 credits total for the term, may not exceed 8 per session
- Winter: 8 credits
UMass Class Status
- Freshman: 26 credits and below
- Sophomore: 27–56 credits
- Junior: 57–86 credits
- Senior: 87 credits and above
Academic Standing
Students’ academic standing is determined by their cumulative grade point averages (GPA). Students are in good academic standing when their cumulative grade point average is 2.000 or above. For more information on grading, students can refer to Grading System & GPA Calculation. If a student’s grade point average falls below a 2.000, one of the following will occur:
- Academic Warning: Students whose cumulative average is 2.000 or above, but whose semester average is less than 2.000, will be sent a warning indicating that they should consult with their academic dean, who for UWW Interdisciplinary Studies students is the Chief Undergraduate Advisor.
- Academic Probation: Students whose cumulative average falls below 2.000 will be placed on Academic Probation. Students who have been placed on Academic Probation or who have received a second consecutive Academic Warning should contact their academic dean (Chief Undergraduate Advisor).
- Academic Suspension: Students on Probation who fail to achieve or maintain good standing in any subsequent semester will be placed on Academic Suspension unless an appeal is granted. Suspended students may not enroll in the succeeding fall or spring semester. Suspension is a one semester separation from the University. Students returning from suspension shall confer with their academic dean (Chief Undergraduate Advisor) prior to re-enrollment.
- Academic Dismissal: Students who are readmitted after any Academic Suspension and fail to achieve or maintain good standing in any subsequent semester will be placed on Academic Dismissal unless an appeal is granted. Academic Dismissal is a permanent separation from the University.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
At the end of each semester, including summer, Financial Aid Services monitors satisfactory academic progress (SAP) for all students regardless of whether or not the student receives aid. To meet the UMass Amherst academic status standards, you must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 and maintain the necessary credit hours to ensure graduation within ten semesters. If you do not maintain these standards you will, at a minimum, be placed on financial aid warning for one semester. Then, if you do not meet the academic status standards after a warning period, you may become ineligible to receive federal, state and/or institutional financial aid.
Students who rely on financial aid should monitor their UMass email, as Financial Aid Services will reach out directly to the student with a "SAP Not Met" email. If this happens, the student should reach out to the Chief Undergraduate Advisor, who can help students initiate the appeal process.
Appeals
For any of the appeal processes below, or to to appeal a departmental academic policy, the required first step is to contact the Chief Undergraduate Advisor for help.
To appeal an academic suspension or dismissal, or to return after a dismissal, a student can appeal to the Committee on Admissions and Records.
Sometimes life events cause a student to have a very difficult semester. A student can appeal for a prior term withdrawal, which is a request to have the full enrollment for any term (from the immediate prior term up to many years ago) retroactively changed to all “W” grades.
A student can appeal to the General Education Variance Committee for a variance of a general education requirement. A variance is very rare and granted in exceptional circumstances. If the appeal for a variance is accepted, the student will be required to take an alternative course. Please also know that this process takes 4–5 weeks and the committee only meets during the fall and spring semesters. A student should not initiate this process in their final spring or fall semester.
Academic Honesty
The Academic Honesty Policy was established to ensure that the learning environment at the university is honest and fair. The policy is designed to provide faculty and students with options for handling incidents. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to:
- Cheating – intentional use or attempted use of trickery or deception in one's academic work
- Fabrication – intentional falsification and/or invention of any information or citation
- Plagiarism – knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one's own work
- Facilitating dishonesty – knowingly helping or attempting to help another commit an act of academic dishonesty
The Academic Honesty Board handles all cases of academic dishonesty on campus. Formal definitions of academic dishonesty, examples of various forms of dishonesty, and the procedures which faculty must follow to penalize dishonesty are contained in the Academic Honesty Policy. There are two main pathways for resolving cases where dishonesty is suspected: the informal resolution and the formal charge. Both these paths require that the faculty member first inform the student of the concern and offer a meeting. More detailed descriptions of the university's policy and procedures are in the documents on the academic integrity website.
For more information on these and other university policies, please refer to the UMass Amherst Academic Regulations.
