College of Nursing

Student Academic Policies

 

Undergraduate Probation Policies

Students will be placed on probation if their cumulative grade point averages at UM-St. Louis fall below 2.5. If you entered the College of Nursing prior to Fall, 1996, you will be placed on probation if your cumulative GPA falls below a 2.0.

Students will be notified by the Office of Student Services if:

  • they are placed on probation.
  • they have been removed from probation.

Dismissal - Undergraduate

Dismissal from the College of Nursing at UM-St. Louis occurs for the following:

  • Failure to complete a probationary period satisfactorily.
  • Irresponsible, unsafe or unprofessional behavior as determined by the College or University. (See Program Requirements and University Student Conduct Code)
  • a) Failure of any three general education courses which serve as prerequisites to nursing courses; General education courses, which are required for University graduation but are not prerequisites to nursing courses may be satisfactorily completed with a grade of D. Examples are American History, Political Science, Humanities (other than Philosophy) or their equivalents and do not count towards repeated failures.
    b) Effective, Fall 2003, Failure of two nursing courses. All courses with an N prefix are included in this policy. Failure is defined as receiving a grade of D or F in nursing courses, or general education courses that serve as prerequisites to nursing courses.
    c) Failure of one nursing and two general education courses (which serve as pre-requisites to nursing courses)
  • a) Failure to earn a satisfactory grade (C or above) in a required nursing course which he/she is repeating.
    b) Failure to earn a satisfactory grade (C- or above) in a general education course, which is a pre-requisite to a nursing course which he/she is repeating.
  • The falsification of any information provided to the College or University on any record.

Progression

N4901, Family and Community Nursing is a prerequisite course for N4911, Synthesis in Nursing. To progress, student must complete N4901 within three years prior to enrolling into N4911. To ensure success, students will need to repeat N4901 if more than three years have lapsed since completing the required course

Problem Resolution/Appeals


Grade Appeal Procedure

On each campus of the University of Missouri it is the Chancellor who is ultimately responsible to the President and the Board of Curators for all campus programs, policies, and activities. On the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus the Chancellor has delegated responsibility for the overseeing the grade appeal process to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. The Vice Chancellor is therefore responsible for assuring that grade appeals are handled in a fair and timely manner. More specifically, that officer is responsible for seeing that the procedures outlined below are appropriately followed. The College of Nursing endorses the grade appeal procedures of University of Missouri-St. Louis and has only changed terminology to reflect the administrative positions and faculty committees of the College of Nursing.

Informal Procedures

At any time after the awarding of a grade, for a course or an assignment in a course, a student may discuss the grade with her or his instructor and request that the instructor review the grade. If the instructor does review the grade he or she is, of course, free to change the grade or not as is appropriate.

Formal Procedures

The following procedures apply if the above informal procedure does not resolve a dispute concerning a grade to the students satisfaction and if the process is initiated within thirty working days of the start of the first regular semester (fall or winter) following the semester for which the grade was given, or thirty days after the assignment of the grade (whichever is greater).

