Prompt attendance and preparation for classroom, scheduled learning lab, and clinical experiences are required. Attendance records will be maintained by the faculty. Faculty reserve the right to dismiss a student for tardiness, dress code violations, being unprepared, being physically or mentally compromised, or for any evidence of unprofessional conduct.
Planned absences for non-university related activities must be pre-approved by the BSN program chair at least one month before the absence. The Planned Student Absence form must be completed and signed by the clinical/seminar/lab faculty and the program chair at least one month prior to the absence. The Planned Student Absence form must include plan, developed in conjunction with the course coordinator(s), for making up the missed course and clinical work/hours. The plan must be included on the Planned Student Absence form and be signed by the course coordinator(s) when students meet with the Program Chair. Any assignments missed should be completed before the absence. If the student is absent for an exam, the exam should be taken within 24 hours of return. The student is responsible for making an appointment to meet with the program chair to discuss the absence following approval from course/clinical faculty.
If a student will be absent for a university related activity, the university advisor will notify faculty. Student athletes are responsible for notifying faculty of expected absences. The student is responsible for communication with course faculty to develop a specific plan for make-up of missed assignments, clinical, and/or exams.
In the event that the student must be absent, it is the student's responsibility to notify the faculty a minimum of two hours prior to the activity. The student must provide the following information:
1. Student name.
2. Reason for student's absence.
3. Activity (class, skills lab, clinical experience, etc.) from which the student will be absent.
4. Name of instructor who should be notified of the absence.
5. Hospital/agency and clinical unit to which the student is assigned (if assigned to clinical that day.)
Professional behavior requires that students be present at the start time of class and to be prepared for clinical experience. A first offense of tardiness results in a verbal warning, and a second offense requires an eight-hour clinical make-up, along with a Performance Improvement Plan.
Absences and tardiness jeopardize a student’s ability to achieve the objectives of the course and are inconsistent with professional behavior. If problems are noted with class attendance or tardiness, the student will be counseled and issued a letter of warning. A copy of the letter will be placed in the student’s academic file in the College office.
Excessive absences may affect progression in the nursing program and result in dismissal from the program.
Students are expected to prepare for clinical assignments. A student unprepared for a clinical assignment will be dismissed from clinical, and may be issued a Performance Improvement Plan. A student dismissed from clinical for being unprepared will be required to make up the experience. Lack of preparation for clinical experiences may result in clinical failure.
Students must submit all assignments in the format specified by course faculty and ensure files are accessible for grading. Corrupted or inaccessible files will be considered not submitted. Assignments are expected to be submitted by the due date, and late submissions will be subject to the late policy outlined in the syllabus. Submissions that are not submitted on time and are beyond the late assignment policy will receive a grade of 0. All assignments are due as directed by the instructor, and assignments will not be accepted after the course has ended under any circumstances.
Students are responsible for monitoring their grades in Blackboard and promptly notifying faculty of any discrepancies or concerns before the end of the semester. Issues reported after the semester concludes cannot be addressed. Students should plan to avoid technical problems, as technical difficulties do not excuse late or missing submissions unless documented and approved by faculty.
All work must comply with academic integrity standards outlined in University policy. This includes completing assignments independently unless collaboration is explicitly permitted, avoiding plagiarism, and not sharing assignments or exam content with others. Violations of academic integrity will result in disciplinary action according to University guidelines. Students are encouraged to communicate proactively with faculty regarding submission requirements or grading concerns.
The purpose of the policy for clinical make-up is to ensure consistency of clinical hours in all courses and to comply with state and national accreditation standards. Clinical experience will be defined but not limited to seminar, skills lab, simulation experience and agency rotations.
Students must complete clinical make-up for each hour of clinical missed. If a student is late two times, the student will be required to do an eight-hour clinical make-up time. Clinical make-up experiences will be directed by course faculty.
Any clinical time missed by a student will be documented and recorded on the clinical evaluation. Missing more than two clinical days in a nursing course may constitute a clinical failure. Missing more than six clinical days in one academic year is grounds for dismissal from the program. Documentation regarding the clinical absences will be reviewed by the course faculty, the Program Chair, and the Admission and Progression Committee. A determination of student progression in the curriculum will be made based upon student and clinical faculty documentation.