Academic Advising Handbook

Graduation and Employment Assistance Advising 

• Preparation for Graduation
  • Honor Graduates
  • Diplomas
  • Transcripts
  • Transfer of WITC Credits to Other Educational Institutes
  • Early Placement (Early Out) Procedure
  • WITC Alumni Organizations
• Employment Assistance Activities
• Providing References for Students
  • Written References
  • Verbal References
• Job Postings and TechConnect
  • Job Opportunities and Postings

Preparation for Graduation

Students who have satisfactorily completed all coursework required in their chosen program will be eligible for graduation. Some WITC campuses hold both a mid-year (December) and spring (May) graduation ceremony; some hold only a spring ceremony.

All WITC campuses require a student to complete a "petition to graduate" process.  A petition or intent to graduate form must be completed.  This process is completed in March for May graduation and in October for December graduation. All students must pay the WITC graduation fee ($35). This fee is assessed to all students, whether or not they intend to participate in the actual graduation ceremony. The graduation fee covers the purchase or rental of graduation attire, printing and mailing of diplomas, and transcripts.

As an instructor, you may receive information to be passed on to your students regarding measurement for graduation caps and gowns, rehearsal for graduation ceremonies, etc.

Your campus Student Services office can provide additional information regarding the specific graduation procedures at your campus.

Honor Graduates - Students graduating with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 to 3.99 will be recognized as "honor" students. Students graduating with a cumulative GPA of 4.0 will be recognized as "high honor" students.

Diplomas – WITC students will receive their diplomas by mail several weeks after the graduation ceremony. Diplomas are mailed after the successful completion of all courses has been verified by auditing student files. Students who owe money to WITC will not receive their diplomas until all financial obligations are met.

Transcripts – WITC students may request a transcript by using the appropriate form (varies by campus) or by submitting a written, signed request. Requests may be submitted in person, by mail, or by fax. "Official" transcripts are those that are sent directly to a prospective employer or to another educational institution. Any type of credit transfer usually requires the submission of an "official" transcript. All transcripts that are given directly to the student will be marked "unofficial."

There is no charge for transcripts, however, a student must have paid all financial obligations to the college before transcripts will be released.

Transfer of WITC Credits to Other Educational Institutions – Upon graduation from WITC, some of your students may continue on to attend a four-year college or university. WITC credits may be accepted as transfer credits at some of these institutions, however, the accepting institution, not WITC, makes this decision. WITC students wishing to continue their education should be instructed to make contact with the school they plan to attend to determine which WITC credits will transfer.

Transfer information for schools in the Wisconsin Technical College system and University of Wisconsin system can be obtained by visiting the University of Wisconsin system transfer information Web site located at http://tis.uwsa.edu/index.html.

Early Placement (Early Out) Procedure – WITC students have the option to be released from their courses early to accept employment. In order to be granted an "early out" a student must be in good academic standing (2.0 GPA or better) and have be receiving satisfactory terminal grades (not incompletes) in all courses that fulfill the student’s diploma or degree requirements.

The early placement procedure includes the following steps:

• Student obtains initial approval from program instructor.
• Student requests a letter from the employer verifying employment and date.
• Student presents employer letter to Students Services and obtains an Early Placement Approval Form.
• Student contacts each instructor; instructor outlines requirements for completion of remaining course requirements. Each instructor must sign the approval form.
• Student clears all LRC, financial aid, and business office records. WITC staff in each of these offices must sign the approval form.
• Student returns completed, signed approval form to Student Services.

Students leaving WITC through early placement are encouraged to participate in graduation exercises.

WITC Alumni Organizations - Alumni organizations have been established at each WITC campus.   Under the direction of 12-15 board members, the association sponsors various activities that support WITC students and alumni and that serve the community. Alumni associations meet approximately six times per year at each campus. An Alumni Association newsletter, "Paragon", is published and distributed to alumni twice annually.

If you have questions about your local campus alumni organization, contact the College Advancement Associate on your campus. Additional information about the alumni association at your campus may also be found on the WITC Web site; from the WITC home page, select the "Alumni and Friends" link.

Employment Assistance Activities

While the responsibility of finding a job ultimately rests with the student, WITC faculty and staff can help students make the transition from college to the world of work. As the date of graduation nears, instructors play an integral part in their students’ job search. The following information will be helpful to you as work with your students toward a successful beginning in their chosen career.

