Academic Regulation Grade and Grade Points

Academic regulations are discussed in the Undergraduate Bulletin. All nursing students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA to begin nursing modules.

1.  Students must earn a “C+” or better in a nursing course in order to pass the course. There is no  C, C-, or D in Nursing course grades.
The following grading is used for Wagner College:

POINT VALUE                              LETTER GRADE
93-Up                                                      A
90-92                                                      A-
87-89                                                      B+
83-86                                                      B
80-82                                                      B-
77-79                                                      C+
73-76                                                      C
70-72                                                      C-
67-69                                                      D+
63-66                                                      D
60-62                                                      D-
<60                                                         F

Other letter grades have no “weight” and are not computed into the Grade Point Ratio.

They are: P = Pass
W = Withdrawal
INC = Incomplete

If a student has an “INC” but does not meet the requirements of the course by the time limit set by the Office of the Registrar, the grade will automatically be converted to a “F”.

The School of Nursing believes and maintains that practice is knowledge based. Therefore, the grades generated by the evaluation of knowledge of theory and clinical practice are incorporated into one grade for each Nursing course. The clinical laboratory experience is graded by use of satisfactory (P) or unsatisfactory (F). An unsatisfactory grade in the clinical laboratory experience constitutes a failure for the course.

2. Courses in each module of the curriculum must be completed before progressing to the next module.

3. Nursing students may fail only one (1) nursing course. Future failures will necessitate automatic dismissal from the Nursing Program. For example: If a student fails a course, retakes it, and passes, then fails another nursing course, he/she will be dismissed from the program. If the student retakes a course and is unsuccessful on the second attempt, the student is dismissed from the nursing program but may continue studies at the College in another field.

4.  No student gets credit for more than 18 units in their major.

Transfer Policy

Students transferring into the School of Nursing must complete all prerequisite requirements successfully before admission into any nursing courses. The last 9 units/30 credits must be completed at Wagner College.

Academic Honesty Policy

The Evelyn L. Spiro School of Nursing follows the Academic Honesty Policy of Wagner College. As members of the Wagner College community, students are held to the highest standards with regards to academic honesty and integrity. Violations of the College’s honesty policy diminish the work of everyone at Wagner College. Open, honest inquiry stands at the foundation of our academic process, and is expected of all students, without exception. Students are solely responsible for informing themselves about acceptable forms of academic conduct.

Mid-Semester Warning

Each student doing unsatisfactory work in any course at mid-semester is notified by the department faculty responsible for the course. If there is a formal mid-semester warning on college grade sheets, a letter will also be sent to the student by the School of Nursing Chairperson.

Advisement

The student is expected to report to his/her instructor and to his/her faculty advisor for necessary guidance. He/she is also contacted by Academic Advisement; the nursing major is assigned a nursing professor to serve as advisor. This must be done by sophomore year. Advisee lists are posted in the Evelyn L. Spiro School of Nursing on the third floor of Campus Hall.

Registration Procedure/Advisement

The Registrar notifies continuing students of the dates allocated for academic advisement and sends a mailing to those students who are not currently attending nursing courses, but are on continued matriculation. After a copy of the course schedule for the coming semester is obtained from the Registrar’s office, the procedure listed on the Academic Advisement Form contained in this booklet should be followed. Advisement within the School of Nursing facilitates adequate record-keeping of the student’s progress. An academic advisor is designated for each student in the Evelyn L. Spiro School of Nursing, once they have declared Nursing as a Major. The list of respective advisors is on the bulletin board in the Evelyn L. Spiro School of Nursing. If you are not on the list, notify the office personnel in the School of Nursing’s office. You will be assigned an advisor or may request a specific advisor. A student who wishes to make a change in their schedule or program should consult their academic advisor. If the change is approved, the student must file a change of program form signed by the advisor. A fee is charged for each change. Drop/Add course changes and Pass/Fail option changes are listed in the Course Schedule.

Financial Aid and Tuition

Information about financial aid can be obtained from the Undergraduate Bulletin and the Financial Aid Department.

Student Physical Examination Policy

The health policy for all Wagner College students is explained in the Undergraduate Bulletin. The students in the Evelyn L. Spiro School of Nursing must have a yearly physical examination and must submit a copy each semester to each clinical instructor on the first clinical day on campus. The original must be on file in the Nursing Office. Each student must comply with this policy to fulfill contractual agreements made with clinical agencies. If a student experiences a change in health status, a note must be submitted from the student’s physician stating that a student’s health status is such that full participation in clinical nursing practice is possible. Specific forms are obtained from The Evelyn L. Spiro School of Nursing’s office personnel (see following sample). All students must have their own personal health insurance. This can be obtained from the Student Health Services Office at a low cost to the individual.

Student Expenses

Lab fees defray the cost of student liability insurance and other expenses. Textbooks vary per course and many such as the fundamental and advanced skills paperback are used with each nursing course but are only purchased once. Up-to-date used texts are fine. Uniform fees and lab costs/nametags can be obtained by calling the designated uniform store indicated in the handbook. As part of our Educational Resources Inc. testing program, students are required to pay a fee each semester prior to the beginning of each semester. Fees are subject to change in accordance with the testing center. The Educational Resources Inc. testing program includes comprehensive exams in all 4 semesters, retakes, a simulated NCLEX, as well as the review course which is mandated prior to taking the NCLEX. A receipt for the paid fee must be presented to the NRC Director on the first day of class. All required documentation must be presented to the clinical instructor on the first day of the clinical.

Attendance

All class, laboratory, and clinical sessions must be attended. Clinical sessions are difficult to make up. Attendance records are kept for classroom and clinical laboratory. Absences will be evaluated and may affect the final grade. In case of absence, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor and the agency, if applicable. Clinical may be made up at the discretion of the instructor.

Evaluations

Students in nursing are evaluated both in the clinical laboratory and the classroom. The evaluation tools and methods are determined by the faculty member. The standards by which students will be evaluated are shared in the beginning of the semester. The clinical evaluations are completed by each instructor as well as a student self-evaluation at mid-semester and at the end of each semester. Since the clinical experience is a vital part of the program, an unsatisfactory grade in the clinical component will result in failure for the course regardless of the grade earned in the classroom.

Clinical Agencies

Since nursing is a practice profession, much of the student’s education will take place in a variety of health care and educational institutions. Numerous agencies on Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, providing clinical laboratory facilities, are selected for use in the nursing courses based on their excellence and ability to meet the clinical learning objectives. A direct partnership with United Activities Unlimited will also provide the basis for learning experiences in the Community. Students are expected to arrange their own transportation to the clinical agencies to which they are assigned. Liability insurance for undergraduate nursing students is provided by the college and is included in college fees.

Student Clinicals - Assigning of Students to Clinical Sections:

During advisement, professors will assign students clinical sections and required nursing theory courses. Students then register based on their assigned sections which avoids oversubscribing to clinical sections.  The School of Nursing may need to adjust clinical sections at any time.