Grading Policy

Course Grade Overview

• For coursework satisfying liberal arts, general education, students must earn a C- or better unless stipulated otherwise.
• A minimum grade of C+ is required for all NUR prefix courses and the following nursing major pre-requisite courses; Chemistry, Human Anatomy & Physiology I & Lab, Human Anatomy & Physiology II & Lab, Fundamentals of Psychology, Development Psychology/Life Span, Microbiology.
• A "P" grade (Passing) is required in all nursing (NUR) laboratory and clinical courses.
• Undergraduate students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Major and the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Major who fail (i.e., a grade of "C" or lower) a nursing, NUR prefix didactic component, will fail the entire nursing (NUR) course which includes any attached clinical and/or laboratory courses. In addition, those who fail the clinical or laboratory component of a course will receive an "F" for the clinical or laboratory component and an "F" for the nursing (NUR) didactic course.
• A student may repeat only ONE nursing (NUR) course and that course must be repeated in the next semester. To remain in the nursing program, a student may NOT fail a second NUR prefix course.
• A student may repeat no more than two courses needed to satisfy the nursing degree requirements.
• A student re-taking a required nursing course due to failure of the first attempt, may not withdraw unless he/she is passing the course at the time of withdrawal. Withdrawal with a failing status will result in the second failure of the course.
• Following receipt of a failing grade, the student will be removed from courses registered in future terms. This includes any NUR-prefix courses, and courses where the prerequisite has not been met. Students should contact their advisor to adjust their curriculum plan and register for the next term.
• If a student fails a course with a clinical component, the clinical team may choose the clinical placement for the student.

Grade Appeal Policy

If a student believes that the final course grade they have received is incorrect, they should first attempt to resolve the issue with the faculty member. If no satisfactory resolution is reached, the student may submit a grade appeal to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Nursing by the semester's school-set deadline.

The grounds for a student grade appeal are as follows:

1. The grade is allegedly based on an error in calculation.
2. The grade assigned allegedly did not follow the grading criteria as stated in the course syllabus.

It is the responsibility of the student to prove that the grade is incorrect or unjustified. Please note an appeal cannot be based on "personal dislike of the instructor," "dislike of the instructor's teaching style, including speaking too fast or too slow," or "dislike of or disagreement with the assignments," among other things not based on items #1 and #2 above. The student must summarize the grade appeal grievance and submit a grade appeal form to the Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, Nursing by the semester's school-set deadline.

If the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Nursing concludes that the student did not provide sufficient ground for a grade appeal, the Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, Nursing will notify the student and SNHS Dean that the grade will be upheld. The SNHS Dean communicates the final decision directly to the student.

If the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Nursing concludes that a grade appeal hearing is warranted, the Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, Nursing will notify the student and the SNHS Dean that a grade appeal hearing will occur. The Academic Appeals Committee will be assembled for the hearing. The Academic Appeals Committee is composed of the following:

• Two Faculty
• One Student
• One Administrator

The student will be asked to attend the committee meeting to discuss their grounds for the grade appeal. The Academic Appeals Committee will make recommendations to the SNHS Dean. The SNHS Dean will communicate the final resolution.

If the appeal is approved, the student should contact their advisor to re-adjust their curriculum plan and future term registration. A seat in the sections that were dropped, and in clinical, lab, and didactic courses are not guaranteed.

Undergraduate Grade Replacement Policy

See the Undergraduate Grade Replacement section of this catalog for details of the University policy. The policy differs as follows for nursing majors:

• Undergraduates who re-take a course in the nursing major will have the lower of the two grades removed from the GPA calculation as long as the initial grade was C or lower.
• There is a limit of 2 grade replacements that may be applied within a degree program career for nursing majors.
• Grade Replacement may only be applied to a course if the previous grade earned was a C, C-, D, or F. The replaced grade will appear on grade displays and transcripts with a "#" sign to the left of the grade letter, appearing as a #C, #C-, #D, or #F.
• Grade Replacement may be applied for Nursing courses at any level, however for all other subjects, the policy may only apply for courses retaken in the 1000, 2000, and 3000 levels.

Students are encouraged to consult their financial aid advisor regarding any out of pocket costs for a repeated course.