  • If the student has not already done so, he or she discusses the contended grade fully with the course instructor (1). The student should prepare for this meeting by taking all relevant written work (test, reports, etc.) with him/her. If the issue is not resolved, and the student wishes to pursue the appeal, she or he should consult the RN-BSN Program Coordinator. The RN-BSN Program Coordinator will discuss the appeal with the course instructor, and will inform the student of the result of this discussion. (That result may be the instructors agreement to change the grade, her or his refusal to change the grade, or her or his agreement to discuss the case further with the student.) The RN-BSN Program Coordinator may require that the student put the appeal in written form before the Director of Undergraduate Program discusses it with the instructor.
  • If the matter remains unresolved, the student may, with 10 working days of being notified of the result of the discussion between the Director of Undergraduate Program and the instructor, or within 10 working days of her or his last discussion with the instructor, submit a detailed written statement of the complaint to the Director of Undergraduate Program. The Director of Undergraduate Program will refer it to the Student Affairs Committee composed of at least three faculty members from The College of Nursing. This Committee will investigate the matter, meeting as it may deem necessary with the student, the instructor, and possibly others. Following its inquiries and deliberations, but prior to making its final recommendations, the Student Affairs Committee will submit a copy of its findings to the course instructor. If the course instructor elects to comment on the findings of the Committee, this must be done in writing within 7 working days. After further consideration, but within 30 working days after receiving the students statement, the Student Affairs Committee will submit its findings with its recommendations and reasons for those recommendations directly to the course instructor, with a copy to the Director of Undergraduate Program.
  • If the Student Affairs Committee recommends that the grade be changed, the Director of Undergraduate Program will ask the instructor to implement the recommendation. If the instructor declines, the Director of Undergraduate Program will change the grade, notifying the instructor and the student of this action. Only the Director of Undergraduate Program, upon the written recommendation of the Student Affairs Committee, will effect a change in grade over the objection of the instructor who assigned the original grade.
  • If the Student Affairs Committee recommends that the grade not be changed, the Director of Undergraduate Program will notify the student of this action. The student may then appeal to the Dean of The College of Nursing who will determine whether the above procedures have been properly observed. If the Dean determines that the procedures have not been appropriately followed, and that their not being followed may have substantively affected the outcome, the case will be returned to the Student Affairs Committee for review by the same, or, if the Dean so determines, by a different committee.
  • If the Dean denies the procedural appeal the student may ask the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, acting as the Chancellors designee, to conduct a procedural review. The Vice Chancellor is not obligated to conduct such a review and will normally do so only where there is compelling evidence of procedural irregularities. If the Vice Chancellor finds the procedures have not been appropriately followed, and that their not being followed may have substantively affected the outcome, the case will be returned to a lower level for re-review. As the Vice Chancellor is acting as the designee of the Chancellor, there is no appeal beyond this level.
  1. If the instructor is deceased, cannot be located, or is otherwise unable or unwilling to reconsider the grade, the student should consult directly with the level Director of Undergraduate Program of The College of Nursing. The remaining procedures here specified will be followed except that the Director of Undergraduate Program and the Student Affairs Committee will not consult with the instructor if he or she is unavailable.
  2. Under current campus policy, transcript notation of DL automatically becomes an F after one regular semester. These changes, which the Registrar is mandated to make, are not considered grade changes and are consistent with this Grade Appeal Policy. Students may appeal these changes provided the appeal is initiated within 30 working days of the notification of the change.

Delayed Grade

A student whose work is incomplete at the end of any semester and who has, in the instructor's judgment, sufficient reasons for failing to complete the work, may, with the approval of the instructor and department chairperson, be assigned a delayed grade. Such work must be made up no later than one semester after the incomplete grade is given, or the grade automatically becomes F. The dean may, in unusual circumstances, extend this time limitation (summer session is not counted as a semester). Instructors inform the registrar of a change in a delayed grade only via a special form.

Failure/Non participation

When students do not complete any graded assignments, but do not officially withdraw from the course or the university, instructors may assign an FN. The F for Non-Participation cannot be changed to a grade and will be treated in GPA calculations as an F.

Administrative Cancellation of Student Registration for Nonpayment of Educational Fees 

The College of Nursing supports the University policy regarding cancellation of student registration for nonpayment. (outlined by the Office of the Registrar).

Grievance Concerning Progression Issues

  • A petition must be filed with the chair of the Student Affairs Committee at least one week prior to the next scheduled meeting. The grievant may address the Committee at the meeting where the petition is considered and may request the presence of an advocate at this meeting.
  • If dissatisfied with the decision of the Committee, the student may take the matter to the Director of Undergraduate Program. The chair of the Student Affairs Committee will provide the Director with the copy of the petition. The student is responsible for making an appointment to discuss the grievance with the Director of Undergraduate Program.

Grievance Concerning Discrimination

Any grievance or complaint (informal grievance) that alleges discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability - especially concerning admission to and retention within the College of Nursing shall be treated according to policy of the board of Curators entitled "Discrimination Grievance Procedure for Students."

Students claiming a grievance under this policy are referred to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs for the specific procedures to be followed in the event of such a grievance.