News from the Office of Academic Affairs
The Office of Academic Affairs has initiated important changes in each of its three major areas of work, Policy led by Jeremy Davis (jerdavis@uw.edu), Curriculum led by Katie Hollenbach (progprop@uw.edu) and Academic Unit Review led by Chris Partridge and Ann Busche (unitrev@uw.edu).
Graduate School Policy Updates
We’re developing policy that is more universally usable and relevant to the missions and conditions of our diverse graduate programs. Feedback from across the university has been essential in this effort. We extend our sincere thanks to the Graduate School Policy Subcommittee, the Policy Implementation Response Team, and the many faculty, staff, and students who have engaged with us through feedback and consultation.
Policy 3.8: Redesigning the Academic Grievance Procedure
The updated policy on academic grievance procedures, effective Autumn 2025, moves management of academic grievance out to schools and colleges to ensure processes that are responsive to the diverse and unique conditions that occur across the university. Appeals will continue to be handled by the Graduate School. We are ready to assist you as you develop your processes and communicate them in your handbooks and websites, and will continue to be available, along with Office of the Ombud, to consult with you as you handle any incoming cases.
Policy 3.7: Improving the Usability of Academic Performance and Progress Tools
We’ve made several important changes to Academic Performance and Progress policies making the process more usable and adaptable across situations.
- We replaced the term “probation” with “academic alert,” reflecting a more supportive and less punitive approach to maintaining student progress.
- We have clarified that Academic Alert status does not affect a student’s ability to request On-Leave Status from their programs.
- We allow multi-quarter Academic Alerts to better align with program schedules.
- A new section (3.7.5) allows direct placement into Final Academic Alert in circumstances such as poor performance in milestone exams—reducing overreliance on immediate drops and providing more transparency for students experiencing academic challenges.
Our hope is that these adjustments will encourage programs to use Academic Alerts more often, improving communication and reducing the occurrence of grievances.
Curriculum Process Updates
Stacked Degrees Launch: We’re excited to share that the University of Washington is launching its first stacked master’s degrees, offering a flexible, modular pathway to graduate education. As highlighted in the College of Engineering’s recent article, students can now build a master’s degree by combining multiple graduate certificates—allowing them to upskill at their own pace while tailoring their education to evolving career goals. This model reflects our commitment to innovation and accessibility in graduate education. If you’re considering developing a stacked degree or have questions about curriculum design, reach out to our knowledgeable curriculum specialist, Dr. Katie Hollenbach, at progprop@uw.edu.
Developing Exit Master’s: The Graduate School has developed an expedited review process to make it easier for Ph.D. programs to offer exit master’s degrees—an increasingly recognized best practice in graduate education. These degrees provide a valuable credential for students who complete substantial academic work but do not finish the doctoral program, helping them pursue other professional or academic opportunities. Programs with or without an existing master’s degree option can contact progprop@uw.edu to learn more.
Academic Unit Review Updates
The Graduate School’s Program Review team has a new name: the Academic Unit Review team. Along with the new name comes a new email address: unitrev@uw.edu. This change better reflects the scope and purpose of our work, which includes comprehensive reviews of academic units that encompass both graduate and undergraduate programs.
Revised Self Study Guidelines: The self-study remains the cornerstone of the academic unit review process. It’s where departments and programs reflect on their goals, achievements, and challenges and articulate how they serve students, contribute to scholarship, and align with the University’s mission. Recognizing the diversity of academic disciplines and structures across all three campuses, the Academic Unit Review team has worked to refine the self-study guidelines. Our aim is to help units tell their stories in ways that are both meaningful and consistent.
The updated guidelines place a greater emphasis on the unit’s support for the success of all stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, and postdocs, and call for more information about the unit’s learning outcomes and assessment practices. The guidelines also include more structured prompts, clearer expectations around data use, and flexibility for units to discuss initiatives specific to their unit’s mission including civic and community engagement as part of their scholarly impact.
Preparing for your review: We encourage all departments and programs to review the schedule of upcoming academic unit reviews. Whether your review is just around the corner or a few years out, early preparation can make a significant difference.
For units scheduled for review in the near future, we recommend using the Graduate School’s Excellence Progress Tool. This self-assessment resource is designed to help programs reflect on their strengths and identify opportunities for growth across key areas such as equity, student support, curriculum, and outcomes. It’s a valuable starting point for internal conversations and strategic planning ahead of your formal review.