IUPUI Campus Bulletin 2014-2016

IUPUI 2014-2016 » Schools » nursing » Policies & Procedures » Graduate and Professional Policies

 

General Policies for the Graduate School of Nursing, All Campuses

Student Responsibility

Students in the School of Nursing are responsible for meeting with their academic advisors and planning their programs. Students need to acquaint themselves with all regulations and remain currently informed throughout the nursing program. All provisions of this bulletin are in effect from the year in which the graduate student enters the nursing program. The Indiana University School of Nursing reserves the right to change the regulations in this bulletin at any time during the period for which it is in effect, and to add, modify, or withdraw courses at any time.

English as a Second Language

Students for whom deficiencies in English have been identified by the IUPUI English Entrance Exam must successfully complete recommended English as a Second Language courses before enrolling in nursing courses required by the major.

General Policies

In addition to policies described under the general statement of the School of Nursing, the following policies govern master’s study in particular.

Transfer of Credits

Students must obtain the consent of the associate dean for graduate programs before credit earned at other institutions may be added to the official transcript. A maximum of 9 credit hours with a minimum grade of B in courses that fulfill the curriculum requirements may be transferred from an accredited college or university with the consent of the academic advisor. Credits used to meet requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing may not be used toward the Master of Science in Nursing.

Degree Programs

Students may earn only one Master of Science in Nursing degree from the Indiana University School of Nursing, although they may study in more than one major.

Study/Thesis Continuation

After completing R590 Nursing Study (3 cr.) or R699 Master’s Thesis in Nursing (6 cr.), the student must enroll every semester in R900 Continuation in Study or Thesis (1 cr.), until the study or thesis is satisfactorily completed.

Academic Policies for the Graduate Programs in the School of Nursing

(The following policies apply only to students admitted to the School of Nursing.)

Semester Load

Full-time graduate students are those enrolled in 8 credit hours during a regular semester or summer session. Enrollment in fewer credits than this constitutes part-time study.

Absences

Illness is usually the only acceptable excuse for absence. Allowances for illness are based on the time at which they occur and the amount of time lost. Loss of time in any course may require that the student repeat the course.

Leave Policy

Students admitted to the graduate programs may petition for a leave of absence of up to one year for personal or health reasons. Students must obtain their advisors’ approval and petition the Graduate Admission, Progression, and Graduation Committee in writing. To extend time required for completion of a program, students must obtain leave prior to extended absence.

Completion of Degree Requirements

The School of Nursing must receive notices of removal of Incomplete and Deferred grades, special credit grades, and independent study course grades no later than three weeks before the end of classes in the student’s last semester prior to graduation. Transfer of external courses should be completed well in advance of graduation semester. Transcripts may not arrive in time for graduation if students choose to transfer courses in the last semester.

Auditing of Courses

An audit student officially registers for a class and pays the applicable credit hour rate. Upon completion, the course is entered on the permanent university record as one taken for no credit (NC). Note that this option is available only with the instructor’s permission.

Withdrawals

Students who wish to withdraw from any or all courses should consult with their academic advisors. The steps to withdraw and possible refunds vary depending on the point in the semester. For specific steps visit registrar.iupui.edu or consult the Registration Guide and Academic Information.

Incomplete (I) Grades

The grade of Incomplete used on final grade reports indicates that the work is satisfactory as of the end of the semester, but has not been completed. The grade of Incomplete may be given only when the completed portion of a student’s work in the course is of passing quality. Instructors may award the grade of Incomplete only upon a showing of such hardship to a student that would render it unjust to hold the student to the time limits previously fixed for the completion of the course work.

Deferred Grades

The grade of R (Deferred) is appropriate only as long as there is work in progress. Only certain courses are designated as courses for which the grade of R may be awarded. All R grades must be changed to a letter grade before graduation.

Addition of Courses/Change of Section

Students may add courses or change from one section of a course to another according to the dates in the Registration Guide and Academic Information. Electronic class drop and add is available for certain periods of time. Check registrar.iupui.edu.

Cumulative Grade Point Average

Grades in courses transferred from another institution are not used in calculating the cumulative grade point average. However, all grades from course work attempted at Indiana University are used in calculating the cumulative grade point average.

Computer Literacy

Prior to enrolling in nursing courses, faculty expect nursing students to be able to use computers well enough to log on to the Internet to access class content. Students should also be able to search for nursing-related materials and to return to an interesting site whenever they choose by using bookmarks or a word processor to store Internet location addresses. Students also should be able to log in to an e-mail account to communicate with other students and faculty, and to use a word-processing program.

Students participating in Web-based courses should have access to a computer with a reliable Internet connection (minimum 56K). The School of Nursing officially supports only PC-compatible computers (not Macintosh). For specifics about recommended PC configurations, see uits.iu.edu (click on “Software and Hardware”). The IUPUI SoftPak software should also be purchased. This software can be purchased at the IUPUI Cavanaugh Bookstore on CD for a minimal fee. These CDs include software to connect to the IUPUI network, Netscape Communicator to use as a World Wide Web browser, and a virus checker. If the students are outside of the Indianapolis calling area, they should acquire an Internet provider such as America On Line (AOL), Prodigy, CompuServe, or another that has a phone number in their calling area. These commercial providers have their own World Wide Web browsers. Students in R.N.–B.S.N., R.N.–M.S.N., M.S.N., and Ph.D. programs are required to have their own computer and to be able to access the IUPUI campus services.