Each WITC campus schedules a variety of activities, usually during the spring semester of the school year, to assist graduating students in their preparation to apply for and obtain a job. The actual activities scheduled vary by campus, but might include activities such as resume preparation, job fairs, mock interviews, and employer presentations.

On-campus interviews for real job openings are scheduled at the request of employers. Employers who wish to conduct interviews on campus should be referred to the College Advancement Associate.

To obtain more information regarding the Employment Assistance activities on your campus, contact the College Advancement Associate.

Providing References for Student

All WITC staff must have a signed "WITC Authorization for Release of Reference Information" form on file before providing any kind of information about a student to a prospective employer or to another educational institution. A blank authorization form is contained in the forms appendix of this handbook or can be obtained from the campus Information Center or Student Services office.

Here are some things to keep in mind when you are asked to provide a reference for a student:

Written References (Refer to the sample reference letter in this handbook for ideas in preparing appropriate written references.)

• Provide a written reference only if a student has given your name as a reference.
• When you prepare letters, be factual; do not editorialize. Avoid vague statements.
• Respond to the specific inquiry about the student or job applicant. Direct the response to the particular person who requested the information.
• If a students requests a "to whom it may concern" reference letter, document that this is the type of reference requested and that the student or job applicant takes the responsibility for distributing the letter to the proper persons.
• Relate references to the specific position for which the person applied and the work that the applicant will perform.
• A good practice is to avoid giving personal opinions or feelings. However, if you are asked to make subjective statements and give opinions, clearly identify them as opinions and not as fact.
• If you give an opinion, explain the incident or circumstances upon which you base the opinion.
• Be able to document all information you release.
• State in the reference letter, "This information is confidential, should be treated as such, and is provided at the request of [name of student or applicant], who has asked me to serve as a reference." Statements such as this give justification for the communication and leave no doubt that the information was not given to hurt a person’s reputation.
• Do not include information that might indicate the individual’s race, color, religion, national origin, age, handicap, citizenship status, sex (this might be obvious by the individual’s name), or marital status.

Verbal References

• Do not disclose information regarding a student’s education record without the written consent of the student. The best way to document written consent to obtain the student’s signature on a WITC "Authorization For Release of Reference Information" form.
• Informal discussions (whether in person or by telephone) with prospective employers regarding a student’s performance should be avoided unless the student is aware of the discussions and has given approval for such a conversation.
• The information you provide should be factual, based upon your personal knowledge and observation of the student.
• If you are contacted by an employer for a verbal reference, you should obtain verification of the student’s permission before giving any information to the employer. Such verification can include a copy of the student’s signed employment application listing the faculty as a reference, or the above-mentioned authorization form.
• When giving verbal references, you should also keep in mind the applicable guidelines regarding written references.

Job Postings and TechConnect

Job Opportunities and Postings – Because WITC identifies individuals for employment on a "regular basis," we may be considered an "employment agency" for the purpose of compliance with equal employment opportunity laws. For example, if it appears that an instructor (no matter how innocently it is done) is referring only male or minority students, that instructor may be open to charges of discrimination.

It is also considered discrimination to "pre-select" students for employers. This can happen when an employer calls you and asks you for the names of your "best" students. Any job opportunities that you share with your students must be posted or distributed so that ALL qualified students have the chance to apply.

If an employer wishing to hire WITC graduates contacts you, refer the employer to your campus Employment Services (the College Advancement Associate on each campus). The WITC Web site page located at contains a link for employers wishing to "Post a Job with WITC." By clicking on this link, you or the employer can download, complete, and print a WITC Job Order form. The information on this form is used to post jobs on WITC’s job bank, TechConnect.

All job postings received by WITC can be accessed by visiting the TechConnect page on the Employment Services web site referenced above. On this page, click "TechConnect." This information is updated daily, and includes postings entered at all WITC locations. Job information can be reviewed by program or by employer. Students, staff and other users can access TechConnect from any computer station on campus. To access TechConnect from home or other locations, go to the Employment Services web site (witc.edu/jobs) and follow instructions to obtain login and password information. 

Other state and national job banks may be used to explore employment opportunities. Links with several of these job banks are included on WITC’s Employment Services web site.