UMass Amherst Student Code of Conduct
The University of Massachusetts is a scholarly community united by its engagement in the exchange of ideas and the advancement of knowledge. By establishing expectations for the community, the Code of Student Conduct (Code) serves as an integral part of the university's educational mission. The processes set forth in the Code involve reflecting on decisions and improving decision-making skills.
The Code describes principles for living and acting responsibly in a community setting, with respect for the rights of all members of that community, and for their property, common resources, and values.
The purpose of the Code is to reinforce and encourage the development of good decision-making as well as personal and group integrity and to teach these skills where lacking.
The Code provides opportunities for restorative responses and educational outcome. These responses and outcomes are intended to meet the needs of those impacted and to facilitate active accountability in order to maintain a campus environment of dignity and respect in which students understand the impact their actions have on the campus community.
It is the university's goal that students engaged in the conduct process will leave that process as better-educated students, better members of the university community, and better global citizens.
Tips for Student Success
The following are recommended best practices to help students be successful as they work toward completing their degree:
- Register Early:
- This will increase the chances of being able to register for a desired course before it fills. It will also allow time to purchase required course materials early on.
- Be Prepared:
- Keep track of important dates in the UWW Academic Calendar.
- Order required course materials prior to the start of the semester, so they are in hand for the first week of courses (shipping time should be considered).
- Organize Time:
- Be aware of the amount of work required per course and evaluate schedules. There is an estimated 6 to 9 hours of work per week, per course.
- Create a calendar that outlines daily activities and schedule time for school.
- Utilize Resources:
- Academic advisors are available for year-long support. Every student will have an assigned academic advisor.
- Communicate with faculty throughout the semester.
- Utilize UMass Amherst Resources, such as online tutoring, Disability Services, and others listed below.
- Stay Educated:
- Learn UMass Amherst policies and procedures.
- Be aware of the implications of withdrawals and failures.
- Track Requirements:
- The UWW Interdisciplinary Studies support team is here to help create and implement a degree plan, but ensuring degree requirements are being met is ultimately the student’s responsibility. Verify registration and course selections by tracking requirements utilizing the tools provided during the degree planning course and by keeping in touch with academic advisors.
Student Resources
Support Team
The Support Team consists of administrative staff, academic advisors, faculty advisors, and adjunct faculty, who are all here to help as students work toward completing their degree. This team provides students with information, guidance, and reassurance when needed.
Advising Team
Both academic advisors and faculty advisors are key figures in students’ development as independent learners, offering encouragement and support, helping clarify academic goals, and assisting in designing a plan to meet them.
Academic advisors begin working with students the moment they enter the UWW Department of Interdisciplinary Studies. It is important to stay in touch with academic advisors and keep them informed about changes in plans, such as adding/dropping courses, withdrawing, changing the expected graduation term, and more. If students find themselves struggling with coursework or with questions regarding policy, they can be contacted for support. Academic advisors will also send important communications to students through their student emails.
Faculty advisors teach the degree-planning course (UWW 305 Concepts in Learning Integration), help students design a program of study, and assist in registration questions for the second semester. They also teach the UWW 370 Writing About Experience course, guiding students through the portfolio writing process, which allows students to earn credit for prior learning and life experience. As experts in their fields, they also provide imperative mentorship.
UWW Interdisciplinary Studies students will also take classes with other distinguished instructors, as well as faculty throughout UMass Amherst.
Fellow Students
Fellow students can be extremely helpful in:
- Suggesting good courses
- Sharing their degree planning and prior learning experience
- Sharing study tips
- Helping with the logistics of going back to college (purchasing texts less expensively, setting up car pools and arranging for childcare for blended courses, etc.)
- Offering support and encouragement
Online Learning Support
- The UMass Amherst Writing Center offers fall, spring, and summer online tutoring. These appointments are 45 minutes long and conducted via Zoom. For more information on how to schedule an appointment, visit the Writing Center’s Online Tutoring page.
- OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab (MLA and APA)
UMass Amherst provides free tutoring for selected online courses each semester. Tutoring is available through ThinkingStorm ("Online Tutoring" link in Canvas) or the Learning Resource Center, depending on the course. Visit the Student Headquarters for the current list of courses with tutoring.
