Why I can't recommend UW–Whitewater
I'm graduating from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater in December 2026 with a degree in accounting. I should be writing about how proud I am. Instead, I'm writing about how one person can change the way a student sees an entire school.
Most of it was good
I want to be fair, because fairness is the whole point of this story. Most of my professors at UW–Whitewater were supportive and professional, and they genuinely cared whether their students succeeded. They answered questions, made time for office hours, and pushed me to think harder about the material.
Over the years I studied financial accounting, auditing, financial reporting, accounting information systems and business analytics. I made friends, worked hard, and grew up a lot. If you had asked me a couple of years ago, I would have told you I was glad I picked UW–Whitewater.
Then one professor changed everything
For a long time, I felt targeted and singled out by one accounting professor, often in front of other students. It wasn't one tough class or one bad grade. It was a pattern, and it was obvious enough that other students noticed it on their own. Several of them reached out to me independently to tell me what they had seen.
Eventually it escalated to an accusation of academic dishonesty. I strongly dispute it. I followed the exam requirements, and I have evidence that shows it. Being called a cheater after years of honest work is one of the worst feelings I've had as a student.
An accusation like that isn't just about one exam. It follows you into every class, every email and every conversation with faculty. You start second-guessing everything you do, worried that one more misunderstanding will be read the wrong way. You walk into class already on the defensive. That's not an environment where anyone learns well.
Why I'm speaking up
For a while, I kept this to myself. It's uncomfortable to talk about, and part of me worried that speaking up would make things worse. But the students who reached out to me changed my mind. If other people could see what was happening, I knew it wasn't just in my head, and I knew I probably wasn't the only student who would ever feel this way.
I'm not writing this to get revenge or to tear down an entire school. I'm writing it because students rarely get a voice when something like this happens, and because the next student deserves better.
What it cost me
It's hard to explain how much one person can shape a student's view of college. I expected a university to challenge me academically, prepare me professionally and encourage me to succeed. Instead, I found myself questioning why I had invested so much time, effort and money into a place where I could be made to feel this way.
The worst part is that one professor's treatment of me now overshadows years of hard work, good experiences and relationships with other educators. It shouldn't work that way. One individual shouldn't be able to make a student regret choosing a university, but that's exactly how I feel.
What students should know
If you're a student and something like this happens to you, here's what I wish I had known sooner:
- Write everything down. Dates, what was said, who was there. Notes made at the time carry a lot more weight than memories months later.
- Keep your evidence. Save emails, submissions, screenshots and messages. Don't delete anything, even if it seems minor.
- Learn the process. In the UW System, academic misconduct is handled under Chapter UWS 14 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, which gives students the right to respond to an accusation and, for more serious penalties, to request a hearing. The Dean of Students office can explain your options.
- Don't go through it alone. Talk to an advisor, another professor you trust, family or friends. Having support makes a real difference.
- Stay professional. It's hard when you feel wronged, but calm, clear communication protects you.
What I learned anyway
Much of the practical knowledge I use today didn't come from a classroom. My assurance internship at Wegner CPAs, along with countless hours of learning on my own, taught me how accounting works in the real world. Building my own websites taught me even more: how to price something, track costs, plan a budget and figure out what people will actually pay for.
I'm proud of that. I just wish more of my most valuable lessons had come from the school I paid to attend.
What every educator should remember
I've worked closely with students and young people myself, so I know the responsibility that comes with being a teacher, mentor or leader. A professor might only see a student for a semester, but how that student is treated can stay with them for years. One negative experience can wipe out someone's confidence, motivation and excitement about their education.
No student should walk into a classroom feeling unwelcome, or like they have to defend themselves against the person teaching them. When you choose a career that involves educating people, you should want to see your students succeed. You should want them to feel comfortable asking questions, making mistakes and improving. You should never let a student leave your classroom feeling that you were working against them.
A school that let it happen
It would be easy to blame one person and move on. But a university is responsible for the people it hires and for how they treat students. When a pattern is obvious enough that classmates notice it on their own, and the student on the receiving end still ends up fighting for a fair hearing, the problem isn't just one professor anymore. It's the institution.
UW–Whitewater talks a lot about student success. In my experience, that commitment disappeared the moment it would have meant questioning one of its own instructors. I didn't feel like a student the school wanted to see succeed. I felt like a problem it wanted to go away.
That's what bothers me most. Bad professors exist everywhere. What separates a good university from a bad one is what happens next, and at UW–Whitewater, what happened next made it worse.
What universities owe their students
Universities ask students for years of their lives and tens of thousands of dollars. In return, students should be able to count on a few basic things: that they'll be treated with respect, that accusations will be reviewed fairly by someone impartial, and that concerns about how a professor treats students will be taken seriously instead of brushed aside.
Most professors live up to that. When one doesn't, the school's response matters just as much as the original problem. A fair, transparent process can restore a student's trust. Silence, or a process that simply sides with the instructor, tells students exactly where they stand.
If you're thinking about UW–Whitewater
If you're a high school student or a parent comparing schools, here's my honest advice: look elsewhere. Wisconsin has plenty of colleges, and you deserve one where you'll be supported if something goes wrong, not left to fend for yourself.
Wherever you end up looking, ask hard questions before you commit. How does the school handle complaints about faculty? Who reviews academic misconduct accusations, and how independent are they? Talk to current students, not just the tour guides. The answers will tell you more about a school than any brochure.
Where I stand now
Despite the good professors I had, I can't recommend UW–Whitewater. That's not because every professor is bad or because every student will have the same experience. It's because my experience with one instructor, and the way the school handled it, was damaging enough to change my opinion of the whole institution.
I'll walk across the stage in December, but I won't be proud of the name on my diploma. I'll be proud of the work I did to earn it, despite the school, not because of it.
One professor didn't define my success. I'll graduate in December, and I'll keep building. But that professor did change how I'll remember UW–Whitewater, and I hope no other student has to leave a school they worked so hard to attend feeling the way I do.