College of Nursing

Student Academic Policies

 

Code of Student Conduct

" The nurse, in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect for the inherent human dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attribute, or the nature of health problems" (Code of Ethics for Nurses published by the American Nurses Association, available online at http://nursingworld.org/ethics/code/protected nwcoe813.html). Because the College of nursing values the professional values contained in the Code of Ethics for Nurses, and because we value the worth of our students, staff, faculty and community, we expect all graduate students to conduct themselves in a professional and courteous manner during all classroom and laboratory experiences. In addition, all students are expected to have read and comply with the University Code of Student Conduct which can be found online at http://www.umsystem.edu/ums/department/gc/rules/programs/200/010.html

Failure to comply with these rules and regulations will be referred to University Student Affairs (http://www.umsl.edu/~judicialaffairs/) and sanctions will be made accordingly.

Statement of Curricular Integrity

These courses are designed to ensure curricular integrity and compliance with professional nursing education guidelines. These include as appropriate, but are not limited to: The Essentials of Master's Education for Advanced Practice Nursing(AACN, 1996), ANA's Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements (2001), ANA Scope and Standards of Practice (2004), the Criteria for E valuation of Nurse practitioner Programs (National Task Force on Quality Nurse Practitioner Education, 2008), and other professional guidelines as related to course objectives.

Graduate Student Academic Policies

Progression

Students must complete a Program of Studies plan in consultant with the advisor during the 1st or 2nd semester of studyA student must have satisfactorily completed all prerequisites with a minimum grade of "B" prior to registering for any of the master's nursing courses..
  1. Withdrawal from individual courses must be completed by the student following the guidelines outlined in the University Bulletin. (Cessation of course attendance alone is not considered official withdrawal from course work.) In order to withdraw passing, the withdrawal must occur before the specified dates as outlined in the Schedule of Classes.
  2. If a student withdraws from college course work, he/she will enter into the nursing curriculum in effect at the time of re-entry. If there have been curriculum changes during his/her absence, the student will need to consider those changes in plans for graduation.
  3. A Petition for Exception may be filed by the student regarding course work, course sequence, exemption from a specific course and other exceptions related to progression through the curriculum. The petition is made to the Student Affairs Committee. Petition for Exception forms are available from the Office of Student Services.
  4. Incomplete grades may be given to students who have been unable to complete course work for a valid reason.An incomplete grade must be resolved within one calendar year or will automatically convert to an "F". Faculty may opt to specify a lesser completion period.
    • It is the student's responsibility to request the incomplete. Faculty may choose to deny the request.
    • Incomplete grades in prerequisite courses must be removed before enrollment in course work for which the prerequisite is required.
    • A Program for Master's Degree (M-1) (Pick up in Student Services) must be filed with the Graduate School before completing the first two-thirds of the number of hours required in the program. Changes made in the program of study after it has been filed require completion of Petition for Change in Degree Program (G-8) (Appendix B).
    • The maximum time allowed for completion of a master's degree is six years after initiation of course work. Transfer work must have occurred within the six years of completing the master's degree to be accepted.
    • The final two-thirds of master's course work must be completed at UM-St. Louis.

Probation

  1. A student will be placed on academic probation if the cumulative Grade Point Average falls below 3.0 (4.0 scale).
  2. A student is placed on probation for one semester, during which time the Student Affairs Committee will formally review progress towards resolution. After one semester, the student will be (a) removed from probation, (b) continued on probation or (c) dismissed from the program.
  3. A student may not continue on probation for more than one calendar year without permission from the Dean of the Graduate School.
  4. The College sends letters of probation to the student with copies given to the Graduate School and Graduate Admissions Office.
  5. Dismissal from Graduate School is upon recommendation of the school. The Graduate School sends dismissal letters with copies sent to the student's advisor and Graduate Admissions.

Dismissal

  1. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better must be maintained.

  2. A student may NOT progress in the MSN Program with a grade of "C+" or less in any master's level course.

    • Any master's level course in which a C+ or less is achieved must be repeated in the next semester it is offered and a B- or better must be achieved.
    • A course may be repeated only one time.
    • The course may be taken concurrent with any course for which it is not a pre-requisite.
    • A student may be dismissed from the program for failure of any 2 courses in the MSN program.
    • No course may be repeated more than once.

     3.  A student must successfully complete all clinical objectives in each clinical/lab course to receive a passing grade for the course.

     4.  No nursing or elective course taken to satisfy degree requirements may be taken as satisfactory.

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

  1. The following procedures apply if the above informal procedure does not resolve a dispute concerning a grade to the student's 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).

  2. 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 level Program Coordinator of the department (BSN, MSN, DNP, Ph.D.) housing the course in question. (This 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 instructor's 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 Coordinator may require that the student put the appeal in written form before the Program Coordinator discusses it with the instructor.

  3. If the matter remains unresolved, the student may, with 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 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 student's 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.

  4. 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 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.

  5. 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 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..

  6. If the Dean denies the procedural appeal the student may ask the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, acting as the Chancellor's 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.

  7. 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 the 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 he or she is unavailable.

  8. Under current campus policy, transcript notation of "DL" a delayed grade automatically becomes an F after one regular semester. This change, which the Registrar is mandated to make, is not considered a grade change and is 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"

Student 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.