Student Academic Policies

Undergraduate Student Policies

Academic (AKA Early) Alert System

The University of Missouri - St. Louis utilizes an electronic Academic Alert system that allows faculty to refer students to academic supports early in the term. When a faculty member recognizes early signs of course failure, he/she can initiate an Academic Alert. Referrals steer students to campus resources and academic supports designed to help them successfully complete the course. An Academic Alert referral is not noted on campus transcripts; it is a mechanism to support learning and provide students with direct access to campus resources.

Every undergraduate nursing course will provide a syllabus that details the specific evaluation criteria and methods. Students in the College of Nursing are expected to meet those criteria to successfully achieve the objectives of the course.
To be successful, students must achieve a theory grade of C (76%) or better on exams/tests as well as maintain satisfactory progress in the clinical/laboratory in order to successfully pass the course.
An Academic Alert referral will completed by the course faculty on any student who is near or below the criteria of a theory grade of 76%, is not meeting performance standards for the course, or is not satisfactorily meeting the clinical requirements of a course. An Academic Alert referral is designed to make students who are having academic difficulty aware of the variety of resources available within the College of Nursing and across the campus.
An electronic copy of the academic alert referral completed by the faculty will be forwarded to the student, the Center for Student Success, and the College of Nursing Retention Coordinator. The student is expected to meet with the faculty member completing the Academic Alert form and the Retention Coordinator for further assistance. In addition, the Director of the BSN program and Academic Advisors will have access to the system and be able to view academic alert referrals.

Student Counseling Form

The Student Counseling Form is a warning notice that is issued to alert the student of a situation that may lead to course failure due to unsatisfactory clinical performance or failure to meet program requirements and/or may lead to dismissal from the program.
The Student Counseling Form provides a written description of the situation as it relates to course objectives or program policies.
The Student Counseling Form will identify remedies to resolve the problem.
A date for re-evaluation of the student behavior/situation will be provided by the faculty completing the form.
The faculty, Student Services, Retention Coordinator and the Program Director, will maintain copies of the Student Counseling Form.

Probation

Students will be placed on probation if their cumulative grade point average falls below 2.5.

The Office of Student Services will notify students:
1. When placed on probation
2. When removed from probation.

While on probation students will NOT be allowed to enroll in clinical courses, however, students may continue in non-clinical nursing courses. Students are allowed to continue on probation for two (2) semesters excluding summer.

Dismissal

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)
a) Failure of any three general education courses which serve as prerequisites to nursing courses;
b) Failure of any two nursing courses
c) Failure of the combination of any two general education courses (which serve as pre-requisites to nursing courses) and a course designated as nursing.
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.
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, American Government, , Humanities (other than Philosophy) or their equivalents and do not count towards repeated failures.
All courses with an N prefix are included in this policy.
Failure is designated as receiving a grade of D or F in nursing courses, or general education courses that serve as prerequisites to nursing courses.
The falsification of any information provided to the College or University on any record.

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 overseeing the grade appeal process to the Provost. The Provost 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.

Application of this Policy

Students are responsible for meeting the standards established for each course they take. Faculty are responsible for establishing the criteria for grades and evaluating students academic performance.

The grade appeal procedure is to allow only the review of allegedly capricious grading. It is not intended as a review of the instructors evaluation of the students academic performance.

Capricious grading is defined as any of the following

a) The students grade was assigned on the basis of factors other than performance on the graded material (e.g. homework, examinations, papers) or performance in the course (e.g. class participation, absences).

b) The students work was graded with more demanding standards than were applied to equivalent students in the course; (Note: Different grading criteria are expected of graduate students enrolled in 4000-level courses.)

c) The instructor assigned a grade using standards that were substantially different from those previously announced or stated in the syllabus.

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 spring) following the semester for which the grade was given, or thirty days after the assignment of the grade (whichever is later).

1) If the student has not already done so, he or she discusses the contested grade fully with the 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 level Program Director of the department (BSN, BSN-C, MSN, PhD) housing the course in question. (This officer will normally be someone below the level of the Dean.) The Program Director 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 Program Director may require that the student put the appeal in written form before the Program Director discusses it with the instructor.

2) If the matter remains unresolved, the student may, within 10 working days of being notified of the result of the discussion between the Program Director 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 Program Director. The Program Director will refer it to the Student Affairs Committee composed of at least three faculty members from the College of Nursing. This committee is charges with determining whether the grade in question was awarded capriciously. Members 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 it 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 to the committee, this must be done 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 Program Director.

3) If the Student Affairs Committee recommends that the grade be changed, the Program Director will ask the instructor to implement the recommendation. If the instructor declines, the Program Director will change the grade, notifying the instructor and the student of this action. Only the Program Director, upon written recommendation of the Student Affairs Committee, will effect the change in grade over the objection of the instructor who assigned the original grade.

4) If the Student Affairs Committee recommends that the grade not be changed, the Program Director will notify the student of this action. The student may then appeal to the Dean of the College within which the course in question is housed, 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 substantially affected the outcome, the case will be returned to the faculty unit for review by the same, or, if the Dean so determines, by a different committee.

5) If the Dean denies the procedural appeal the student may ask the Provost, acting as the Chancellors designee, to conduct a procedural review. The Provost is not obligated to conduct such a review and will normally do so only where there is compelling evidence of procedural irregularities. If the Provost finds the procedures have not been appropriately followed, and that their not being followed may have substantially affected the outcome, the case will be returned to a lower level for re-review. As the Provost is acting as the designee of the Chancellor, there is no appeal beyond this level.

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 Program Director of College of Nursing. The remaining procedures here specified will be followed except that the Program Director and the Student Affairs Committee will not consult with the instructor if she or he is unavailable.
Under current campus policy, transcript notation of DL automatically becomes an F after one regular semester. This change, which the Registrar is mandated to make, are not considered grade changes and are consistent with this Grade Appeal Policy. Students may appeal this change provided the appeal is initiated within 30 working days of the notification of the change.

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.

Grievance Concerning Other Issues (see University Bulletin)

While the problem resolution procedure is in process, the student may remain enrolled in the undergraduate program.

College of Nursing