English as an additional language learners in need of support with any aspect (listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, or vocab) of academic English have access to fall and spring online ESL tutoring.
- UWW Interdisciplinary Studies students have access to online research databases, e-books and articles through the UMass Amherst libraries. Students can also live chat with a reference librarian!
- Dave Mac Court is the librarian for the UWW Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, and has prepared a page on the library website designed to help you with the research process. Feel free to call or email. Dave is here to help.
- Library Express: UMass Amherst library books and articles can be mailed to students’ homes through a service called Library Express with your library barcode.
- Library barcode: If you have a student ID card, it’ll be on the back. Or, it’s in SPIRE. Profile > IT Accounts & Certifications > UCard / Library Barcode. On the right side will be your library barcode even if you don’t have a student ID.
Accessing Information
Instant electronic verification of student enrollment to third party agencies such as employers, credit card companies, background search firms, etc.
Through People Finder, you can look up contact information for professors, staff, and students.
SPIRE allows students direct secure access via the web to their student record, including course registration, course schedules, grades, billing information, and financial aid status. Be sure to check your SPIRE account regularly.
Your one-stop shop for news and information. Access links to important resources, scholarship information, announcements, handbooks, forms, and more. Check the Student Headquarters regularly for updates.
You will access all your online courses through a learning system called Canvas.
University Departments
The Office of the Bursar issues bills and processes payments.
413-545-2368 – @email
There are a variety of career services available to you.
UWW Career Services: Provides personalized career counseling in-person and via phone or video call.
413-545-2224 – @email
Handshake: Networking platform for UMass Amherst students and alumni.
The CWC is a multicultural center that offers many services to meet the needs of the diverse cultural and linguistic populations of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with a focus on providing education, leadership opportunities, advocacy, and support services that address the cause and impact of sexism.
413-545-0883 – @email
24 Hour Sexual Assault Hotline: 413-545-0800
Disability Services is committed to full access for all students at UMass Amherst. Direct services are provided for all types of disabilities. Disability Services also provides information and referral on issues of accessibility.
413-545-0892 – @email
Financial Aid Services assists students in answering questions regarding Financial Aid. When you contact them, please make sure you identify yourself as a UWW Interdisciplinary Studies student so that you are directed to the appropriate support person.
413-545-0801 – @email
The Ombuds Office is a unique place where all current UMass Amherst students, faculty, and staff can talk confidentially and "off the record" about any campus concern, issue, or conflict. The Ombuds staff work with visitors in a variety of ways to help them understand their options and resolve their concerns.
413-545-0867 – @email
University+ Session Records & Registration:
413-545-3653 – @email
UWW Admissions:
413-545-3440 – @email
The Stonewall Center is a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) Resource Center.
413-545-4824 – @email
Veteran Services is committed to offering quality services and support programs for student veterans, active military, and their families.
413-545-3440 – @email
413-545-0939 – @email
Technological Assistance
The IT Support Center assists with problems regarding SPIRE, email accounts, Canvas login, and more. Emails should come from a student’s UMass student email; student ID numbers should be included and status as a UWW Interdisciplinary Studies student should be indicated.
413-545-9400 – @email
Canvas is managed by Information Technology, which offers a Quick Tour of Canvas to help you find your way around. Canvas contains its own resources to help you learn to use it in Help > Search the Canvas Guides. Useful resources include the Canvas Overview video and Getting Started Resources.
Canvas also offers 24/7 support through live chat or by phone at 855-219-3080.
The IT Support Center can help you with problems logging into Canvas.
Handbooks and Guides
- IT Guide for Students – An overview of the services IT offers UMass Amherst students, including free/discounted software and hardware, cell phone discounts, and the IT Support Center.
- UMass Amherst Academic Regulations – Issued by the Office of the Provost, this document contains rules, regulations, policies, and procedures all students are responsible for complying with.
- New Student Guide – Provides helpful information for new students.
- Degree Planning Handbook – Provides information on the degree planning process.
- Prior Learning Portfolio Handbook – Provides detailed information on how to receive credit for prior learning, including the portfolio writing process.
- Additional Tools to help learn the university’s policies and procedures.
Handbook last updated January 31, 2025.